Lebanese Meat Pies
Updated Mar 10, 2026
These Lebanese meat pies (sfeehas) are a delicious Middle Eastern appetizer. Made with an easy dough and stuffed with a spiced meat filling.
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Traditional Lebanese Meat Pies
One of my ultimate food weakness is these freshly baked Lebanese Meat Pies or any other savery dough recipes like my Spinach Fatayer, Cheese Fatayer or Zaatar Manakeesh. The dough method for all of these recipes is pretty much the same but the filling and shapes differ, and it’s so interesting how you can tell what they are immediately by their shapes, like triangle is reserved for the spinach pies and the square shape for these meat pies, also called sfeeha.
Shaping the meat pies is the trickiest part but I share step-by-step instructions and photos to make them look authentic without too much fuss. If you’re craving these sfeehas from trying them at a Lebanese bakery or restaurant, my recipe is an easy-to-follow one you can make at home! Enjoy these on their own, dipped in plain whole milk yogurt or even with my Cucumber Yogurt Sauce.
Happy Baking!
– Yumna
Sfeeha (Lebanese Meat Pie) Ingredients
- Dough: You can use the dough recipe below, use your own dough recipe or a store-bought one.
- Ground beef: Use 90-95% lean ground beef for the recipe. Make sure there isn’t a lot of fat in the ground beef so it doesn’t shrink too much and leave the meat pie looking empty.
- Onions: Dice the yellow onions finely so that it mixes well with the rest of the filling ingredients. But avoid grating the onion since it can release too much liquid into the sfeeha filling
- Tomatoes: These are optional but they add so much flavor to the meat stuffing and it’s traditional to include them.
- Parsley: Chop this up really small as well so it combines easily with the meat mixture.
- Spices: I use sumac, 7 spice, paprika and salt.
How to Make Lebanese Meat Pies
Lebanese Meat Pies
These Lebanese meat pies (sfeehas) are a delicious Middle Eastern appetizer. Made with an easy dough and stuffed with a spiced meat filling.
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup warm water
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast 1 packet
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
Make the Dough and Filling
- In a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, mix the flour, water, oil, yeast, sugar and salt on medium-low for 1 minute, until it comes together in a shaggy mixture. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to mix for 8-10 more minutes, until the dough becomes soft and smooth and lightly sticky without leaving any dough on your fingers.
- Lift the dough from the bowl, lightly oil the bowl and return the dough back to the oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a slightly damp kitchen towel and set aside at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, or until the dough has puffed and risen to double its volume.
- Remove the dough and divide into 20 pieces, about 30 grams each, and shape into round balls. Place the balls seam-side down on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place all the ingredients for the meat filling in a large bowl and mix until well combined.
Assemble & Bake
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and grease another large baking sheet with olive oil.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to 5-inch circles. Place 2 tablespoons of the mixture inside each circle and press down to flatten into the dough, leaving about 1-inch space around the edges.
- Fold up two opposite sides of the dough, then fold up the other two opposite sides. Pinch the sides up to form a square with four pointy edges.
- Place on the oiled baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
- Serve warm on their own or with plain whole milk yogurt as a dip.
Notes
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the meat pies before cooking by placing them on a baking sheet in the freezer. When frozen, transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag and keep for 3 months. You can also freeze the baked meat pies after they’ve cooled completely for up to 3 months.
This recipe has been updated in March 2026, but if you like the original version, you can still find it here:
Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups warm water
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast 1 packet
2 teaspoons salt
¼ cup olive oil
Meat Filling
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1 pound 95% lean ground beef
3 Roma tomatoes seeded and chopped
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons 7 Spice
2 teaspoons sumac
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Make the Dough
Combine the warm water, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Add the flour and salt and mix together until well combined. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead the mixture until sticky.
Add the olive oil and continue kneading until the dough becomes soft and smooth and lightly sticky without leaving any dough on your fingers.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased tray and allow it to proof until doubled, about 90 minutes.
