Egyptian Goulash

Egyptian Goulash is a crispy phyllo pie with a spiced beef and spinach filling, baked until golden on top and soft in the middle. It takes about an hour start to finish, uses just one skillet for the filling, and is easy to prep ahead for a crowd.

Serve it warm for brunch, a light meal with a bowl of Çoban Salatası, or a holiday spread. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with Hungarian stew. In Egypt, it's called Gollash, named after the thin phyllo pastry itself. It's a regular at Ramadan tables and family gatherings.

Jump to:

• What is Egyptian Goulash?
• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Make Egyptian Goulash
• Recipe Tips From the Chef
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage
• Make Ahead
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Egyptian Goulash

What is Egyptian Goulash?

Egyptian Goulash is a scrumptious meat pie made of layering thin phyllo (or filo) pastries with lightly spiced meat, spinach, and onion filling sandwiched in between.

The pie is soaked in an egg, oil, and yogurt mixture before baking to achieve a soft, moist, and gooey inside. You can serve them as a main dish or a side, and the leftovers are great for packed lunches or picnics.

Watch the video below to see exactly how the layers come together.

Egyptian Goulash is very similar to Turkish borek, also known as Börek, Burek, or Bourekas, such as Kiymali Borek (Turkish Meat Burek). Borek is usually made with either yufka (a round, thin, unleavened flatbread) or phyllo (or filo) pastry and filled with meat, vegetables, or cheese.

Egyptian Goulash shouldn't be confused with Hungarian Goulash Stew which is made of slow-cooked meat and paprika.

Why This Recipe Works?

• This delicious phyllo pie with meat is extremely easy to make and impressive enough to serve for your dinner guests.

• You can use the spinach and meat filling to make one of my scrumptious borek recipes such as Spinach and Feta Pie Recipe and Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek).

• Just like Fatayer - Homemade Lebanese Pies, the leftovers of Egyptian Goulash are perfect for a packed lunch, afternoon snacks, or picnics.

• It's made with store-bought phyllo, so there's no dough to prepare from scratch. A few torn sheets won't show once it's baked.

• The egg, oil, and yogurt topping gives the pastry a golden, crisp top while keeping the inside soft.

• You can prep the filling or assemble the whole pie a few days ahead, so it's an easy make-ahead option for gatherings.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

Ingredients for Meat and Spinach Filling

• Ground beef - Same as I use for my Mince Beef Pie recipe, I use ground beef with a minimum of 15-20% fat for extra flavor. Meat with a high-fat ratio releases enough fat to sauté the onions when you brown them, therefore, you don't need to add any olive oil!

• Onions - You can use yellow or brown onions. They add umami flavor and sweetness to the meat and spinach filling.

• Garlic - Fresh garlic is a great flavoring that adds sweetness and nuttiness to dishes. Turn it into a paste with a Mortar and Pestle or grate it using a Microplane Zester Grater. I use two large or three small fresh garlic cloves for this recipe.

• Chili - It is optional and should be adjusted to your taste. You can substitute it with flaked chili or chili powder.

• Spinach - I use baby spinach leaves. Always wash the spinach thoroughly before using it for cooking or salads. Dry them using a salad spinner or leave them on a colander until the leaves are dry. You can use frozen spinach instead, just make sure you squeeze the water out.

• Tomatoes - Use nice fresh and ripened tomatoes or substitute them with a tablespoon of tomato paste.

• Seasoning - Adjust the amount of the seasoning to your taste. Add any other spices you like to create your version.

Ingredients for Phyllo Meat and Spinach Pie

• Phyllo Pastry - Filo is a very thin unleavened dough used for making pastries such as baklava and borek in Turkish and Mediterranean cooking. I used 2 packs of filo dough, 20 sheets (500 grams - 1.1 pounds) in total for this savory meat pie. You can buy them fresh or frozen from most supermarkets.

• Eggs - They give color as well as flavor to the borek. You can omit and add extra oil and/or yogurt to the sauce.

• Oil - It adds an extra crispness to the Egyptian Goulash. You can substitute it with melted butter, olive oil, sunflower oil, or rapeseed oil.

• Soda water - It gives crispness to the pastries. You can substitute it with sparkling water or melted butter.

• Yogurt - Use plain or natural yogurt with no sugar & flavor added. Yogurt gives the pastries a fluffy and light texture.

