This is my Saudi mutabbaq recipe from scratch, which includes how to make the dough and the meat-and-egg filling. Pan-fried to a golden crisp, these stuffed flatbreads make a delicious appetizer or snack. It takes a little patience, but you don't need special equipment to recreate this Saudi street-food favourite at home.
I will always have a soft spot for Saudi Arabia because this was our first home. On a drive around downtown Saudi Arabia, you will find a hole-in-the-wall cafe selling freshly made muttabaq and sambosa for breakfast and as iftar snacks during Ramadan.
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 35 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 30 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 6 mutabbaq
- 🔥 Cook Method: Stovetop
- ⭐ Difficulty: Moderate
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What is Saudi Mutabbaq?
Mutabbaq is a popular Saudi Arabian street food made by folding thin dough around a savoury filling and pan-frying it until golden. The name refers to the folded shape of the parcel. Meat and egg are common filling ingredients, often combined with spring onions or leeks.
My homemade version relies on a paper-thin, hand-stretched dough packed with a mix of spiced minced meat, eggs, and fresh spring onions. Folded into its signature square and pan-fried, the result is mutabbaq that's crisp on the outside and rich, tender, and deeply flavorful on the inside.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Made completely from scratch: Learn to make the dough and filling at home, without relying on ready-made pastry.
- A flavourful filling: Minced meat, garlic, onion and warm spices give every bite a savoury kick.
- Golden and crisp: Pan-frying creates a delicious contrast between the cooked outer dough and the soft filling.
- Flexible ingredients: Use beef, chicken or lamb, and add cheese if you like.
- Worth the extra effort: The dough can be prepared ahead of time, making assembly easier when you're ready to cook.
Ingredients you'll need
Here are the key ingredients that make this homemade Saudi mutabbaq:
- Flour: I have used a mix of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. You may replace it with all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour.
- Baking powder is optional
- Oil: I have used a mix of olive oil and sunflower oil. You may use any neutral cooking oil.
- Meat: I have used minced beef. You may use any ground meat of your choice. If using meat chunks, then precook and shred to use as directed in the recipe.
- Eggs: You need eggs in the dough and the filling. You may skip the egg in the dough and use more water. But don't skip the eggs in the filling.
- Veggies: You will need garlic cloves, onion, tomato, and green onions,
- Ground spices: You will need red chilli, turmeric, cumin, coriander and pepper powder.
- Grated cheese: A cheddar cheese block is an amazing optional option.
Refer to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this page for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Can I use ready-made mutabbaq sheets?
Yes! If you already have ready-made mutabbaq sheets from the frozen section of your supermarket, you can use them with this filling and skip making the dough from scratch. Spring roll wrappers may also work as a convenient alternative, although the texture will differ from traditional mutabbaq made with stretchy homemade dough.
For this recipe, though, I recommend trying the homemade dough at least once. The soft, stretchy dough is the challenging fun part of the experience.
Quick Look: How to make mutabbaq?
- Step 1: Prepare the dough.
- Step 2: Divide and rest the dough.
- Step 3: Cook the meat filling and let it cool.
- Step 4: Finish the filling
- Step 5: Stretch the dough thinly
- Step 6: Add the filling and fold
- Step 7: Pan-fry until golden
- Step 8: Cut and serve
The amount of filling and the way you spread it will make the difference in the thickness of the muttabaq.
Tips for making the best homemade mutabbaq
- Rest the dough properly
- Keep the dough balls well oiled
- Cool the filling before adding the eggs
- Keep the filling dry
- Don't overfill
- Use moderate heat
- Transfer the assembled pancake carefully
What to serve with Saudi Mutabbaq
Serve Mutabbaq hot, straight from the pan, with lemon wedges, fresh chilli slices, or a simple tomato-based dip to help cut through the richness of the fried flatbread.
Same Same But Different
Keema Paratha, Gozleme, Baalbek Sfeeha, Arayes, and Keema Naan are similar spiced meat-stuffed pastries/flatbreads using a different dough fold, flour, or baking method.
You could also serve mutabbaq as part of a larger spread with other homemade snacks. If you enjoy Middle Eastern savoury snacks, here are my favourites:
Storage and reheating
Refrigerator: Allow leftover mutabbaq to cool and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. For the best quality, eat within 2 days.
Reheating: Reheat in a lightly oiled frying pan over medium-low heat until warmed through and crisp again. The microwave is convenient, but it will soften the dough.
Make ahead: Prepare the cooked meat filling in advance and refrigerate it promptly. Add the eggs closer to assembly time. For the best texture, stretch, fill and cook the parcels just before serving.
Saudi Mutabbaq Recipe FAQs
What is the difference between mutabbaq and a stuffed paratha?
While both are delicious stuffed flatbreads, they differ in dough, shape, and preparation. Stuffed paratha is a South Asian staple made from whole wheat dough (atta). The filling is sealed inside a ball of dough and rolled flat into a round before pan-roasting on a tawa, giving it a thicker, tender texture.
Love stuffed flatbreads? Check out my step-by-step guides for classic Aloo Paratha or easy Gobi Paratha!
