Lebanese fatayer sit firmly on our list of favorite comfort foods. They show up across Lebanon and the Middle East at family gatherings, wedding buffets, and every kind of special occasion.

The inspiration behind this epic meat fatayer recipe comes from my mother-in-law, who calls them sfeeha. They have a delicate, soft pastry shell surrounding a flavorful filling of stewed meat, onions, and tomatoes, seasoned with just a hint of spice.

In an awkward attempt to convince my mother-in-law that sfeeha is something totally different, she simply replied, “When you love a certain dish, make it the way you want to, put your own little touches on it, and name it whatever you wish. Who cares!” She made me laugh. Bless her heart.

The truth is, cooks in every region of Lebanon make their own version of fatayer, and the term sfeeha is often used interchangeably with meat fatayer. Although both sfeeha and meat fatayer use the same dough, the filling and crimping style are different.

Here is a detailed recipe for making authentic Lebanese sfeeha. Check it out!

Make them and they’ll be gone in a flash!

These savory, flavorful meat fatayer, with their tender centers and perfectly golden crusts, hit all the delicious notes needed to satisfy the whole family! I like to make them for a hearty dinner, paired with a cold glass of ayran, and serve them to family and guests. They’re also a welcome treat in school lunch boxes, perfect for picnics, and always a hit at potlucks.

A fatayer-making day can be a spectacular event. It means making your own dough from scratch and preparing a knockout meat-and-tomato filling. Once you learn how to make this dough, you may find yourself wanting to experiment with all kinds of fillings. And what can you put in there? So many things!

Consider stuffing them with cheese, kishik, fresh za’atar leaves and feta, purslane, spinach, wild sorrel, and more. You name it! The possibilities are endless.

Shaping Fatayer

There is more than one way to shape fatayer. The most traditional method is the pyramid-shaped triangle that you probably know, or the half-moon-shaped pocket fatayer, which resembles an empanada.

The third is my mother-in-law’s beautifully crafted fatayer. The crimping and pleating are truly a work of art—a repetitive, rhythmic motion that creates an eye-catching pattern. I feel such a sense of achievement when I make these fatayer; they bring so much joy to my inner self!

Watch the video tutorial to learn how to shape all three versions!

About the Dough

As mentioned above, we are using my versatile dough—the same dough I use to make sfeeha!

This is such a versatile dough. It can be used to make mini manakish, spinach fatayer, calzones, mini pizzas, and turnovers, so I think it’s well worth learning and keeping in your repertoire.

Use whole milk to make the dough, and never use skim milk or low-fat milk.

When making the dough, the milk should be lukewarm, never hot. Hot milk will kill the yeast, which means your dough will never rise.

Kneading the dough by hand is pretty simple. I love kneading all my yeast doughs by hand—I’m old school! But you can absolutely use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook if you prefer.

Once the dough comes together, slam it onto a lightly floured countertop a couple of times. This helps strengthen the gluten in the flour, resulting in a wonderfully light and fluffy dough.

Watch the video to see exactly how I do it!

To Make the Dough

In a large bowl, mix the flour, active dry yeast, sugar, salt, and oil. Add the lukewarm milk and mix well. Knead the dough until it is smooth and uniform.

Slam the dough against the countertop a couple of times before covering it with cling film. This will help strengthen the gluten in the flour, resulting in a very light and fluffy dough. Watch the video!

Set aside for one hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

To Make the Stewed Minced Meat Filling

Heat a large skillet over high heat and coat the bottom with oil. Add the minced meat and break it up into large pieces. Let it brown for several minutes.

Stir in the chopped onions and season with cinnamon, black pepper, and cayenne, if using. Add the chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with salt. The salt will cause the tomatoes to release their juices and will also concentrate their flavor.

Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes are cooked and most of the moisture has evaporated.

Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference—we don’t want a bland filling!

Set the filling aside to cool completely. If the filling is too warm, your fatayer may unravel while baking. For best results, refrigerate the filling for 6 hours or overnight.

To Put Together

Once the dough has doubled in size, lightly flour your countertop and divide the dough into equal portions, roughly the size of a ping-pong ball.

Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a round about ⅓ cm thick. Lightly flour the countertop and rolling pin as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.

Place a spoonful of the meat filling in the center of each round. Crimp and pleat the dough over the filling, alternating between the left and right sides.

Watch the video tutorial for a visual guide!

Alternatively, you can make a crescent-shaped fatayer. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of the round dough, then fold it in half to form a half-moon. Pinch the edges together, then press and twist the dough along the edges to seal. Watch the video tutorial.

