Name: Lebanese Meat Pies
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1½ lb. lean ground beef; 1 large onion (chopped); 2 stalks celery (chopped); 2 teas salt; ½ teas pepper (heaping); ½ teas cinnamon (heaping); 1 tbsp lemon juice (or the juice of one lemon); 1 package frozen yeast dough balls ((about 36))

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Lebanese meat pies (sfeeha or fatayer) are a traditional dish fit for the family. It is savory bread dough filled with a ground beef mixture with Mediterranean spices and lemon then baked to perfection.

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What is a sfeeha? Lebanese Meat Pies (aka Fatayer)

Lebanese meat pies, or sfeeha, are savory bread dough rolls filled with a Lebanese meat filling of either ground beef or ground lamb, onions and Mediterranean spices, as well as pine nuts. These delicious meat pies are a Middle Eastern staple. They are also know as fatayer, but fatayer can also include a different kind of filling with spinach, cheese.

When I think of Lebanese food and family functions, it cannot be complete without Lebanese meat pies. These are so traditional and a staple in any Lebanese home. Usually it is made with ground lamb, but after my family immigrated to the U.S. they began to use beef instead of lamb.

If your child is a picky eater, try this recipe. It is delightful and it’s rather addicting. A whole recipe makes about 36 meat pies and our family of 6 eats most of them in one sitting.

This dish is a little time consuming, so grab your helper, and make sure to make the full recipe! They can always be frozen after baking them. They reheat perfectly in the oven.

If you are not familiar with Lebanese food, please check out my article “The Ultimate Guide to Lebanese Cuisine”!

What are the ingredients for sfeeha?

The ingredients for the most typical meat fatayer, or sfheeha, inlcudes: bread dough, lean ground beef or ground lamb, onions, ground black pepper, salt, pine nuts (or in this recipe celery) and lemon juice.

How to make Lebanese meat pies

Start off with one large package of frozen yeast dough balls. I find this at my local grocery store, I buy the store brand. They come with 36 in a package so it is perfect to make with this recipe. Put them in the fridge for several hours to thaw. If you want to make these completely from scratch, then make it with the dough recipe from my Pita Bread recipe.

But for ease of use, get the frozen store-bought dough rolls!

In a pan on medium heat, brown the ground beef with the chopped onions, celery (or pine nuts), cinnamon, salt and pepper. THAT SMELL IS AMAZING!!! I’m pretty sure that this ground beef mixture is one of the best aromas on earth.

meat pie filling for Middle Eastern sfeeha, ground beef mixture

When the ground beef is browned, drain the grease and squeeze the lemon into the meat mixture and mix well. Let it cool off for 10-15 minutes before filling the bread dough rolls.

Video of how to fold meat pies

Check out the video of how to stuff the meat pies!

Roll out the dough into a thin 1/8 inch circle, using flour if need be. Put 1 Tbls. of the meat mixture into the center. Fold together the top, making a crease down to the middle, then fold the bottom into the middle, making another crease and it becomes a triangle. Follow the steps below.

Place each meat pie on a non-stick baking sheet. After they are all assembled, cover the meat pies with a kitchen towel or with plastic wrap and let them rise for 45 minutes.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. These are soooooo delicious! You won’t be able to stop eating them!

Lebanese Meat pies, beef fatayer, or sfeeha bil lahme

Are sfeehas freezer friendly?

YES! This is one thing I LOVE about this Lebanes Sfeeha recipe! Go head and freeze the leftovers after they are already baked! You can freeze them in a plastic zipper bag for up to 3 months.

How to thaw and reheat frozen meat pies

Take the meat pies from the freezer and transfer them onto a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven until they are heated through, or for about 10-15 minutes. They should taste just as fresh as when they were prepared.

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