Sambousek (Lebanese Meat-Filled Savory Pies)
Mini pastries filled with a spiced ground beef filling.
Prep Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Cook Time5 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Course: Appetizers, Side Dish
Cuisine: lebanese, Middle Eastern
Servings: 28 Sambousek
Calories: 85kcal
Pastry Dough
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon butter (softened)
- ¾ cup water
Filling
- ¾ pounds ground beef 10% fat
- 1 small white onion (minced)
- ¼ cup Italian parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon sumac spice
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup vegetable or avocado oil (for frying)
Dough
Sift flour, salt, and baking powder into a mixing bowl.
Add softened butter and mix with paddle attachment until thoroughly combined.
While mixing, add water in a stream. If needed, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together.
Replace the paddle attachment with a dough hook and mix the dough for a few minutes, until the dough is soft and pliable.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Filling
Brown ground beef in a skillet for a few minutes.
Add minced onions and chopped parsley. Mix to combine, then add the remaining spices.
Cook over medium heat for a few minutes longer or until the ground beef is cooked all the way through. Set aside to cool off.
Assembly
Using a walnut-sized piece of dough, roll onto a floured surface until very thin. Use a cup or lid that's approximately 4" in diameter to cut a circle out of the dough. Add the excess dough back to the remaining dough and cover to keep from drying out.
Wet the edges of the circle then fill with one heaping tablespoon of meat filling.
Crimp the edges together as in the pictures below or roll in the traditional way demonstrated in the video. Continue until all the dough and filling is used up.
Frying
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
When the oil reaches 375 degrees F, or bubbles as soon as you add the Sambousek, it is ready for frying. Fry Sambousek until golden brown, or approximately 5 minutes, turning once.
Remove Sambousek with a slotted spoon and drain onto paper towels. Serve while hot!
- The texture of the Sambousak will be different based on how you cook them. When fried, they will be crunchy at first and will soften as they cool off.
- When baking or air frying the Sambousak, the crust will have a hard, crumbly texture. If you prefer them softer, fry them instead.
- Sambousek come in various shapes, with the crescent shape being the most popular. I demonstrate how to make all 3 shapes in the Sambousek recipe video.
- Pine nuts can be added to the meat filling before stuffing the
Serving: 1Sambousek | Calories: 85kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 105mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g