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This is my Mama’s recipe. Whenever she gave us a choice of meat vs cheese filling, I picked this one. However, savory crepes take considerably longer than the cheese crepes I posted earlier but they are definitely worth a try.
That might be why I see more of the cheese filled ones at our church potlucks. Note: If you haven’t tried the cheese-filled crepes, you will come to find out why they are the best breakfast food known to me; truly a wonderful treat!
Ok, getting back on track… I won my husband over with this recipe. He thought they were delicious. My son also enjoyed these meat-filled nalesniki (drenched in sour cream of course). They are both chicken and potatoes kinda guys, or shall I say, savory crepes kinda guys.
F.Y.I. a Meat Grinder or a good food processor works best for this recipe.
Ingredients for crepes:
½ cup lukewarm water
1 cup milk
4 large eggs
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted. Plus more to sauté.
1 cup all-purpose flour (or use 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose)
1/4 tsp salt
Ingredients for Meat and Mushroom Filling:
1 lb to 1.25 lbs ground Pork
3/4 to 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 hard boiled eggs
Salt and Pepper (see instructions for specific amounts)
1 Tbsp real mayonnaise OR 1 Tbsp water
How to Make Meat & Mushroom Filling:
Make the filling first. You can even make the filling a day ahead and refrigerate.
1. Boil the eggs in a small pot until fully cooked through. Place in cold water to cool them down, then remove the shells.
2. Saute pork with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper over medium high heat until lightly browned and fully cooked. No need to add oil. Remove to a large mixing bowl
3. In the same skillet, over medium/high heat, saute mushrooms and onions with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add to the mixing bowl with meat.
4. Add 3 boiled eggs to the bowl (cut them in half so they go through the meat grinder easier).
5. Push all of your filling ingredients through the meat grinder or good food processor. My KitchenAid Attachment has two sizes; medium or fine, I used the medium. You don’t want your meat to turn into a paste
6. Stir in 1 Tbsp mayo OR water to make it a little more spreadable.
How to Make Crepes:
1. Put all of the ingredients for the crepes (in the order that they are listed: 1/2 cup warm water, 1 cup milk, 4 large eggs, 4 tbsp melted butter, 1 cup flour) in a blender and blend until well combined.
Healthy Substitute: You’ll see in the photos I like to use 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. However, crepes have a more “authentic” texture if you only use all-purpose flour
2. Melt a dot of butter in 2 non-stick skillets over medium heat (2 skillets make the process go faster). Pour enough batter to cover almost half the bottom of the skillet and immediately swirl around to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. If you get any small gaps, you can fill them with more batter.
Once the bottom is barely golden, flip the crepe using a sharp edged spatula to easily get under the crepe. Let the other side get golden and plop the crepe out onto a cutting board. Repeat with all of the batter, using a dot of butter each time if needed (it all depends on your skillet).
Don’t stack hot crepes on top of each other. Once they are just warm or room temp, they can be stacked.
Don’t panic, the first crepe in the pan never turns out nice!
3. Add enough of the meat mix to be able to spread a thin layer on the crepe. Roll the crepes and cut in half if desired. Refrigerate crepes that aren’t being served. It keeps in the fridge for almost one week.
To Serve:
Melt about 1 Tbsp of butter in a skillet and sauté the filled crepes on medium heat until golden brown on both sides. They don’t take long to sauté. Be careful not to burn them.
Serve with sour cream on the side. YUUUMMMM!
What is your favorite filling for Crepes (Nalisniki)? Do you like them sweet or meaty?
Savory Crepes (Meat and Mushroom Nalesniki)

Ingredients
Ingredients for Crepes:
- ½ cup lukewarm water
- 1 cup milk
- 4 large eggs
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted. + more to saute.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, or use 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose
- 1/4 tsp salt
Ingredients for Meat and Mushroom Filling:
- 1 lb to 1.25 lbs ground Pork
- 3/4 to 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
- 3 hard boiled eggs
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 tbsp real mayonnaise OR 1 tbsp water
- 1 small/medium onion, finely chopped
Instructions
- Boil the eggs in a small pot until fully cooked through. Place in cold water to cool them down, then remove the shells.
