Egyptian Goulash (Phyllo meat pie)

by Amina Al-Saigh on Mar 12, 2025

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Egyptian goulash is made using phyllo pastry and a ground beef and onion filling, seasoned with warm middle eastern spices. The final product looks so impressive but it’s actually so easy to make! The Egyptian goulash ends up being so crispy on the outside with a delicious meat filling. It’s a must try, and one of my go-to dishes if I’m hosting a dinner.

Egyptian goulash meat pie in a pan, cut into pieces

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Egyptian Goulash Is Special!

Well, it’s the pastry. Crispy pastry, sandwiching the most delicious spiced meat mixture, and everything drizzled in butter. And also the fact that it looks so impressive but its very easy to make. This dish very much reminds me of my Turkish Borek with spinach, which is also made using either layered pastry or rolled pastry like this Sigara Boregi.

The ground beef mixture used in this recipe is the classic “Hashweh” used in many middle eastern dishes, like this bechamel pasta, baked kibbeh, and Sheikh El Mahshi. The seasoning (allspice and cinnamon – my favourite spice combination) is the same in all of these recipes, but the meat mixture is used differently. If you have any leftover meat mixture, you can also cook it with rice and make Hashweh Rice which is a quick weeknight meal.

The pastry is ready made phyllo pastry that you can find in the freezer section of your local supermarket. It’s generally easy to find and easy to work with. Keep in mind, phyllo pastry tends to be a bit more delicate then puff pastry like in Umm Ali.

Ingredients you’ll need

The ingredients needed for this phyllo meat pie are so simple. You just need to make sure you purchase your phyllo pastry ahead of time. It’s typically frozen and comes in a pack with at least 15-20 sheets. Here I’ve used 20 sheets in total, so if your pack has less than that, you need to use two. You’ll need to thaw it overnight in the fridge or for a few hours on your counter.

Ingredients for phyllo meat pie which are lean ground beef, diced onion, phyllo pastry, butter and olive oil, allspice, cinnamon, garlic powder, salt, and pepper

How to make Egyptian goulash

Process steps for phyllo meat pie. First brush the pan with butter and oil. Add the phyllo pastry and brush every third layer with butter and oil. Add the ground beef mixture. Add the phyllo pastry and brush with butter and oil. Cut the pie into pieces. Pour the milk and egg mixture on top.

I promised you that making Egyptian goulash would be easy. And you need to trust me on that! Here’s what you’ll need to do:

Thaw your phyllo pastry ahead of time either overnight in the fridge or for a few hours on your counter. Ensure you have at least 20 sheets of phyllo dough
Preheat your oven to 350F
Make the meat filling by cooking the diced onion first with a bit of olive oil until softened, then add the meat and spices
Melt the butter and mix with the olive oil. Using a 10″ x 6″ pan (you can use a slightly bigger pan too, the pie will just slightly less thick which is totally fine), brush the bottom with the butter/oil
Roughly cut the phyllo dough it to fit your pan size. It doesn’t have to be exact and its fine if the edges get folded over along the sides (this part will be extra crispy!).
Add 2-3 layers of phyllo dough to the pan then brush with the butter/oil mixture. Make sure you’re generous and add a good amount. Add the next 2-3 layers and continue brushing every third layer or so until you reach 10 layers minimum on the bottom (a few more is fine)
Spoon the meat mixture onto the dough and flatten it with a spoon
Repeat the same steps with the top of the pie, adding 2-3 layers and brushing with butter/oil. Stop when you have reached roughly 10 layers on the top as well
Brush the top layer with butter/oil and carefully cut the pie into pieces using a sharp knife. Be sure to go all the way to the bottom and go over the cuts a few times
Whisk together the milk, egg and spice mixture and pour over the top of the pie
Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and crispy on top

Egyptian goulash meat pie served in a white plate with a green salad, with the full meat pie pan to the side

Tips for working with phyllo (or filo) dough

Phyllo pastry may be intimidating to some people, but I find it’s quite easy to work with. This recipe is very forgiving as well, so if you’re dough sheets tare, no need to worry! Here are some tips that will help:

Work quickly when assembling the pie as phyllo dough tends to dry out if left out for a long period of time
How can I prevent phyllo dough from drying? You can dampen a kitchen towel or paper towels and cover the phyllo dough to make sure it stays moist. As you use it, make sure to put the kitchen towel back on top
How do I thaw phyllo dough? Phyllo dough must be thawed slowly, otherwise it will get soggy and the layers will stick together. Never thaw it in the microwave. Instead, thaw it overnight in the fridge or thaw it on your counter for a few hours.
How long does phyllo dough last in the fridge? If you have opened the package and refrigerated it again, it will last a maximum of 1 week when covered tightly. For unopened packages, they can last for a few months in the fridge as long as they remain sealed
Handle the phyllo dough with care as it can easily tare. But as I mentioned, for this recipe in particular, it’s no worry because they sheets are going to meld together when baking
Always cut the phyllo dough before baking. After phyllo dough bakes, it crisps up, which will make cutting it impossible. That’s why it’s important to ensure your cuts are deep and have penetrated all the layers. Do this by going over them a few times

FAQs and expert tips for Egyptian Goulash

Can I add vegetables to this pie? Yes, you can add vegetables such as peas, carrots, mushrooms, spinach or kale. Simply cook them in with the meat mixture. Make sure your vegetables do not introduce extra moisture as that may make the pie soggy. To avoid this, cook them until all moisture evaporates
Can I use more or less phyllo layers on the top and bottom? I found that 10 layers on the bottom and 10 on top provide good structure and a great crunch. You can definitely use more if you like. It’s all about getting the right dough to filling ratio. If you don’t have that much phyllo dough, you can use less sheets but also ensure that the meat filling is a thinner layer
Can I skip the milk/egg mixture? The milk and egg mixture helps to keep the pie held together and it also adds great flavour. If you do not eat eggs, you can skip the eggs and just use milk

Egyptian goulash meat pie served on a white plate with a green side salad

Make ahead instructions

Egyptian goulash is a great dish to have for dinner parties because you can cook the meat filling a few days before and keep it in the fridge. You don’t need to heat it when you’re using it as it will heat up in the oven. On the day of the event, you simply have to assemble everything with your phyllo dough which should not take more than 10-15 minutes and then bake it.

If you want to save even more time, you can assemble the whole pie a few days before but do not pour the milk/egg mixture on top. Keep it well covered in the fridge. When you’re ready to use it, pour the milk/egg mixture and then bake it.

I know you’re also wondering: “can I freeze this meat pie?”. The answer is yes! You can freeze the baked pie, covered tightly. When you want to eat it, thaw it at room temperature then pop it in the oven until it’s heated through and crisps up again.

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