Here is the most common way to shape an afatayer: Add a spoonful of filling to the center of a round piece of dough. Lift the edges of the circle and bring them together at the center. Seal by pinching the edges together to form a pyramid. Make sure the edges are well sealed; otherwise, the fatayer may unfold while baking. Watch the video tutorial!

Lightly grease two large baking sheets with oil and place the meat fatayer on the greased sheets. Make sure to leave enough space between each fatayer. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Storage: Allow the baked fatayer to cool completely before storing them in the refrigerator. Meat fatayer can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Serving: Serve the meat fatayer straight from the oven, although enjoying them at room temperature is also common.

More Party Lebanese Finger Food Ideas?

Sfeeha, Lebanese Meat Pies

Cheese Samousek

Lebanese Cheese Rolls

Lebanese Meat Rolls

Fried Kibbeh Balls

Fried Potato Kibbeh Balls

Let’s Stay in Touch!

Did you make these fatayer? I’d love to hear how they turned out! Did you shape them into pyramids or try my mother-in-law’s custom crimp? Let me know in the comments below!

Lebanese Meat Fatayer/ Lebanese Meat Turnovers

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Prep: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Course

Snack

Cuisine

#Middle Eastern

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Lebanese

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Mediterranean

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Description

Meat Fatayer are at their most irresistible when served warm, fresh from the oven. The pastry is beautifully golden and tender, while the savory, richly seasoned meat filling is juicy, aromatic, and wonderfully comforting. That first warm bite is especially decadent, though they are just as delicious and commonly enjoyed at room temperature.

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

For the Dough

• ▢ 500 g / 1 lb 2 oz all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1½ tablespoons sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon instant dry yeast
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons salt
• ▢ 2 –3 tablespoons sunflower oil
• ▢ 1¼ cups whole milk or slightly less

For the Filling

• ▢ 500 g / 1 lb 2 oz ground lamb or beef
• ▢ 1 medium onion
• ▢ 2 large tomatoes peeled
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional

Instructions

 

• Start making the dough: In a large bowl, mix the flour, active dry yeast, sugar, salt, and oil. Add the lukewarm milk and mix well.
• Knead the dough until it is smooth and uniform. Slam it against the countertop a couple of times before covering it with cling film. This helps strengthen the gluten in the flour, resulting in a light and fluffy dough. Watch the video for guidance.

  Set aside for 1½ hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
  
• In the meantime, prepare the meat filling. Heat a skillet over high heat and lightly coat it with oil. Add the mground meat, breaking it into large pieces, and let it brown for several minutes.

  Stir in the chopped onions and season with cinnamon, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, if using. Add the chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with salt. The salt will help the tomatoes release their juices while also intensifying their flavor.

  Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes are cooked and most of the moisture has evaporated. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference—you don’t want a bland filling!

  Set the filling aside to cool completely. Using a warm filling can cause the fatayer to unravel during baking. For best results, refrigerate the filling for at least 6 hours or, preferably, overnight.
  
• Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°F. Place the rack in the center of the oven.
• When the dough has doubled in size, flour a countertop and divide the dough into equal balls, roughly the size of a ping-pong ball or slightly smaller.
• Roll each piece of dough with a rolling pin into a round circle about 1/3 cm (3–4 mm) thick—it should be quite thin. Lightly flour the countertop and rolling pin as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.
• I will show you three attractive ways to shape meat fatayer:
• The first method is somewhat of a work of art! Place a spoonful of filling in the center of a round piece of dough. Crimp and pleat the dough over the filling, alternating between the left and right sides. Make sure to seal it well. Watch the video tutorial for a step-by-step demonstration!
  
• The second is the crescent-shaped pocket fatayer, which looks like an empanada. Add 1 tablespoon of filling to the center of the round dough. Fold the dough in half to form a half-moon, then pinch the edges together. Press and twist the edges of the dough to seal.

  Watch the video tutorial!
  
• And finally, the most common way to shape fatayer is the pyramid-shaped triangle that you’ve probably seen before. Add 1 tablespoon of filling to the center of the dough circle. Lift the edges of the circle up and bring them together toward the center. Seal the fatayer by pinching the edges firmly together, forming a pyramid shape.

  Make sure your fatayer are well sealed; otherwise, they may unfold while baking! Watch the video tutorial to see exactly how it’s done.
  
• Lightly grease two large baking sheets with oil, then place the meat fatayer on the greased sheets. Make sure to leave enough space between each fatayer.
  
• Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  

Video

Notes

 

 

 

Keyword meat fatayer

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