Why is my mutabbaq dough tearing?
The dough may need more resting time, or it may be drying out while you're working. Keep the dough balls well oiled and covered, and stretch the dough gently on an oiled surface rather than pulling hard at one spot.
Why is my mutabbaq soggy?
Excess moisture in the filling is a common reason. Cook the meat mixture until any extra liquid has evaporated, let it cool before assembly and avoid overfilling the dough.
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📖 Recipe Card
Saudi Mutabbaq Recipe (From-Scratch Meat & Egg)
Ingredients
Dough recipe
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder, optional but recommended
- Salt to taste
- 4 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 small egg
- water as required, approx ½ cup
- cooking oil, to spread over the dough while resting
For the filling
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium onion, diced finely
- 500 grams ground meat , chicken or beef or lamb
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tomato, diced
Add to the cooled filling
- 1 cup chopped spring onions, spring onions
- shredded cheese , optional
- 3 large eggs
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- Combine the all-purpose flour, wheat flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.½ cup whole wheat flour1½ cup all-purpose flour1½ teaspoon baking powder optional but recommendedSalt to taste
- Add the egg and oil, then gradually add water until a soft dough forms.1 small egg4 tablespoon cooking oil
- Knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Add the water gradually rather than all at once, as you want a soft dough that can be stretched without becoming sticky.water as required approx ½ cup
Divide and rest the dough
- Divide the dough into 6 smooth balls. (Depending on your pan size, you can make larger or smaller muttabaq)
- Grease the bowl you used to knead and keep the balls in it. Liberally brush all the dough balls with oil to prevent them from drying.cooking oil to spread over the dough while resting
- Cover the bowl with cling wrap or kitchen linen and let it stay untouched for a minimum of 2 hours.
Cook the meat filling
- Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan on a medium to high flame.1 tbsp cooking oil
- Add the minced garlic and sauté until it starts browning.5 garlic cloves minced
- Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent.1 medium onion diced finely
- Add the minced beef and salt and stir till browned. If using pressure-cooked shredded meat, then you can add it at the end.500 grams ground meat chicken or beef or lamb
- Add all the spice powders and give a good mix.½ teaspoon red chilli powder¼ teaspoon turmeric powder½ teaspoon cumin powder1 tablespoon coriander powder½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and adjust the salt and spices. If there is excess liquid in the cooked beef, then cook it uncovered until dry.Salt to taste
- Add the finely chopped tomato and sauté for just a couple of minutes. If using shredded cooked beef or chicken, add now.1 tomato diced
- Remove from heat and let it cool. Once cooled, you can divide the portion and refrigerate or freeze for later
- Transfer the cooled meat mixture to a bowl and stir in the eggs, shredded cheese, chopped green leaves, and salt.1 cup chopped spring onions spring onionsshredded cheese optional3 large eggsSalt to taste
Stretch the dough thinly
- Roll or slap down the dough ball until transparent (like you do for Porottas). Place 2 to 3 tablespoonfuls of the meat-egg mixture in the centre of the stretched dough. Spread the filling into a thin layer in a square shape.
- Then fold the sides of the dough over the meat, one side at a time, to form a complete square parcel.
Cook
- Heat the thick-bottomed pan with a little oil enough to coat the pan.
- Lift the folded Mutabbak and place it on the pan. This can get tricky if you used the countertop, so be careful while lifting. I used the board, so I just flipped the board and transferred the parcel onto my palm.
- Place the parcels on the hot pan and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, flipping carefully until browned and cooked.
Serve
- Cut them into squares or diagonally and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Nutrition Info
Nutritional information is an estimate provided for informational purposes only. Values may vary based on ingredient brands, cooking methods, and portion sizes.
Recipe adapted from Sheba Yemeni.
Famidha Ashraf says
Thank you Maryam! I definitely can't!
Famidha Ashraf says
Abida, cheese just makes it more pleasing to my hubby! 🙂
Famidha Ashraf says
Thank you Sneha!
Rafeeda A. Raheem says
This is really tempting me to make it as soon as possible, InShaAllah, when I land up with some good beef mince... the pictures look adipoli, nice and simple, I love that plate... 🙂
Famidha Ashraf says
Thank you Noor! 🙂
Noor says
You actually did an amazing job mashAllah, it looks just like if you bought it from the take out place. I wish I had one now, wish some chai yummy. They are so good fresh off the grill, it's been years since I made it, since I first came to Saudi actually.
snehadatar says
I love the flakiness of the bread, yes this bread is really irresistible.
Famidha Ashraf says
Thank you Raf! that plate came with the assorted plate of Baklavas!
Abida says
Maa sha Allah, looks delicious, love the addition of cheese too!
Famidha Ashraf says
Yeah women cannot drive in the country. We have our men or taxi drivers to take us around... 🙁
Evelyne CulturEatz says
Great looking mutabbaq, would love to try it a few lol. What women cannot drive? Did not know that.
Maryam says
Who can resist sinking their teeth into a couple of those?? Beautiful work!
Unknown says
I also made the muttabaq and like you said, you can't stop at just one.