Hawawshi — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Crispy flatbread stuffed with spiced minced meat, onions, and peppers, baked until the crust shatters and the filling is juicy. This iconic Egyptian street food delivers bold flavors in every bite.

Ingredients

500g ground beef
2 large onions, finely diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
4 rounds baladi bread
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1 Combine ground beef with diced onions, bell peppers, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly until evenly combined.
2 Cut each round of baladi bread in half to create a pocket. Carefully open the pocket without tearing the outer layers of the bread apart.
3 Stuff each bread pocket generously with the seasoned meat mixture, pressing it flat and even so the filling cooks uniformly throughout the bread.
4 Brush the outside of each stuffed bread lightly with vegetable oil on both sides to promote golden browning and a crispy, shattering crust texture.
5 Place stuffed breads on a baking sheet and bake at 220C for twenty minutes, flipping once halfway through, until bread is deeply golden and crispy.
6 Remove from oven and let rest two minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve immediately alongside pickled vegetables and a fresh green salad.

Did You Know?

Hawawshi originated in the bustling streets of Alexandria and Cairo, where vendors bake them in wood-fired ovens reaching extreme temperatures for maximum crispiness.