Remove the dough and divide into 30 pieces and reshape to round balls. Let sit in an oiled tray until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Make the stuffing
In a medium size pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil and cook the onions until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
Add the beef and onions and cook until the beef is browned, about 8-10 minutes. Fold in the tomatoes and parsley, then season with salt, 7 Spice, sumac and cinnamon.
Assemble & Cook
Preheat the oven to 425ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out the dough in 4-5 inch circles. Place 2 tablespoons of the mixture inside each circle.
Hold two ends of the dough and seal them together over the filling, pinching the dough together to help bind. Fold the last side up to meet the first two sides, pinching the dough together with the first two sides to bind.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
Serve warm on their own or with plain whole milk yogurt as a dip.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups warm water
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast 1 packet
2 teaspoons salt
¼ cup olive oil
Meat Filling
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1 pound 95% lean ground beef
3 Roma tomatoes seeded and chopped
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons 7 Spice
2 teaspoons sumac
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Make the Dough
Combine the warm water, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Add the flour and salt and mix together until well combined. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead the mixture until sticky.
Add the olive oil and continue kneading until the dough becomes soft and smooth and lightly sticky without leaving any dough on your fingers.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased tray and allow it to proof until doubled, about 90 minutes.
Remove the dough and divide into 30 pieces and reshape to round balls. Let sit in an oiled tray until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Make the stuffing
In a medium size pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil and cook the onions until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
Add the beef and onions and cook until the beef is browned, about 8-10 minutes. Fold in the tomatoes and parsley, then season with salt, 7 Spice, sumac and cinnamon.
Assemble & Cook
Preheat the oven to 425ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out the dough in 4-5 inch circles. Place 2 tablespoons of the mixture inside each circle.
Hold two ends of the dough and seal them together over the filling, pinching the dough together to help bind. Fold the last side up to meet the first two sides, pinching the dough together with the first two sides to bind.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
Serve warm on their own or with plain whole milk yogurt as a dip.
Nutrition
Serving: 2pies, Calories: 269kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 622mg, Potassium: 255mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 398IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
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Recipe Tips
- Don’t be tempted to add more flour to the dough recipe. It should feel moist and springy but without sticking to your fingers. This will help them crisp in the oven and get that beautiful golden color. If you’re using store-bought dough, it helps to add oil to your hands when working with the dough.
- Make the stuffing in advance. You can prepare the stuffing up to one day in advance and the mixture actually gets more flavorful after one day and saves you time.
- Roll the dough thin. Sfeehas should have a soft but fairly thin base so the meat-to-dough ratio stays balanced. If the dough is too thick, the pies can feel heavy and bread-like instead of light.
- Leave a little space around the edges. Whether you’re making open-faced pies square meat pies or folded ones, keep the filling away from the very edge of the dough so it seals easily and bakes nicely.
FAQs
Why did my meat pies open up while baking?
If the edges aren’t sealed well or the filling is too heavy, the dough can open as it bakes. Try pushing the filling down into the dough and gently pressing the dough edges together more firmly before baking.
Why is my dough tough instead of soft?
This usually happens if you add too much flour while kneading or rolling. Use just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking and knead only until it’s smooth.
Comments
I noticed on the dough the number of yeast packs does not change when you pick x2 or x3 just a fyi
Unfortunately, my website only adjusts the measured unit (in this case, teaspoons) and not the note on how many packets of yeast. So sorry!
Is the sugar necessary for the dough?
Good question! I recommend including the sugar because it speeds up the rise, helps give the crust a lovely golden brown color, and improves the texture. Hope that helps!!
Amazing recipe, I mixed the meat with one spoon tomato paste and lemon juice, just black paper and salt and sumac. Then turned the heat off and added crushed fresh tomatoes and parsley. This will be my forever favourite recipe. Thanks for sharing
Aww, I love to hear that!! Thank you so much, Pari!
