Authentic Chebureki, just like babushka made! Crispy yet soft, with the trademark bubbles on the dough. The meat filling is super juicy when you bite into it, the broth spills out (slurp carefully!). A perfect snack food that every Russian, Ukrainian and Central Asian loves!
I remember my mom and babushka making these as after school snacks. Who doesn't love crispy fried foods? It was one of the first recipes I learned to make. Popular in every culture, these are an Eastern European favorite. Sometimes they are known as Chiburekki.
What are Chebureki?
Chebureki are a fried turnover, filled with ground beef and onions. They also taste great with ground lamb. Chebureki are a classic Crimean, Caucasus and Turkic street food snack, popular across Russia and the former Soviet Union. The dough is rolled out and folded in the shape of a half moon crescent. They are meant to be larger in size, not small hand pies Fried Piroshki.
Chebureki Shortcut
If you're reading this from Russia, American Russians have started to use Tortillas for this recipe. Don't worry, this is an authentic Chebureki recipe, not a Tortilla in sight. That makes them closer to empanadas! It just doesn't seem right to make Russian Chebureki with Mexican Tortillas.
If you want to use Tortillas, it only works with uncooked or raw Tortillas that are made with wheat not corn. Follow the recipe, just skip the dough part. Many countries around the world don't even easily sell those. Most supermarkets sell ready to serve tortillas and that won't work for that recipe. My advice, stick to a tried and true, traditional Chebureki recipe.
Chebureki Dough
Making dough scares people, but this recipe is so easy. Chebureki dough only has 5 ingredients. It's very easy to make this dough, unleavened and yeast free. Just knead, rest, and roll. It's impossible to screw this up!
- Flour
- Water
- Salt
- Oil
- Vodka
Chebureki Meat Filling
Meat filling is super easy to make, all you need is a bowl and your hands to mix! Made with ground beef, but sometimes we make Chebureki filling with ground lamb. An easy mixture that's made extra juicy by adding water, don't skip that step!
- Ground Beef
- 2 small Onions
- Salt and Pepper
- Water
- Fresh Parsley
How to Make Chebureki without Vodka
Traditionally, it's believed that a splash of vodka into the dough is what makes the Chebureki crispy. Nothing beats that crunch. However, you might not have Vodka, and you only need a tiny bit. It isn't necessary to add vodka, and you can skip this step if you don't have Vodka.
How to Make Chebureki
- Prepare the dough by kneading until smooth and elastic. Allow to rest for 1 hour.
- Combine the meat filling ingredients, and you're ready to start.
- Pinch of cut a piece of dough, smaller than a tennis ball, bigger than a golf ball.
- Roll out into a thin circle, 6-8" round
- Place a heaping tablespoon over ½ of the dough, evenly spread. Leave ½" clean border around the edge of the meat.
- Fold the dough over the meat, forming half a moon. Press and seal the edges. Use a for the press a pattern around the edges of the seal.
- Heat ½" oil into a frying pan until hot. Fry 2 Chebureki meat pies at a time for 3-4 minutes, carefully turning over each side when golden brown.
- Remove to a paper towel lined plate to soak up the excess oil. Serve immediately.
Can You Make Chebureki in Advance Before Frying?
Yes, but only for 24 hours. Keep in the fridge on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lightly dusted to prevent sticking. Do not stack them, keep on a single layer. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Before frying, bring to room temperature for about 20 minutes to ensure even cooking. If freezing Chebureki, fry from frozen directly from freezer, but adjust cooking time.
Sauces for Chebureki
- Ketchup - my favorite way to eat Chebureki, Ketchup goes with everything
- Smetana Sour Cream - more traditional, we love our sour cream!
- Tzatziki Sauce - completely not traditional, but tastes really great
- Sriracha Mayo - Russians definitely love mayo, and this spicy mayo is perfect
Russian Recipes You'll Love
- Pork Shashlik - flavor filled and juicy meat skewers
- Farmer's Style Stuffed Blini - a Teremok favorite, stuffed with potatoes and bacon
- Veal Orloff Casserole - meat and potato casserole with... mayo!
- Salmon Kulebyaka - a rustic fish pie like babushka made
- Olivier Salad - classic Russian Potato Salad
- Easy Napoleon Cake - you gotta see it to believe this recipe
- Cabbage Piroshki - easy fried hand pie snack
- Uzbek Hanum (Orama) - not Russian but tasty Lazy Manti
- Raki - Russian Style Crawfish - taste of a Russian summer
I loved eating Chebureki in Sochi with a cold glass of Kvas in the summer along the beach. The perfect street food combo for me! Crispy outside, juicy inside, so easy to make, an authentic recipe! Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Ingredients
Ingredients for dough
- 4 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1½ cups Water
- 4 tablespoons Oil
- 2 tablespoons Vodka
Ingredients for filling
- 1¼ lbs (600g) Ground Beef
- 2 small onions finely diced
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 cup Water
- ½ bunch Parsley finely chopped
- Oil for frying
Instructions
Chebureki Dough
- To prepare the dough, place flour, salt, water and oil into a bowl. Mix together to make dough ball.
- Lightly sprinkle flour on working surface and knead the dough. Add more flour if necessary until dough is smooth, elastic and non-tacky. Flip a bowl over the dough and allow to rest for an hour.
Meat Filling
- In a bowl, add ground beef, diced onions, salt and pepper, water and parsley.
- Using your hands, mix together ingredients until combined.
Making Chebureki
- Pinch small pieces of dough, slightly smaller than a tennis ball, and roll out thinly. Alternatively, roll the dough into a baton, and cut dough pieces.
- Roll the dough pieces into thin circles, about 6-8" round.
- Place a heaping tablespoon of meat over ½ of the dough, spreading evenly. Leave a ½" clean border around the meat.
- Fold the dough over the meat, forming a half moon. Press the edges to seal the Chebureki. Use a fork to press a pattern around the cheburek.
Frying Chebureki
- Heat a generous ½" oil into a frying pan until hot. Fry the chebureki, 2 at at time, for 3-4 minutes. Carefully turn over each side when golden brown. If oil isn't hot enough, it will absorb into the cheburek and tasty oily.
- Remove to a paper towel lined plate to soak up the excess oil. Serve immediately.
Video
©PetersFoodAdventures.com
Anna
Hi! I followed the recipe exactly but even though the dough was golden brown on the outside it was completely raw on the inside. Meat was cooked through however. I used medium heat and did 3-4 minutes in each side. Does it matter what kind of flour is used? I used all purpose flour. Dough was 3 mm thick.
Peter's Food Adventures
Hi Anna, How interesting, I am unsure as to reason why that would be? All purpose flour is what I use as well. Maybe temp too high? But you used medium heat, which should be good, and the meat was cooked? If your meat is cooked, so should your dough be? Very unusual, I'm sorry I don't know what to suggest.
Mary Jean
This is a question that is similar to Theresa's. Can the chebureki be assembled and then refrigerated for one day before they are fried?
Peter Kolesnichenko
Yes you can. I have update the recipe post with more detailed instructions. 👍
Theresa
I’m going to try this recipe! If I make them ahead can they be frozen after they are fried? Or before they are fried?
Love your video and that you work with your mother. So sweet.
Peter Kolesnichenko
Thanks, I try to learn from the best, she has years of knowledge ahead of me! Yes you can fry them after they are cooked. Just allow to fully cool, then place on a baking sheet (single layer so they don't stick together) and allow them to freeze for approx 2 hours... Then place in a Ziploc bag and keep frozen for 2-3 months. Reheat in air fryer or oven. Microwaving makes them too soggy.