Food & Drink
Authentic Serbian Burek Recipe
Flaky layers, meat or cheese, and the yogurt on the side.
Quick answer
Burek is layers of thin pastry filled with minced meat or cheese, baked until golden. Serbians eat it for breakfast with a glass of plain yogurt.
Quick facts
- Prep time
- About 30 min
- Bake
- 30–35 min at 200 °C
- Serves
- 4–6
- Serve with
- Plain drinking yogurt
- Last checked
- 27 Oct 2026
Ingredients
- 500 g thin pastry sheets (jufka or phyllo)
- 500 g minced beef, or 400 g crumbled white cheese for a cheese burek
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 150 ml sunflower oil
- 100 ml warm water
Method
- Fry the onion in a little oil until soft, add the meat, season and cook until browned. Let it cool.
- Oil a round baking tin. Lay two pastry sheets, brushing each with oil.
- Alternate thin layers of filling and oiled pastry sheets, finishing with two sheets on top.
- Cut into portions, sprinkle with warm water and the rest of the oil.
- Bake at 200 °C for 30–35 minutes until deep golden. Rest 10 minutes, cover with a cloth.
Tips for flaky burek
Brush every sheet with oil, don’t overfill, and let it rest under a cloth after baking so the inside stays soft while the top stays crisp.
Tip: If you would rather buy than bake, go to a busy bakery in the morning, and ask for plain yogurt on the side, which is the classic way to have it.
Frequently asked questions
What do you eat with burek?
Plain drinking yogurt.
Is burek Serbian?
Burek came to the Balkans with the Ottomans and is eaten across the region; the Serbian version is round, flaky and often made with meat or cheese.
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