I have used tomato paste, or passata or a couple of spoons of tomato sauce rather than fresh tomatoes and they have turned out perfectly. Sometimes I brush them with an egg wash or olive oil. They are excellent and always turn out. Lots of options. Thanks.
Love that substitution! So happy you like the recipe, Ruth. Thanks!!
I am going to try and make this for my husband, who LOVES Lebanese meat pies. I have tried a couple of other recipes but they didn’t quite excite him, so wish me luck. Looking at the spice mixture I think this is going to be a big hit, I’ll let you know.
Aww, I hope he loves it!! Can’t wait to hear how they turn out!
Made this and it turned out so delicious, even my picky toddler ate his up!
Also, I made extra meat mixture and decided to scoop it up with some tortilla chips and some garlic dip and OMG I think I’ll improvise and make “Lebanese nachos” using this meat recipe, I can imagine it would be such a hit for a crowd on Sunday football days – seriously can’t wait 😊
Love that!! So happy you and your toddler loved it! Thanks, Natalie!!
The stuffing is amazing! I’ve made this once already but there’s only one thing stopping me. Making the dough is awful. No matter how much I knead it, it’s still super, super sticky. It’s awful to handle and makes a mess every time. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Joe, the dough is supposed to be sticky! Once it’s sticky, add enough olive oil so the dough isn’t sticking to your fingers as you knead. It can be a little tough to handle but it sounds like you’ve actually gotten the texture just right! How did the bake turn out on your first batch of meat pies?
The meat filling was fantastic! I didn’t have sumac so I didn’t add any. I also added egg wash to the dough before baking to get that shiny look. Even my toddler loved these! Thank you!
Aww, so happy you and your toddler both loved them! Thanks, Maryam!!
is this similar to sambousek?
Yes, it is similar!
Can I brush them with olive oil or an egg wash before I bake them. Is it necessary?
Some of mine opened up?
For some reason I was only able to do 16 small balls…I am very curious how you were able to do 30!!! Also I accidently left my dough rising 30 minutes more and did not do a second rise so that might be the problem but it was very sticky and impossible to flat down without adding more flour :/ Other than that it did taste very good.
Hi Vanessa, is it possible your yeast was not active? Sounds like maybe the dough didn’t expand as much as it should have hence the smaller amount of dough and stickiness. Maybe try with some fresh yeast packets the next time around!
Hi, great recipe thanks
I wonder can you share some ideas for ideas of how else I can use this dough as had lots left over
Hi there! Did you make a full batch of the filling? The recipe should use up all the dough, but if you have any leftover you can use it for flatbreads, just flatten and bake at 425˚F until golden brown, then top as you see fit.
These were really delicious, I just used ground turkey and 2.5X the spices. You’re absolutely precise, they lasted exactly 4 days in the fridge as in they were all eaten! I also really appreciate the clear instructions. Thank you.
You’re so welcome!
I have a question about the sumac, I may only be able to get this online. I noticed that some of the offerings have salt in the ingredients, I do my best to cut back on salt when I cook. Did you use sumac with or without salt in this recipe? I would prefer no salt .
Hi Jerry, you can use the salt free sumac! Hope you enjoy!
My family always called these little meat pies fatayer. I LOVE these. I don’t use tomatoes or parsley, but instead I use toasted pine nuts and lots of white vinegar and lemon juice! I am looking forward to trying this differently like yours!! Thanks!
You’ll have to let me know what you think when you make them!
My husband had asked me to make him fatayer, something his mom made from when he was little. Found this recipe and I’m so glad I did. It’s fantastic!!!
Now, please don’t come after me in the comments (I know ppl tend to get heated about recipe changes) – I did adjust the recipe (switched up the meat). Apparently, using ground beef was not a thing his family used. His family made them with pork loin – chopped to miniature cubes. So, I accommodated his request.
