Hello lil’ triangles of deliciousness, we ‘meat’ again. Okay, that was horrible. We could just call them what normal people call them – Lebanese meat pie or Sfiha. Sfeehas bring back a lot of childhood memories for me. They’re the epitome of ethnic comfort food. When my brother and I were younger, my parents used to buy these from a small little Lebanese bakery for us. They were treats that came around every couple of months or so, as the bakery was in the city and we lived in a tiny suburb over an hour away. Sometimes I’d pick the one with beef mixture, other times I went with spinach fatayer. I have distinct memories of cold, blistery winters, wearing 90s sweaters, and eating warm Lebanese meat pies by the fireplace. I sometimes make my Lebanese meat pies into large, dinner-sized portions because that’s how I remember them being. I’ve pictured them smaller to serve as appetizers if you’re making these as finger food for a party. They are always a hit!
Ingredients for Lebanese Meat Pies:
Self-rising flour: depending on where e you live in the world, this might be called self-raising flour. Self-rising flour containers both baking powder and a dash of salt.Milk Powder: gives homemade Lebanese meat pies a bakery-style flavor, texture, and tenderness to the final product. One that you can’t pinpoint while eating but you know that there’s something special about these rolls. If you can’t find it in stores, you can purchase it here. Seasonings and flavorings: You’ll need kosher salt, instant yeast, and granulated sugar. The sugar will help feed the yeast. You’ll need ground cinnamon, allspice, a dash of cayenne pepper, and sumac to flavor the sfiha filling.Sauce: You’ll need tahini paste and pomegranate molasses for the filling.Oil, ghee, and eggs: You’ll need a high-heat oil such as avocado or canola oil. You’ll also need a couple of eggs for the sfiha dough. The ghee is used for the filling. If you don’t want to use clarified butter, you can just use a splash of oil instead.Onions and tomatoes: Along with ground beef, these ingredients make up the filling.Finishing ingredients: Lemon juice and parsley are added as finishing ingredients for the filling. Traditionally, some families also add a handful of pine nuts. I didn’t grow up eating them this way, so I prefer them without it.
How to make lebanese meat pies:
Recipe slightly adapted from Jerusalem A Cookbook. Now come on, get to making Lebanese meat pies; you’re gonna love ’em!
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
Lebanese Meat Stuffed Pitas (Arayes)Lebanese Garlic Sauce (Toum)Beef Kafta KebabsHomemade Beef ShawarmaLebanese Rice Pilaf
Original recipe shared July 2014 updated with new images, post, and minor recipe updates Oct 2022.
Meat pieces can be stored in the refrigerator covered for up to 3 days. You can also bake and freeze them for up to 2 months. Reheat frozen pies in a 250ºF oven until warmed through; about 12-15 mins.
