• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Hilda's Kitchen Blog

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Book
  • About
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Book
    • About
    • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    • Recipes
    • Book
    • About
    • Subscribe

    You Are Here Home » Appetizer Recipes

    Published: Jul 8, 2018 Updated: Apr 28, 2022 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 6 Comments

    Bourak (Assyrian Egg Rolls) Recipe

    Sharing is caring!

    912 shares
    • Share292
    • Yummly
    • Flipboard
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Bourak (Assyrian egg rolls)

    Bourak are referred to as Assyrian or Middle Eastern egg rolls. These delicious spicy appetizers are usually served as "mezze" along with other popular dishes like Sambousek, Hummus, Foul Medames, and Kotletai.

    fried bourak on a plate

    About This Recipe

    Most families have someone with a signature dish. In my family, that someone is my sister, Rosa. The dish she's known for is the focus of this post. Since she works out of the country, we don't get to see each other very often.

    Luckily, we were able to plan our trips to Chicago during the same period. I decided to take advantage of this rare occurrence by planning a day of cooking with her.

    How to Make This Recipe

    STEP 1: Brown ground beef in a skillet, breaking up any large clumps. Add minced onion to the pan. Saute until soft.

    rosa in the kitchen cooking bourak

    STEP 2: Sprinkle salt, pepper, and remaining spices over the meat. Add parsley and cook for an additional minute. Set aside to cool.

    potato chop filling in a pan

    STEP 3: When the filling is ready, place one egg roll wrapper in front of you. Add approximately two tablespoons of filling close to the bottom edge of the wrapper.

    rolling bourak

    STEP 4. Lift the bottom edge of the egg roll wrapper over the filling. Next, fold the sides of the wrappers over the filling and roll all the way up. Seal the corner with a dab of water, and repeat.

    unfried eggrolls in a plate

    STEP 5. Heat oil in a large frying pan to 375-degrees F. Carefully place a few Bourak in the pan. Fry until golden brown, and do the same with the rest.

    bourak being fried in a pan

    STEP 6. Drain fried Bourak on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve while hot.

    bourak draining on paper towel

    Bourak Varieties

    While trying to decide how to spell the name of this recipe, I found many alternative spellings online.

    Bourek, borek, and burek, are some examples. For the purposes of this recipe, I'll be referring to them as "Bourak." 

    I also discovered a lot more nationalities make them than I originally thought. Some of these nationalities include Croatians, Algerians, Turks, Greeks, Arabs, and of course, Assyrians.

    While my family mainly makes meat-filled bourak, there are some filled with cheese and herbs. There are also both savory and sweet varieties.

    The origins of this dish date back to the Ottoman Empire. However, their "borek" was prepared as a Phyllo-layered cheese pie, sweetened with honey.

    Although I plan to write a post for the cheese-filled variety in a future post, today I'm sharing my sister, Rosa's, recipe. Bourak are often served with Tabouli.

    a lady making egg rolls
    close up photo of aunt Alice
    Beni in the kitchen
    a sign in the kitchen

    Recipe Pro Tips

    • Bourak can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.
    • Toss the Bourak in cornstarch before refrigerating them to keep them from sticking to eachother or to the plate.
    • To reheat cooked bourak, use a toaster oven or an air fryer. If you use a microwave, they will be soft and soggy instead of crispy, as they are intended to be.

    Related Recipes

    • lumpia being dipped in sauce
      Easy Filipino Lumpia Recipe
    • uncooked empanadas on a blue and white tray
      3-Step Flaky Empanada Dough Recipe
    • burek main photo
      Cheese Burek Recipe (Börek)
    • potato chops and salad
      Potato Chop Recipe

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    Don’t forget to check out my  Classic Middle Eastern Food Combinations.

    📖 Recipe

    bourak

    Middle Eastern Egg Rolls (Bourak)

    Assyrian egg rolls, filled with a spicy ground meat mix.
    4.67 from 6 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: Appetizers, Side Dish
    Cuisine: Assyrian, Middle Eastern
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 24 eggrolls
    Calories: 86kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb. ground beef 15% fat
    • 1 small white onion minced
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ¾ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon curry
    • 1 teaspoon allspice
    • ¼ cup Italian parsley chopped
    • 1 package eggroll wrappers
    • oil for frying

    Instructions

    • Brown ground beef in a skillet, breaking up any large clumps. Add minced onion to the pan, and saute until soft.
    • Sprinkle salt, pepper, and remaining spices over the meat. Add chopped parsley and cook for an additional minute. Set aside to cool.
    • When the filling is ready, place one egg roll wrapper in front of you. Add approximately two tablespoons of filling close to the bottom edge of the wrapper.
    • Lift the bottom edge of the egg roll wrapper over the filling. Next, fold the sides of the wrappers over the filling and roll up. Seal the corner with a dab of water, and repeat.
    • Heat oil in a large frying pan to 375-degrees F. Carefully place a few bourak in the pan. Fry until golden brown, and do the same with the rest.
    • Drain fried bourak on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve while hot.

