Crispy yet soft chebureki, 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!

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 Turkish 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. Chebureki are a great comfort food, great for a lunch snack 😋

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

1. Prepare the dough by kneading until smooth and elastic. Allow to rest for 1 hour.
2. Combine the meat filling ingredients, and you’re ready to start.
3. Pinch of cut a piece of dough, smaller than a tennis ball, bigger than a golf ball.
4. Roll out into a thin circle, 6-8″ round
5. Place a heaping tablespoon over ½ of the dough, evenly spread. Leave ½” clean border around the edge of the meat.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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!

Chebureki

Chebureki are a classic Crimean, Russian and Turkish street food snack, popular across Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Crispy outside, juicy inside, so easy to make, an authentic recipe! 

Prep Time:15minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45minutes minutes

Resting time: 1hour hour

Total Time: 1hour hour

Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine: Crimean, Russian, Soviet, Ukrainian

Servings: 4 people

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) minced beef or mutton or pork
• 2 onions finely diced
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 cup water
• ½ bunch parsley or dill finely chopped
• Oil for frying
• Intructions

Chebureki Dough

• To prepare the dough, place flour, salt, water and oil into a bowl. Mix together to make a 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 or dill.
• 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.