Sfeeha, or Middle Eastern meat pies, is a traditional Levantine Arab and Middle Eastern dish consisting of small, open-faced pies made with a soft dough and filled with a spiced ground beef mixture. It is popular not only in Palestine but also across the Levant region, including countries like Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. Sfeeha is often served as a snack, appetizer, or part of a larger meal, especially during Ramadan and celebrations.
Sfeeha is part of a larger Fatayer family. Fatayer is the Arabic Levantine word for hand pies, often referencing the savory kind. You could have Qras Sabanikh, which are Palestinian spinach pies. You could also have cheese fatayer, which is a cheese hand pie often made from a blend of cheeses.
The Perfect Sfeeha, Middle Eastern Meat Pies
Ingredients In Middle Eastern Meat Pies:
Dough:
The best and easiest dough to use here is my 10 minute dough recipe. It’s versatile, easy, and best of all comes together so quickly and doesn’t require a rise time.
The dough needs: All purpose flour, sugar, salt, yeast, warm water or milk, baking powder, and a neutral oil.
Filling:
The filling is traditionally made with ground beef or a mixture of beef and lamb. The meat is mixed with finely chopped green onions, tomatoes, garlic, and a blend of different fragrant spices. Palestinian sfeeha is a perfect balance of savory and tangy flavors, especially when sumac or pomegranate molasses is added. The spices give it warmth, while the juicy meat keeps it hearty and flavorful. This version has pomegranate molasses for extra tang. Vegetarians: You can enjoy the qras sabanikh, aka spinach pies, or the cheese fatayer!
How to Prepare Sfeeha (Middle Eastern Meat Pies):
Make the 10 minute dough right before you’re ready to fill the pies. To make the meat mixture, combine the ground beef (or mix with ground lamb) with the finely chopped garlic, parsley, green onions, and tomatoes. After that, add the seasonings, tomato paste, and pomegranate molasses, and mix well. I like letting the mixture sit for half an hour in the fridge for the flavors to fuse together.
Divide the dough balls into 24-28 equal pieces, and roll them out to your desired thickness. Add a spoonful of the seasoned meat mixture in the center, and spread it out into the edges, making sure to press the meat into the dough so it doesn’t fall off after baking. The edges are either left flat (creating an open-faced pie) or folded into various shapes, such as squares or pinched into diamond-like patterns.
The pies are then baked until the dough is golden and the filling is fully cooked. Finally, drizzle with some more pomegranate molasses if desired.
Sfeeha Variations
Lebanese Sfeeha: In Lebanon, the village of Baalbek is especially famous for its sfeeha. It’s commonly known as sfeeha Balbakiyeh. The Lebanese version typically includes ground beef or lamb with onions, pine nuts, tomatoes, and spices like cinnamon and allspice. Pomegranate molasses may be used to add a hint of tanginess to balance the savory meat.
Syrian Sfeeha: Syrian sfeeha might lean towards including tomato and red pepper paste into the beef or lamb mixture.
Palestinian Sfeeha: In Palestine, sfeeha is similar in preparation . In some areas, people also fold the dough into triangular shapes, which creates a partially enclosed pastry, although the open-faced style is more common. Also, we often include yogurt or tahini into the filling for added creaminess.
Serving:
Sfeeha is usually served warm, often accompanied by fresh yogurt, lemon wedges, or salads like fattoush or tabbouleh. It’s commonly enjoyed as part of a larger table spread, along with other finger foods or accompanying a large main meal. I also love topping sfeeha with pomegranate molasses and toasted pine nuts.
Other Delicious Recipes to Try:
No Bake Coffee Cake (nescafe cake)
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Sfeeha, Middle Eastern Meat Pies
Ingredients
- 1½ pound Ground beef 80/20 lean
- ½ cup Parsley
- 4 Garlic cloves
- 1 medium Red onion
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons Tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
Seasonings
- 2 teaspoons 7 spice
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Salt Or to taste I used table salt
Instructions
- To start, add the tomatoes, parsley, onions and garlic to a food process. Process until fine but not fine enough to be liquid, you still want some chunks.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef along with the chopped vegetables. Add the tomato paste, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses. Sprinkle in the seasonings and mix well. Cover and set aside in the fridge as you prepare the dough.
- Once the 10 minute dough recipe is prepared, remove the marinated beef from the fridge.
- Preheat your oven to 425 °F
- Divide the dough into 24-28 pieces (I ended up making 26 pieces). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Take on ball of dough and make indentations in the middle using the tips of your fingers. Move your fingers around while adding pressure to keep spreading the dough to your desired thickness.
- Add a hefty spoonful of the meat filling into the dough and press down firmly and spread it around evenly. Once the tray is full, place into the preheated oven.
- Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes, or until the bottoms and edges turn golden.
- Remove and set aside to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
