Prep Time 30 Min
Cook Time 30 Min
Servings4 servings People
Calories650 kcal
I’ve made hawawshi a bunch of times in my kitchen because it’s one of those dishes that comes together fast when we’re hungry for something meaty and filling, usually for lunch or a casual dinner with my family. This version is the baladi style from Egypt, stuffed into fresh flatbread pockets with heavily spiced ground meat mixed with onions, peppers, and tomatoes. What sets this one apart is layering it up like a sandwich—meat, veggies, cheese—and there’s a pizza-style option at the end where you melt cheese and sauce on top. The meat gets ground fine with suet for juiciness, and oats and flour help bind it so it doesn’t spill out. Last time I cooked this, I skipped pulsing the oats enough and they stayed a little chewy, so now I make sure to grind them well in the processor. It’s practical because you can prep the filling ahead, stuff the breads right before cooking, and griddle them in batches. Takes about an hour total, serves 4 but stretches to 5 or 6 if portions are smaller. We eat it with pickles, tahini salad, or greens on the side.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 0.5 lb finely ground beef suet
- 1/2 cup ground oats
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 1 medium onion, sliced into rings
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 green bell peppers, chopped, plus chopped hot chili peppers to taste
- 1 bell pepper, sliced into rings
- 2 tomatoes, seeded and cut into very small dice
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon meat spice blend
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon Chinese kebab spice
- 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 slices yellow cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mixed cheese
- 1/4 cup sliced olives
- 2 tablespoons pizza sauce
- Ghee and oil for cooking
- Fresh Egyptian baladi bread (about 8-12 pieces)
Instructions
- In a food processor, put the ground beef, suet, chopped onions, garlic, chopped bell peppers and chilies, all the spices, ground oats, and flour. Pulse until it comes together smoothly.
- Move the mixture to a deep bowl and fold in the diced tomatoes by hand. Mix well so everything distributes evenly.
- Cut open the baladi breads to make pockets big enough for your hand.
- Scoop in some meat mixture for each bread and spread it out, pushing it right to the edges so it doesn’t shrink away when cooking.
- On top of that meat layer, add slices of onion and bell pepper rings.
- Stack another stuffed bread on top, then lay on the cheddar slices and more pepper rings.
- Finish with one more layer of meat-stuffed bread and press everything down firmly to compact it.
- Repeat until you’ve used up the filling, making 4 stacked hawawshi.
- Heat a skillet or griddle over medium with some ghee.
- Brush both sides of a hawawshi with ghee, add to the pan, cover, and cook 5 minutes.
- Lower the heat a bit and cook covered another 5 minutes.
- Uncover, flip to the other side, cover again, and cook until browned all over and meat is done inside, about 5-10 more minutes total per side.
- For the pizza-style one, after flipping once, brush on pizza sauce, scatter mixed cheese, olives, tomato bits, and pepper slices, cover, lower heat, and cook until cheese melts and everything sets.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The oats and flour keep the filling from falling apart, so it stays tidy in the bread.
- Layers of meat and veggies give a mix of juicy, crunchy textures in every bite.
- Fits right into weeknight meals or feeding a few extra people without much hassle.
Chef’s Tips for Perfection
- Grind the suet and oats fine, or the filling can get greasy or gritty.
- Cook on medium-low after the initial sear so the meat cooks through without burning the bread.
- Try skipping the cheese layers for a lighter version, just do plain meat and veggies.
Storage and Reheating
Keep leftovers in the fridge wrapped in foil for up to 2 days. Reheat in a hot skillet uncovered to crisp the bread again, about 3-4 minutes per side. They don’t freeze well because the bread gets soggy.
Nutritional Notes
Per serving: around 650 calories, mostly from the meat and cheese. High in protein, with some fiber from oats and veggies. Fat content varies with how much ghee you use.
