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These chebureki are delicious! Chebureki are very popular among Slavic people. You can compare them to a savory turnover or a less doughy version of the calzone. My aunt, Tamara, makes these for her church bake sale and they sell like hot cakes! I guess they are like hot turkey cakes… never mind.
This recipe made 38 chebureki and my siblings all stopped by to take some home. If you’re feeding a smaller crowd, you can easily cut all of the ingredients in half and make about 20.
Ingredients for the Easiest Chebureki you’ll ever make:
2 lb ground turkey
2 medium/large yellow onions
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
38-40 raw tortillas, depending on how much you fill them
How to Make Turkey Chebureki:
1. Peel and chop your onion into large pieces, then puree the onion in a food processor until it has an applesauce consistency.
2. Add 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to the turkey and stir. Add the pureed onion. The amount of onion will frighten you and you might start crying. Don’t be scared. You can do it, just pour it over your ground turkey. Stop thinking about it and pour (I gave myself the same pep-talk). It will disappear into the meat. Amazing! Now grab a tissue and get back in the game.
3. Spread a heaping tablespoon of your meat filling over 1/2 of your raw tortilla, leaving about a 1″ border at the edges to seal.
4. Brush all the way around the edges of your tortilla with cold water. Fold the tortilla in half and seal the edges by pushing down around the edges with a fork.
5. Heat a large skillet with enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. Heat over medium/high heat. Once the oil is hot (the chebureki should sizzle when you put them in), add chebureki to the skillet 2 at a time and sautee 3 min per side. Adjust the temp if you notice it’s browning too quickly. You need to saute 3 minutes per side for the meat to cook through.
6. Transfer cooked turnovers onto paper towels to soak up excess oil. You should go ahead and eat a couple while you’re sautéing. Consider it your reward.
These were a hit in our house. Our son loved them too!
Turkey Chebureki (Turkey Turnover)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Peel and chop your onion into large pieces, then puree the onion in a food processor until it has an applesauce consistency.
- Add 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to the turkey and stir. Add the pureed onion. The amount of onion will frighten you, but don't worry, it will disappear into the meat.
- Spread a heaping tablespoon of your meat filling over 1/2 of your raw tortilla, leaving about a 1" border at the edges to seal.
- Brush all the way around the edges of your tortilla with cold water. Fold the tortilla in half and seal the edges by pushing down around the edges with a fork.
- Heat a large skillet with enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. Heat over medium/high heat. Once the oil is hot (the chebureki should sizzle when you put them in), add chebureki to the skillet 2 at a time and sautee 3 min per side. Adjust the temp if you notice it's browning too quickly. You need to saute 3 minutes per side for the meat to cook through.
- Transfer cooked turnovers onto papertowels to soak up excess oil. Serve warm.
Natasha, I see in the picture two onions, but in your description you state 2 lbs. Do we really need two pounds of onion? Or, was it a typo? I know chebureki require a lot of onion, but two pounds? 🙂 Thank you!
Hi Mila, I updated the recipe so it isn’t as scary sounding ;). I think my onions weighed about 2 pounds so I changed it to read 2 medium/large yellow onions since most people probably don’t weigh their onions – lol. Thanks for bringing this to my attention! 🙂
Thank you! I had about that size onions as in your picture so I was lucky to match. You are right, it absorbed it quickly like there was no onion 😲 I can’t wait so see results.
Isn’t it amazing how it just disappears but it sure adds a lot of flavor! I hope you love the recipe!
Great recipe. Can you suggest baking time/temperature vs frying them
To be honest, I’m not sure if these would work well baked. The oil from frying really helps form that great crust is. I don’t think they would be the same baked. I haven’t tested them that way either, so I can’t say exactly how long to bake them.
i dont really like the taste of onion.. at all. could i still make these tasty without it ?
I would suggest trying one of my other two chebureki recipes that don’t rely on onion as much :-).
Hi Natasha,
Can I use chicken instead of Turkey? Also, can these be assembled ahead of time, if so, how long before frying?
Hi Tonya. Yes you can absolutely use chicken instead of turkey. I hope you love these!
hello,
I see that you got two different recipes for Chebyreki, one with pork and this one with turkey. Which one would you recommend to try /make first?
Hi Natasha, to be honest, they are really equally delicious. The turkey ones are a little bit easier and less expensive to make since they don’t require quite as many ingredients, but it really just depends on the ingredients you have or want to buy.
For those who are looking for raw tortillas, you can find “Tortilla Land” brand by searching on their website http://www.tortillaland.com/Find-a-Store. Looks like my Costco in NJ does not carry it but Walmart does! I’ll go on the hunt next time I’m at Walmart. Thanks for the great idea, Natasha! 🙂
I’m sorry if this was already asked but if I make these and don’t cook them all can they be frozen and then cooked?
I have not tried freezing them before, but I think it would work well. It probably would be a good idea to put a piece of parchment paper between each one so they do not stick to each other. If you try freezing them and then cooking after, let me know how you like it. Thank you!
Am i able to cut this recipe in half to make half the amount of chebureki?
Yes! You totally can cut the recipe in half 🙂
Yay! Making them right now. Looking forward to eating them 😀
My mother makes them with the cooked tortillas but she drenches them in egg right before frying and they turn out great!
Wow that sounds yummy and a good option for cooked tortillas! How does she keep them sealed? Thanks so much for sharing : )
Brush the edges with egg whites and then just firmly press the edges
What a great idea, Natasha! Gonna try to find raw tortillas now.
Told my mom… she said if you add garlic and cilantro to the mixture the’re gonna be even yummier!
That’s a great idea, I should give it a try next time :).
Best recipe ever. No more making dough by hand for chebureki. Thanks a bunch.
Awesome! Thanks for the great review and I’m so glad it saves you some time!!
hi natasha,
Which cheburki do you like more? These or the other ones with the beef & pork filling that you have on your site also?
They are both great, but these are little easier :).
Is this recipe more tastier then the other one you posted?
They are equally good, this one is just easier :).
Question. Can these be made ahead and frozen or at least refrigerated a few days before cooking? Or is it better to cook them all and freeze leftovers? Thanks.
I’ve never tried freezing them (maybe someone else has answer for that). They do reheat pretty well after being refrigerated.
Yes they can. I have frozen cheburek before. Make sure to defrost before frying. Fry on medium-low heat so meat is cooked thoroughly.
Yummy and very easy to make
Thank you Tonya!! 😉
Loved the Turkey Chebureki 🙂 It was sooo good and my two children loved it also! Thank you!
You are so welcome, don’t you love when kids enjoy your recipes :D.
Did it. Excellent. I bought a tube of ground turkey that had no doubt been previously frozen. Next time I will use freshly ground turkey. Although my mixture was quite wet, the chebureki were quite delicious. I reheated a few leftovers on an infrared grill. By turning them frequently, I was able to get them nice and hot again. Thanks for the recipe.
What a great way to reheat! Yes, fresh ground turkey is best 🙂
Making these for dinner!:) Thanks
You’re welcome Alana 🙂
Oh so good and easy! Will be making a second round tomorrow 🙂 Thank you!
Wow you must have LOVED them if you’re making them two days in a row!! That’s awesome! 🙂
Can they be baked instead? Really curious.. I made you your chebureki before and they were delish but wondering if i could bake them for little healthier version?
You know, I haven’t tried it, but if you do give it a whirl, please let me know how it worked out!
Love, love chebureki! Haven’t had those in ages! Pinned!
They were gone really fast and all the kids love them :).