Greek Meze and Appetisers · The Mainland · Fried · Mezedes and Ouzo
Greek Minced Meat Phyllo Triangles (Bourekakia me Kima)
Μπουρεκάκια με κιμά boo-reh-KAH-kyah meh kee-MAH · Bourekakia me kima
In short
Bourekakia me kima are small triangular phyllo parcels filled with spiced minced meat, onion and a hint of cinnamon, folded flag-style and fried or baked until crisp. They are the meat-filled cousin of tiropitakia trigona, using the same folding technique with a completely different filling.
Minced Meat Phyllo Triangles
- Prep
- 50m
- Cook
- 30m
- Total
- 1h 20m
- Serves
- 8
- Level
- Intermediate
Ingredients
For the filling
For the pastry
Tick ingredients off as you go. Quantities rescale with the buttons above.
Method
- 01Heat the olive oil in a pan. Brown the mince hard, breaking it up well, then add the onion and cook for 10 minutes, until soft and the mixture is completely dry, with no liquid left in the pan.Cook the filling completely dry.Yiayia
- 02Stir in the cinnamon and parsley. Season well and spread on a plate to cool completely.
Parsley - 03Heat the oven to 190C fan 170C if baking, and line two baking trays.
- 04Cut the phyllo sheets lengthways into strips about 7 to 8 cm wide, keeping unused sheets covered with a damp tea towel.
Phyllo - 05Brush a strip with melted butter or oil. Place a small spoonful of the cooled filling at one end.
- 06Fold flag-style into a neat triangle, brushing the final flap with a little more butter to seal.
Butter - 07To fry: heat oil to 175C and fry the triangles in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, until deeply golden.
- 08To bake: place the triangles on the lined trays and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp.
- 09Serve warm.
Nutrition, per 3 triangles
- Calories
- 212
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Sat fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Bourekakia me kima take the same flag-folding technique used for tiropitakia trigona and fill it with spiced minced meat instead of cheese, giving a savoury, substantial party snack that holds its own alongside any cheese-filled pastry on a meze table.
The filling needs to be cooked and completely cooled before it goes anywhere near the phyllo, exactly as with any meat-filled pie, since a hot filling makes the pastry soggy and impossible to fold properly.
Like their cheese-filled cousins, these freeze exceptionally well raw, making a large batch a genuinely practical thing to have on hand for unexpected guests or a party spread.
Key preparation steps
- Cook minced meat down with onion and cinnamon until dry.
- Cool the filling completely.
- Cut phyllo into strips and fold flag-style around the filling.
- Fry or bake until deeply golden.
The meat filling
Minced beef or a beef and pork mix, cooked down with a good amount of finely chopped onion until completely dry, with no liquid left in the pan, seasoned with a small pinch of cinnamon and a little chopped parsley. A properly dry filling matters enormously here, since any liquid left in the meat mixture steams the phyllo apart during frying or baking.
Cooling before folding
Spread the cooked filling out on a plate to cool quickly and completely before it goes anywhere near the phyllo. This is not a step to rush, since a warm filling makes the pastry difficult to fold neatly and can lead to it splitting.
Folding and cooking
Cut phyllo into long strips, brush with butter or oil, place a small spoonful of the cooled filling at one end, and fold flag-style into a neat triangle, exactly as with tiropitakia trigona. Fry until deeply golden, or bake for a lighter result, and serve warm.
What matters in this dish
Cook the filling completely dry
Any liquid left in the meat mixture steams the phyllo apart during cooking. Cook it until visibly dry before it goes near the pastry.
Cool the filling fully
A warm filling makes the phyllo difficult to fold neatly and can cause it to split.
Use a light hand with the cinnamon
It should be a background note, not a dominant flavour, echoing the same warm spicing found in moussaka and pastitsio.
Questions people ask about Bourekakia me kima
How is this different from tiropitakia trigona?
Both use the exact same flag-folding technique with phyllo strips, but bourekakia me kima are filled with spiced minced meat rather than a feta and egg mixture.
Can you freeze bourekakia me kima?
Yes, very well. Freeze the folded, uncooked triangles on a tray until solid, then bag them, and fry or bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
Why is a pinch of cinnamon added to a savoury filling?
It is a genuine and traditional Greek seasoning for minced meat, the same warm background note found in moussaka and pastitsio, meant to be subtle rather than dominant.
