Serve these meat piroshki by themselves or pair them with that awesome garlic dip you might recall from the potato piroshki. The flavor is fantastic!

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If you liked the potato or apple pirojki, you will love these meat filled Belyashi! Some people refer to theses as chebureki, but chebureki are usually made with raw meat and have a thinner dough. The dough is so easy when using  a Breadmaker. Serve these meat piroshki by themselves or pair them with that awesome garlic dip you might recall from the potato piroshki. I know these are originally made with lamb, but turkey and beef are more practical and the flavor is fantastic!

Ingredients for the Meat Piroshki Dough:

1 1/2 Tbsp oil
15 oz warm water
4 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (divided)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast

Ingredients for the Meat Filling:

1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground beef (Fat content: 80/20)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 large onion, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely grated
3 Tbsp dill
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 cup warm water

Other Ingredients:

Enough canola oil to go half-way up the side of the piroshky when frying.
Lots of extra flour to dust the cutting board (I probably use at least 1/2 cup extra flour)

Ingredients for Garlic Dip – “Vmochanka”  

(this is for one serving, so increase it accordingly):
1/4 cup  warm water
1 Tbsp olive oil (you can use any kind of oil really)
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 tsp salt

How to Make Russian Pirojki (Chebureki) Dough:

How to make the Dough:

1. The easiest way to do this is in a bread maker. If you have one, set it to the dough setting and add the ingredients in the following order: Oil, water, 2 cups flour, salt, 2 cups + 2 Tbsp flour*, yeast.
A bread maker will do the following: mix, let dough rise, mix again and let the dough rise (It takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours) and once it’s done in the bread maker, its ready to go.

*to get an exact flour measurement, use a dry ingredients measuring cup and scrape off the top with the back of a butter knife.

You can also make this dough using a stand mixer with a dough hook on speed 2 (mix all the ingredients together, let rise, mix again and then let it rise in a warm place (like the oven). (It should be 2 to 2 1/2 times in volume). While it’s rising, work on the meat filling for piroshki – see below.

A piece of cake sitting on top of a wooden cutting board, with Chebureki and Dough

2. Put the finished dough onto a well floured cutting board, dust the dough with flour and with well-floured hands, shape it into a large log.
It will rise more as you make the piroshki

A piece of cake sitting on top of a wooden cutting board, with Dough and dough

3. Cut off pieces one at a time about 3/4″ thick.

A piece of meat on a cutting board, with Chebureki and Dough

4. Place the piece of dough over your well-floured hand (dough will be sticky) and shape it into a 3″ to 4″ circle using your hands. Do not put flour on the side where you are going to put the meat, otherwise the sides won’t seal.

A circle of dough in someone\'s hand being filled with a meat filling

5. Stir the meat mix to distribute the juices. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of meat filling in the center.Cover the meat with the sides of the dough (being careful not to let oils or juices seep out), and pinch the edges together to seal the dough. Flatten the pirojki slightly to make them a more uniform size.

Notes:

It helps to wash your hands half-way through the process to keep the dough from really sticking to your hand. And keep those hands well-floured!

Meat piroshki, belyashi, being formed in someone\'s hand

6. Heat oil in a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pan or cast iron dutch oven. There should be enough oil to cover the pirojki half-way up the side.

A close up of a bowl, with Kitchen and Flour

7. Place them in the hot oil (about 330˚ F) and fry until deep golden brown on each side. Sometimes they puff up a lot on one side so you may end up with a third side that needs to be fried.

8. Place on paper towels to cool and enjoy! Try the garlic dip – it’s GOOD!

A plate with meat piroshki separated with napkins between layers

How to Make Meat filling for Belyashi:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Brown ground beef and turkey, breaking it up into small pieces with a spatula. Season meat with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/ tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp garlic powder.

A close up of ground meat being cooked in a skillet

2. When the meat is almost done, add diced onion and saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Diced onions added into a skillet with ground meat

3. Add shredded carrots and saute another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Shredded carrots added into skillet with ground meat and onions

4. Add 3 Tbsp dill, mix well.

Ground meat mixture for meat piroshki

5. Add mayo, stir well.

Mayo added into skillet with meat mixture

6. Stir in 1/2 cup water to moisten the meat mix. Transfer meat mix to a bowl and let cool to warm or room temperature.

Meat mixture for belyashi

A bowl filled with the meat mixture that is used to fill meat piroshki

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Meat Piroshki (Belyashi)

4.87 from 36 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 20

Ingredients for the Dough:

Ingredients for the Meat Filling:

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 lb ground beef, Fat content: 80/20
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 large onion, finely diced
  • 1 medium carrot, finely grated
  • 3 Tbsp dill
  • 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup warm water

Other Ingredients:

