Hawawshi: Spiced Beef-Filled Flatbread
A savory Egyptian street food—tender spiced ground beef tucked into warm flatbread with roasted peppers and onions. Ready in 30 minutes with bold, smoky flavors.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- ½ lb ground beef
- 1 whole red bell pepper
- 1 whole yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic cloves, minced until pieces are smaller than a grain of rice
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 whole pita or flatbread
Instructions
- 1
Place the red bell pepper on a cutting board stem-side up, then slice straight down along all four sides to remove the flat panels of flesh, leaving the seedy core behind; discard the core.
- 2
Lay each red pepper panel flat on the cutting board and slice lengthwise into strips about the width of your thumb, then rotate 90 degrees and slice crosswise into 1-inch pieces.
- 3
Cut the yellow onion in half from root to tip, place flat-side down on the cutting board, and slice lengthwise into strips about the width of your thumb, then rotate and slice crosswise into 1-inch pieces.
- 4
Mince the garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 5
Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a 12-inch skillet and place it over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 6
Add the ground beef to the hot oil and use a wooden spoon to break it into bite-sized crumbles, stirring every 15 seconds, until the surface is golden brown and no pink remains, about 5 minutes.
- 7
Add the minced garlic to the cooked beef and stir continuously for 30 seconds until the smell becomes strongly fragrant.
- 8
Sprinkle 0.5 teaspoon of cumin and 0.5 teaspoon of paprika over the beef, stir constantly for 30 seconds until the spices coat the meat, then season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper.
- 9
Add the bell pepper and onion pieces to the beef, stir once every 20 seconds, and cook until the vegetables are soft and their cut edges turn golden brown, about 4 minutes.
- 10
Remove the skillet from heat and taste a bite; add more salt and pepper if needed until the filling tastes bold and savory.
- 11
Place one pita or flatbread on a cutting board and use a fork to split it open along the seam, creating a pocket, then repeat with the second flatbread.
- 12
Spoon half the beef and vegetable filling into the pocket of the first flatbread, filling it generously so the filling reaches both corners.
- 13
Spoon the remaining beef and vegetable filling into the pocket of the second flatbread, filling it generously so the filling reaches both corners.
- 14
Place the first filled flatbread on a plate, then place the second on a second plate and serve immediately while the bread is warm.
Tools you’ll need
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- 12-inch skillet
- wooden spoon
- fork
- measuring spoons
- 2 dinner plates
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