Mutabbaq
A proper Saudi Arabian dish built around mincemeat, tomato and filo pastry — roughly 60 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 5 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for oven and frying pan / skillet. At medium difficulty across 5 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (5)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Heat the frying pan and add in some oil. Fry the mashed garlic and ginger first and then add in the minced meat and all seasoning. When the meat is cooked, set aside to cool down.
- Get another big bowl. Add in egg, chopped tomato, chopped spring onion and minced meat.
- Get one 2 sheets of filo pastry or 1 sheet spring roll wrap. Brush it with some butter and then put some filling in the middle. Fold the pastry and brush more butter on the seal part.
- Heat a frying pan and add in some oil to cook the parcel until its both sides and 4 edges all turn into golden brown. (Or brush melted butter all over the parcel and bake it in 180°C oven for 10-15 minutes)
- Enjoy
You'll use: Oven · Frying pan / skillet · Pan
Watch how it's made
Hosted on YouTube — pressing play loads content from YouTube.
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
What to serve with Mutabbaq
- Knafeh Dessert
- Shawarma chuck roast wrap Beef
- Chicken Shawarma with homemade garlic herb yoghurt sauce Chicken
- kabse Chicken
Tips & common questions
How long does Mutabbaq take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 5 steps and 15 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Mutabbaq vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Recipe data for Mutabbaq via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.