Textual Chef Textual Chef

Ciborek

Crispy deep fried turnover dough stuffed with a savory juicy ground beef filling. This classic Turkish and Crimean Tatar specialty is served piping hot with a tender center.

45 minMediumServes 4480 cal/serving

TurkishLunchStovetopNut-FreeDairy-FreeSoy-FreeEgg-FreeShellfish-FreeSesame-FreePork-FreeAlcohol-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 medium yellow onion, grated
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 cups vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. 1

    In a large bowl, mix 3 cups all-purpose flour, half of the 1 tsp salt, and 1 cup warm water to form a smooth dough, then cover and rest for 20 minutes.

  2. 2

    In a separate bowl, combine 1 lb lean ground beef, 1 medium grated yellow onion, remaining 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper with 2 tablespoons of water to create a juicy meat filling.

  3. 3

    Divide dough into small balls, roll each into a thin circle, place filling on one half, fold over, and seal edges tightly with a fork.

  4. 4

    Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F.

  5. 5

    Fry dough pockets in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and the beef reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Questions

What is Ciborek?

Crispy deep fried turnover dough stuffed with a savory juicy ground beef filling. This classic Turkish and Crimean Tatar specialty is served piping hot with a tender center. This reference files it under Turkish lunch: made on the stovetop, rated medium and about 45 minutes start to finish.

How hot should the oil be for Ciborek?

For Ciborek, the frying oil is held at 350 F (about 175 C) in step 4. Hotter scorches the outside before the inside cooks, and cooler turns it greasy. The target internal temperature is 160 F (about 70 C), given in step 5. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork.

What should Ciborek look like when it is ready?

Go by the cues in the method rather than the clock. Step 5: cook until golden brown and the beef reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. A reading of 160 F on a thermometer settles it.

Can I skip the searing in Ciborek?

Step 5 reads: "Fry dough pockets in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and the beef reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F." You can, but you give up flavor. The browning in step 5 builds the savory base the rest of the dish is seasoned against. Give the pieces room so the pan stays hot.

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef in Ciborek?

Yes. Choose turkey that is not extra-lean and add a tablespoon of oil to the pan, because turkey has less fat and browns more slowly. Season it a little harder than you would beef. As written, the entry for Ciborek uses 1 lb lean ground beef.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,530 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More Turkish entries

All Turkish recipes · All Lunch recipes · All Ground Beef recipes