How to Make Egyptian Goulash

Prepare the Filling

Put a large frying pan or a wok on medium heat and add the ground beef. Cook it until brown, breaking it down into small pieces with a wooden spoon. 

Add olive oil and the onions to the pan, and then sauté until soft and translucent before adding the garlic and chili. If you use ground beef with some fat, you might not need olive oil for the onions.

Sauté them for another minute before adding the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes for a few minutes and then add black pepper, paprika, and salt. 

Add the spinach and then sauté until soft, let the water evaporate if there is any.

Give it a good stir and then remove the pan from the heat. Let the filling cool down for 10 minutes.

Build the Layers

To make the sauce, place the egg whites, yogurt, oil, salt, and soda water in a jug or bowl and then whisk until combined.

Preheat the oven to 180° C (360° F). Lay one piece of phyllo sheet on the bottom of a lightly greased baking dish size of 24cm x 33cm x 6cm (9 ½" x 13" x 2 ¼").

Drizzle on 1-1 ½ tablespoon of the sauce, and then spread it evenly using a brush. Lay another sheet of filo on top and then drizzle some more sauce, spreading it evenly. Repeat until you use half of the phyllo sheets.

Place the meat and spinach filling on top of the last phyllo sheet and spread it evenly. Layer the remaining phyllo sheets on top of the spinach and meat filling repeating the same process as before until the phyllo sheets are used up.

Carefully cut the phyllo pie into 12 equal squares using a sharp knife.

Whisk the egg yolks into the remaining sauce and then pour it evenly on top of the pie. Sprinkle on some sesame seeds and/or nigella seeds.

Place the pie into the preheated oven and then bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, until it is golden and crispy.

Let the Egyptian Goulash rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips From the Chef

• If using frozen phyllo pastry, make sure to defrost it either overnight in the fridge or for a few hours on your counter. Do not use your microwave to thaw the phyllo pastries!

• To avoid the phyllo pastries drying out, use a damp clean kitchen towel to cover them.

• Cut the phyllo meat and spinach pie into squares before baking. Cutting your pie after baking will be more difficult as the crust will be too crispy to have nice and clean cuts.

• Make sure the oven is heated to 180° C - 360° F (fan oven) before you put the Egyptian Goulash in. A cold oven would cause a longer cooking time and less crispy pastries.

• For a more traditional Egyptian flavor, swap the chili and paprika for a teaspoon of allspice and a teaspoon of cinnamon. This warm spice blend is the classic seasoning for the meat filling in Egyptian kitchens.

• You don't need to brush every single phyllo sheet with the egg mixture. Brushing every second or third sheet is enough to keep the layers crisp and saves time when you're working quickly.

• Feel free to add finely chopped mushrooms, peas, or carrots to the filling for extra texture. Cook off any excess moisture before adding the spinach, so the layers don't turn soggy.

Serving Suggestions

Phyllo Meat and Spinach Pie is very versatile and can be served for brunch, lunch, or dinner. It is also great to have them as an afternoon snack or picnic.

There are many ways to enjoy these delicious savory phyllo pies.

Try them with a bowl of soup such as Mediterranean Lentil Soup, Ezogelin Corbasi (Ezogelin Soup), Creamy Roasted Vegan Pumpkin Soup Recipe, or Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup.

If you want to serve them as a light lunch, they go perfectly with a bowl of salad such as Baba Ganoush Without Tahini, Arugula Spinach Salad, Taboule (Lebanese Tabouli Salad), or Austrian Potato Salad (Erdäpfelsalat).

Storage

Once the phyllo meat and spinach pie has cooled completely, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Wrap portions tightly in plastic wrap before freezing so they don't dry out.

To reheat, cover with foil and warm in a 180°C (360°F) oven or air fryer for about 10 minutes, or until piping hot in the middle. Add an extra 5 minutes if reheating from frozen. You can also use a microwave, though the pastry will lose some of its crispness.

Make Ahead

You can prepare the meat and spinach filling up to two days in advance and keep it covered in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the pie.

You can also assemble the entire pie ahead of time. Layer the phyllo and filling, cut it into squares, and refrigerate it, tightly covered, for up to a day before pouring on the egg, oil, and yogurt mixture and baking as directed.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For other delicious savory pie recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this hearty and flavorsome Egyptian Goulash recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