  • Enough canola oil to go half-way up the side of the piroshky when frying.
  • Lots of extra flour to dust the cutting board, I probably use at least 1/2 cup extra flour
  • this is for one serving, so increase it accordingly

Ingredients for Garlic Dip – “Vmochanka”:

  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, you can use any kind of oil really
  • 1 garlic clove, pressed
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

How to Make Meat filling for Belyashi:

  • Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Brown ground beef and turkey, breaking it up into small pieces with a spatula. Season meat with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/ tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp garlic powder.
  • When the meat is almost done, add diced onion and saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add shredded carrots and saute another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add 3 tbsp dill, mix well.
  • Add mayo, stir well.
  • Stir in 1/2 cup water to moisten the meat mix. Transfer meat mix to a bowl and let cool to warm or room temperature.

How to make the Dough:

  • The easiest way to do this is in a bread maker. If you have one, set it to the dough setting and add the ingredients in the following order: Oil, water, 2 cups flour, salt, 2 cups + 2 Tbsp flour, yeast. A bread maker will do the following: mix, let dough rise, mix again and let the dough rise (It takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours) and once it’s done in the bread maker, its ready to go.
  • You can also make this dough using a stand mixer with a dough hook on speed 2(mix all the ingredients together, let rise, mix again and then let it rise in a warm place (like the oven). (It should be 2 to 2 1/2 times in volume). While it's rising, work on the meat filling for piroshki - see below.
  • Put the finished dough onto a well floured cutting board, dust the dough with flour and with well-floured hands, shape it into a large log.It will rise more as you make the piroshki.
  • Cut off pieces one at a time about 3/4″ thick.
  • Place the piece of dough over your well-floured hand (dough will be sticky) and shape it into a 3″ to 4″ circle using your hands. Do not put flour on the side where you are going to put the meat, otherwise the sides won’t seal.
  • Stir the meat mix to distribute the juices. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of meat filling in the center.Cover the meat with the sides of the dough (being careful not to let oils or juices seep out), and pinch the edges together to seal the dough. Flatten the pirojki slightly to make them a more uniform size.
  • Heat oil in a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pan or cast iron dutch oven. There should be enough oil to cover the pirojki half-way up the side.
  • Place them in the hot oil (about 330° F) and fry until deep golden brown on each side. Sometimes they puff up a lot on one side so you may end up with a third side that needs to be fried.
  • Place on paper towels to cool and enjoy!

Notes

It helps to wash your hands half-way through the process to keep the dough from really sticking to your hand. And keep those hands well-floured!
Course: Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: Meat Piroshki (Belyashi)
Skill Level: Medium
Cost to Make: $

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Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Comments

  • Yana
    February 8, 2024

    Thank you for the recipe.
    If I wanted to double the recipe for dough, would I have to add extra yeast as well?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      February 8, 2024

      Hi Yana! Yes- you’ll double all the ingredients.

      Reply

  • Lynne
    July 31, 2023

    The smell of the cooking meat mixture was intoxicating! I replaced the turkey with cubed potatoes that had been cooked in the microwave. The dough (using the newer recipe) was wonderful. It was not difficult to do “by hand” instead of in a bread mixer. The completed piroshki was delicious. Next time, though, I will bake the piroshki instead of frying.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 31, 2023

      Hi Lynne! Thank you for the feedback. I’m glad they were enjoyed!

      Reply

  • Judy Novitski Miron
    August 6, 2022

    Made your recipe yesterday using ground pork and a few slivers of salt pork for added flavour. They are excellent! The dough is so easy to work with and fry up beautifully. I have always made our traditional drilled mashed potatoes with cottage cheese but now have another platter to add to our family feasts. Thank you for that.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 6, 2022

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Judy!

      Reply

  • Serge B Melnikoff
    October 17, 2021

    Maybe you could save me some experimentation. I’d like to make a large number of these for a church function. Would I be better off frying from frozen or frying , freezing, and reheating?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      October 18, 2021

      Hi Serge, I haven’t tried freezing these but I think it would be after to freeze after frying and letting them cool down.

      Reply

  • Sean
    February 6, 2021

    Why would you use a tablespoon of yeast?

    Reply

  • Ruth P
    January 6, 2021

    Hi Natasha! We look forward to making these for Russian Christmas today, but I see a discrepancy in the dough ingredients – you list 4 c. flour, but for the breadmaker instructions, you list 2 c. flour. I am guessing it should be more than 2 for the machine, but not sure if 4 c. would fit a standard machine, or if there should be an adjustment for the oil & water too. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      January 7, 2021

      Hi Ruth, I listed 2 cups of flour twice since I was adding them in a specific order. It is still 4 cups total: “add the ingredients in the following order: Oil, water, 2 cups flour, salt, 2 cups + 2 Tbsp flour*, yeast.”

      Reply

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