Bosnian Burek Pastry (Printable)

Golden phyllo layers filled with savory beef and spinach, baked to crisp perfection.

# What You Need:

→ Filling

01 - 14 oz ground beef (80/20 lean-to-fat ratio recommended)
02 - 7 oz fresh spinach, washed and chopped
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 tsp salt
06 - ½ tsp black pepper
07 - ½ tsp paprika (optional)

→ Pastry & Assembly

08 - 18 oz phyllo pastry sheets (approximately 12–14 sheets)
09 - 8.5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
10 - 3 tbsp vegetable oil

→ For Brushing & Serving

11 - 3 tbsp plain yogurt (optional)
12 - 1 tbsp water (for brushing)

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, thoroughly mix ground beef, chopped spinach, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, and paprika.
03 - Melt the butter and blend it with vegetable oil in a small bowl.
04 - Place one phyllo sheet on a clean surface. Lightly brush with the butter-oil mixture. Layer another sheet on top, brushing again. Repeat until 2 to 3 sheets form a stack.
05 - Evenly spread a thin layer of the meat and spinach filling along one long edge of the phyllo stack, leaving a narrow border.
06 - Roll the phyllo stack tightly to enclose the filling, forming a long log. Coil the log gently into a spiral and place it on the prepared baking tray. Repeat this process with remaining fillings and phyllo sheets.
07 - Generously brush the spirals with the remaining butter and oil mixture.
08 - Mix plain yogurt with water and brush over the pastry for additional crispness, if desired.
09 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
10 - Allow to rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The phyllo gets impossibly crispy while staying tender inside, rewarding you for layering butter between each delicate sheet.
  • One burek spiral feeds a crowd and looks like you spent hours in the kitchen when it actually comes together in under two hours.
  • The meat and spinach filling is forgiving—slight variations in seasoning still taste deeply satisfying.
02 -
  • Phyllo dries out in seconds once exposed to air, so cover unused sheets with a damp kitchen towel the moment you open the package—I learned this by ruining an entire stack.
  • The filling must be fully cooked before it hits the oven because 35–40 minutes baking time won't fully cook raw ground beef in the center of a spiral.
03 -
  • Use an 80/20 ground beef ratio—leaner meat tends to dry out during the long baking time, and fattier meat becomes greasy.
  • A spiral shape bakes more evenly than a traditional rolled cylinder because the exposed surfaces get that golden crust everyone craves.
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