- Saute pork with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper over medium high heat until lightly browned and fully cooked. No need to add oil. Remove to a large mixing bowl.
- In the same skillet, over medium/high heat, saute mushrooms and onions with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add to the mixing bowl with meat.
- Add 3 boiled eggs to the bowl (cut them in half so they go through the meat grinder easier).
- Push all of your filling ingredients through the meat grinder using medium blade. You can also use a food processor.
- Stir in 1 tbsp mayo OR water to make it a little more spreadable.
How to Make Crepes:
- Put all of the ingredients for the crepes (in the order that they are listed: 1/2 cup warm water, 1 cup milk, 4 large eggs, 4 tbsp melted butter, 1 cup flour) in a blender and blend until well combined.
- Melt a dot of butter in 2 non-stick skillets over medium heat (2 skillets make the process go faster).
- Pour enough batter to cover almost half the bottom of the skillet and immediately swirl around to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. If you get any small gaps, you can fill them with more batter.
- Once the bottom is barely golden, flip the crepe using a sharp edged spatula to easily get under the crepe. Let the other side get golden and plop the crepe out onto a cutting board.
- Repeat with all of the batter, using a dot of butter each time if needed (it all depends on your skillet). Don’t stack hot crepes on top of each other. Once they are just warm or room temp, they can be stacked.
- Add enough of the meat mix to be able to spread a thin layer on the crepe. Roll the crepes and cut in half if desired. Refrigerate crepes that aren’t being served. It keeps in the fridge for almost one week.
To Serve:
- Melt about 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet and sauté the filled crepes on medium heat until golden brown on both sides. They don't take long to sauté. Be careful not to burn them. Serve with sour cream on the side. YUUUMMMM!
Tried making these over the weekend and they were a big success with family and friends. For meat I used chicken breast, instead of pork, and the mushroom and egg combo helped it stay very moist. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!
You’re welcome Yana! I’m so happy you and your family really liked it 🙂
One of the best recipes EVER! Made these time and time again for my parents and even my mom who is an amazing cook, asked to share this much more simplified recipe than she’s used to.. I do add my own spices to kick them up a bit, but nevertheless, these are delicious and always a crowd pleaser!
Thank you Lena! 🙂 What a fantastic review!
Oh WOW! These look fabulous! I wonder if other leftover cooked meats could be ground and used in the same way? I often have leftover chicken.
Yes you totally can use other meats. We’ve also made turkey crepes from leftover thanksgiving turkey, so chicken would work the same way. Here’s the turkey recipe: https://natashaskitchen.com/2013/11/30/turkey-crepes-savory-nalesniki-recipe/
I made these last night and they were delicious! Dinner was a little late since this was a bit time consuming – but it was worth the wait. Next time I will plan ahead and pre-make the crepes and hard boiled eggs.
Thank you for such a wonderful recipe.
Jenny
It is definitely nice to be able to make some things in advance. You can make the entire meat mixture in advance. 🙂
Made these today, followed the recipe (I used Canadian flour). These turned out great. Also I fried pieces of pork and then put them through grinder with the rest of the ingredients from the recipe. Absolutely delicious. I made 2 batches.
I also want to comment on the recipe of crepes, these are light and the proportion of dry-liquid ingredients is just perfect.
Thank you so much Alla. 🙂 I’m so glad you like the crepes!
Hi there. You said it is ok to make the meat before hand. Do you just warm it in the microwave or what? I am doing a crepe brunch for christmas day. My Mother in law is Russian and her husband is Polish. I am doing lox and dilled cream cheese filling, mushroom filling, fresh fruit filling. I would like to add something “meaty” and this looks like the traditional filling I am always hearing about. Can I warm it the next day? Would if be good at room temperature without frying the rolled crepes? Thanks.
The meat mixture does not have to be warm to spread it onto the crepes. You can just keep the meat mixture covered in the fridge until ready to use.. The only time you warm them up is when they are all finished and you sauté them in a little butter before serving. I think these are much tastier if they are sautéed in butter before serving.
