Russian Chebureki Recipe (Ground Beef Turnovers)
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Chebureki is a popular Russian street food – piping hot juicy ground beef inside the fried dough – yum! Just like hot cakes, these little Chebureki disappear from the table in seconds!
This recipe makes an authentic Russian dish called “Chebureki” – pan-fried turnovers made from a flour tortilla stuffed with a mixture of ground beef, onion and parsley. This dish is amazing – crispy browned hot tortilla on the outside, juicy meat on the inside. Sink your teeth into one of these yummy little turnovers and taste the succulent filling – you just won’t be able to stop eating them!
In Russia, they use either homemade dough or thin flatbread for the Chebureki casing, but flour tortillas come as close as it gets to the authentic taste without the hassle :)
To make Chebureki, first make the filling by mixing ground beef with minced onion, parsley, salt and pepper. A little bit of water is also added to the filling – water is a secret Russian ingredient for keeping the Chebureki filling moist :)
Next, assemble the Chebureki – put the filling on half of the tortilla, leaving a 1/2-inch space around the perimeter. Brush the outside space with egg and pinch to seal (egg acts as a binder to keep the turnovers closed). Heat the oil on a frying pan and pan-fry Chebureki over medium heat for 4 minutes per side. Serve these delicious turnovers immediately, while they are piping hot!
What makes this recipe unique is that the filling is raw meat, not cooked. The meat cooks inside the folded tortilla on the frying pan. That makes it taste completely different from, let’s say, a quesadilla (where the meat is cooked before being put inside the tortilla). I haven’t seen any other dishes like that, and that cooking method makes Chebureki filling very juicy, by keeping all the juices sealed inside the tortilla.
If you are a Westerner not familiar with the Russian cuisine, Chebureki is a great recipe to try as it uses familiar ingredients and has a crowd-pleasing taste! Who doesn’t like crispy fried tortillas with a juicy ground beef filling? Chebureki will become your new favorite!
Russian Chebureki Recipe (Ground Beef Turnovers)
Ingredients
- 12 8- inch flour tortillas
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 bunch parsley
- 1 large onion
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup oil
Instructions
- Whish the egg in a bowl with a fork and set aside.
- Peel the onion and cut it into quarters.
- Cut off the parsley stems and discard.
- Put onion and parsley in a food processor and process for 1 minute or until smooth.
- Put the ground in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Add the onion/parsley mixture and water to the ground beef. Mix thoroughly with your hands until everything is combined.
- Divide the meat into 12 equal parts.
- Brush the tortilla with egg on the outside 1/2-inch border.
- Put the meat onto half on each tortilla, leaving 1/2-inch border on the outside.
- Fold the tortilla in half, so meat is inside. Press together the border of the tortilla with your fingers.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan or large griddle over medium-high heat.
- Put the folded tortillas on the frying pan in a single layer (you'll have to cook them in batches).
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Cook Chebureki for 4 minutes on each side, then remove onto a plate.
I’ve not heard of these. Sounds really interesting! Great dish — thanks.
Oh my God, I could eat this for breakfast right now!!! I am definitely making them soon!
I made the chebureki and loved them, not to mention the kids, they have already asked when will I make them again. They were easier to make than I thought, my worry was that the meat will fall out or something like that but everything went well. Thank you for the recipe!!!!
Thanks, Adina, for posting a review! I’m so glad you and your family loved chebureki! My kids love them too! :)
What do you serve this with?
Chebureki is awesome with a green salad on the side!
Great recipe. I use homemade crepes to make chebureki.
These were really awesome, we loved them! Thank you :)
I followed your recipe, Thanks for this guide. I’ve just started learning how to cook. I’m lucky to discover your website.
My Russian grandmother used to make Chebureki for special occasions, and I always wished I could recreate those flavors. I decided to give it a try. As I folded the tortillas over the juicy beef filling and watched them fry to a golden brown, I felt a sense of nostalgia. The taste brought me right back to my grandmother’s kitchen, and I couldn’t be happier with the result. Thanks