    Notes

    Calories are for unfried Bourak since it's hard to estimate how much oil they will absorb when fried.
    • Bourak can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.
    • Toss the Bourak in cornstarch before refrigerating them to keep them from sticking to each other or to the plate.
    • To reheat cooked bourak, use a toaster oven or an air fryer. If you use a microwave, they will be soft and soggy instead of crispy, as they are intended to be.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Bourak | Calories: 86kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 188mg | Fiber: 0g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

    More Appetizer Recipes

    • portobello mushrooms with dip in the background
      Air Fryer Portobello Mushroom Fries
    • smoked jalapeno poppers with one being picked up with blue tongs.
      Carnitas Stuffed Smoked Jalapeno Poppers
    • arook being held up with blue tongs
      Arook (Iraqi Meat Patties)
    • bruschetta caprese
      Bruschetta with Mozzarella (Bruschetta Caprese)

    Sharing is caring!

    912 shares
    • Share292
    • Yummly
    • Flipboard

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




       

      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Raman Michael says

      July 17, 2020 at 8:42 am

      5 stars
      Authentic Assyrian style Bourak like I remember my Mom making. Thank you!

      Reply
      • HildaSterner says

        July 17, 2020 at 9:33 am

        Thank you so much, Raman. I really appreciate your review and I'm glad you approve of this recipe. 😘

        Reply
    2. angie Toulakany says

      April 27, 2020 at 1:56 pm

      I am so happy to find you here finally . I have introduced you to our children and they are very excited keep up the good I am very proud to be Assyrian. Basimta.

      Reply
      • HildaSterner says

        April 27, 2020 at 2:05 pm

        Hi Angie
        Basimta raba! XO

        Reply
    3. Edison youkhana says

      July 19, 2018 at 4:39 pm

      I love Bourak. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • HildaSterner says

        July 19, 2018 at 4:52 pm

        Hi Edison, You wouldn't be Assyrian if you didn't love bourak, right? Hope you give the recipe a try! Thanks for your comment 🙂

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    profile photo-Hilda

    Hi, I'm Hilda! I'm the creator of Hilda's Kitchen Blog, author of Mom's Authentic Assyrian Recipes, and a recipe contributor to Brian Baumgartner's Seriously Good Chili Cookbook (AKA Kevin Malone, from The Office).

    Are you looking for a little inspiration in the kitchen? Let me show you how to use unique ingredients to make tasty meals for your family! more about me →

    Get My Cookbook!

    cook book on a wooden board

    Check Out My Etsy Shop!

    montana healing salves logo

    Grilling Recipes

    • kabobs on the grill
      Lamb & Beef Kofta Kebab
    • Carne Asada on a plate
      Mexican Carne Asada Marinade
    • grilled boneless chicken thighs topped with sliced lime
      Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
    • shish kabob on skewers
      Lamb Shish Kebab with Grilled Vegetables
    • steaks being grilled in a pan
      Grilled Ribeyes Basted in Herbed Garlic Butter
    • smoked chicken thighs on a silver tray
      Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs

    Popular Recipes

    • Katiafi pastry
      How to Make Kataifi Pastry from scratch!
    • smoked Tri Tip being sliced
      Traeger Smoked Tri-Tip
    • smoked turkey breast on the grill
      Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast
    • tri tip sandwiches featured image
      Tri-Tip Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions
    • orange powder in a jar with oranges around it
      Drying Orange Peels and How to Use Them
    • jiffy cornbread with creamed corn in a cast iron pan with a slice removed
      Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn

    Featured On

    featured on

    Subscribe to Get my Latest Recipes!

    Privacy Policy

    Stay Connected

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • My Etsy Shop

    Policies

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy
    • Photo & Content Sharing Policy

    LET'S CONNECT!

    • Contact Page
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage from qualifying Amazon purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 • Hildas Kitchen Blog • All rights reserved