Natasha, I fried the sweet nalisniki today and I could just hug you from joy! I have never ate such a good crepe!! Frying the crepes definitely takes them to a whole new level! Lol!! Thank you! I love it!! :))
Hugs are always welcome 🙂 You’re funny. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe; especially the frying part!
After frying the nalisniki, do they become soggy the next day?
They should hold really well in the fridge. I always saute only as much as I’ll eat and store the rest in the fridge, but even if you do sautee them, they do not get soggy.
Just made them.Really like your crepes recipe, they came out light and didn’t stick to the pan. It is a great meal for breakfast and lunch.
Thanks Viktoria! I’m glad you enjoy this recipe. I agree; it’s an all-day kind of food!
Very nice way to roll them like that..I always struggled with the traditional rolling 🙂
I learn that from my mom :).
Would this still taste good without the mushrooms?
I love mushrooms and they add a little somethin’ something’ but I guess if you don’t like mushrooms you could omit them and life would go on… 🙂
I mean, I diced the mushrooms in small pieces and after they were cooked, I chopped them again so it made them even smaller. (In response to Skye or those who don’t have a meat grinder. I could’ve used a food processor but I was too lazy to reach up and take it out 😐
Natasha! You’re awesome! I love love love this recipe.
My blini were delicious! Love the mushroom and ground meat combo. Skye, I just chopped the meat and mushrooms with a knife to make them even smaller. I know it was kind of tedious but I don’t have a grinder .
Thank you! So good…we couldn’t stop eating them. I am a blini expert now after doing the cheese and raisin blini and now this 🙂
You are so welcome Sarah :). And to answer your questions regarding the plate, it is American Atelier.
HELP! Any creative ways to grind it all together without a meat grinder?
I would love to try this recipe today without having to go out and buy one.
Please let me know! This sounds absolutely delicious!
I think a food processor would be the next best thing. Let me know how it works out 🙂
Just made these savory nalisniki as part of Thanksgiving dinner and these were a total hit!!! Never made these before; just followed the recipe above. Thank you again for all your recipes!
Thanks for stopping by and letting me know 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! Happy Thanksgiving Lena!
Dear Natasha,
Thank you so much for this recipe. I love cooking and do it a lot but have always been scared to make blini 🙂 After several unsuccessful attempts I realized that it was probably just not my dish! Today I gave your recipe a try without going all the way and making the filling. I just experimented making the blini part. I followed the recipe strictly and guess what?! It came out delicious. I ate them with some honey and a nice cup of Russian tea! I would like to compliment your web site – you are a very creative lady! I am also happy to meet a new sister in Christ! It totally melted my heart hearing you speak so lovingly and openly about our wonderful Savior! Keep the good work, Natasha! God Bless you and your sweet family.
That’s awesome! I’m so glad the recipe worked for you 🙂 God bless you and thank you for your thoughtful comment.
Natasha, thanks for bringing back some nice memories, that are associated with this dish. I also made some: http://journeythroughtheglass.blogspot.com/2012/04/meat-crepes.html
Your meat crepes look yummy! Thanks for leaving a link. I’m looking forward to checking out more of your blog!
I made those last week, loves them. Thank you for recipe. 🙂
Awesome! Thank you!
Thank you Natasha! I was a bit skeptical about adding egg to the meat/mushroom mixture, but I did give it a try and I gotta say I don’t regret it. Husband and kids loved it)))
That’s great! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
I’ll have to try these. I make a similar blinchitie pirozhok…I encase the meat eggroll style. For the crepes, I only fry one side and place the meat on the fried side, fold them egg-roll style, then fry them on the raw side (which is the outside of the pirozhok. Sometimes, if I’m ambitious, I will also bread them before frying (egg then breadcrumbs)…but it’s not necessary. This is the way my mother made them. For the meat, I just use a cooked chuck roast (boiled for soup) and grind it with meat, season with salt and pepper, and mix with chopped eggs.
Zina, your’s sound wonderful. I guess it might make the crepe softer if I just only sauteed the meat side and left the other side “raw.”
Oops…I also grind onion with the meat.