Tunisian Brik Pastry (Printable Version)

Crisp phyllo pastry with spiced meat and soft egg, a flavorful Tunisian street-food favorite.

# What You Need:

→ Meat Filling

01 - 4.2 oz ground beef or lamb
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
04 - 1 tsp ground cumin
05 - 1/2 tsp ground coriander
06 - 1/2 tsp salt
07 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

→ Pastry & Assembly

08 - 4 large phyllo pastry sheets
09 - 4 large eggs
10 - 4 tbsp grated Gruyère or mozzarella cheese (optional)
11 - Sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat a skillet over medium heat and sauté the finely chopped onion in a small amount of oil until softened. Add ground meat, cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper. Cook until browned and fully cooked. Stir in chopped parsley, then remove from heat and let cool slightly.
02 - Place one phyllo sheet on a clean surface (use two sheets stacked if very thin). Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of meat filling onto the center of the sheet.
03 - Create a small well in the center of the filling and carefully crack an egg into it. Add 1 tablespoon of grated cheese on top if using.
04 - Fold the phyllo over the filling to form a triangle or rectangle shape. Seal the edges by brushing with a little water to prevent leakage during cooking.
05 - Pour oil to a depth of about 1.5 inches into a large frying pan and heat over medium-high until hot. Carefully slide in the filled pastries and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp.
06 - Remove pastries using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately while hot and crisp.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast of shattering phyllo against a warm, jammy egg yolk is genuinely hard to forget.
  • These come together in under 30 minutes, which means you can pull off something that feels impressive without the stress.
  • They're satisfying enough for a main but light enough to serve when guests drop by.
02 -
  • If your egg starts leaking out during frying, the pastry wasn't sealed well enough or the oil temperature dropped too suddenly—either way, you'll learn fast and the next one will be better.
  • The moment when you fold that phyllo is crucial: too loose and the egg escapes, too tight and you risk tearing the pastry trying to close it.
  • Let the meat filling cool for a few minutes before assembling; hot filling will start cooking the egg before the pastry has a chance to crisp up.
03 -
  • Phyllo dries out fast once it's out of the package, so work quickly and keep unused sheets covered with a damp towel.
  • If you're making multiple briks, have all your filling assembled and your egg ready before you start frying, so you're not scrambling while the oil sits idle.
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