Besides this change, everything I followed as per recipe instructions. (fried instead of bake) And lemme tell you….it’s bloody delicious! He was so impressed. I’ve made this 3 times now all within 30 days. Lol!
1st attempt at this recipe spices were followed just as written. 2nd & 3rd attempt made a few tweaks. Found out our taste buds preferred to opt out of using 1/2 tsp cinnamon and we made it with more onions. Seriously, so tasty! Oh and this dough recipe..Damn, it’s perfect. The olive oil scared me a bit at first but trusted the process. I do find the assembly part a bit challenging. The seams of the dough would open up (mostlikely because of the added olive oil) even after I use a fork to seal. I’ve tried using an egg wash which helped a bit. Any other tips on this?
Anyway, Best fatayer recipe! Thank you so much for sharing this!
So glad you and your husband enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing your tips, too, I love variation. It sounds like the filling may be a little too thick for the size of your dough. You can try cutting back on the filling (I’ve never made it with pork) and see if that helps.
Sorry, those are empanadas, sfeeha have the filling uncooked until hit the oven.
Hi Pepo, while I appreciate your thoughts here, this is how I like to make my sfeeha, enclosed in the dough. Which requires that I cook the meat beforehand. If I were to try and cook the meat raw in the closed dough, it wouldn’t work out very well. Plus, I find them much more portable and great for packing in lunches without worrying about the meat falling out. You certainly can make sfeeha with open dough and raw meat and then bake it.
I will try this beautiful recipe
Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Can I substitute the fresh tomato for can tomatoes? How many cup maesriwould you put in the recipe?
It should work! I would use the same amount – around 3/4 cup tomatoes.
Thanks for your response. Can wait to do it!
Thanks for your response. Can wait to make it!
Wow! These turned out amazing and the spices are incredible. I did an egg wash before putting them in the oven for some extra crispiness. So so good, thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much! That’s a great idea!
Fantastic recipe! Thank you!!
Didn’t have any sumac or parsley on hand, but these still came out fantastic.
We fried instead of baking, and they came out extra crispy. We used egg wash to make sure they didn’t come undone while frying.
Thank you so much! The extra crisp sounds perfect!
Do I need to thaw out the frozen unbaked pies before baking in oven or can I bake them frozen?
I would thaw them out first.
Can these be made in an air fryer?
I have yet to try that, but I think it could work!
I tripled this recipe and they made 45 meat pies. They turned out perfect.
I made lots to freeze. Next time, I will only double the recipe since 3 pounds was difficult to work with and took me longer to make. But they turned out almost as professional as yours. Thanks for all your Lebanese recipes. This website is a gold mine.
That’s amazing! So glad you enjoyed!
My mom makes them with pine nuts instead of tomatoes and parsley and we call them sambousek! I miss these as I need to be gluten-free. Do you have any recommendations to make these gluten-free as just subbing the flour doesn’t work? Thanks!
So yummy! I have yet to try a gluten-free version of this, unfortunately.
I just ran across your post on FB. Thanks for your recipes. I cook alot on these as my husband is from the Middle East. His mom, brother & sister shared their recipes with me. Our two children both adults now love this food also our grands.
You’re so welcome! That’s a great way to celebrate the culture!
what are the 7 spices ? For the sfeehas ?
Allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, ground cloves, coriander, cumin, and nutmeg! I have a recipe on How to Make 7 Spice here: https://feelgoodfoodienet.bigscoots-staging.com/recipe/how-to-make-7-spice/
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it with ground lamb & ground sirloin and added toasted pine nuts like Grandma used to do. The sfeeha were delicious and the whole house smells great…brought back many memories!
You’re so welcome! That sounds incredible!!
These turned out perfectly! Mine weren’t nearly as pretty as yours but they were delicious and easy to make. I added a little cream cheese to the meat filling on the last batch and my family loved them!! Will definitely make these again.
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that!!