Fatay: Argentina’s Arab Empanadas
Fatay — also known as Turkish empanadas — feature a soft, slightly chewy dough filled with spiced minced beef, onions, tomatoes, peppers, and a generous amount of lemon juice. In Buenos Aires, these savory triangles are a classic late-night treat, a delicious bridge between Middle Eastern tradition and Argentine street food culture.
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Delicious fatay takes me straight back to my childhood in Buenos Aires. I grew up in a neighborhood where many families were of Syrian and Lebanese origin. On Saturday nights, while other families might order pizza, ours often treated ourselves to a dozen (or more) of these warm fatay from neighborhood bakeries.
Later in life, when I began traveling across the Mediterranean, I discovered lahmacun in Turkey, sfiha in Syria and Lebanon, as well as other variations of this dish, both open and closed.
I realized that the fatay of my youth was part of a much larger family of dishes — all sharing the same delicious idea: bread, beef, and bold spices in perfect harmony. From open-faced versions that resemble pizza, to neatly folded triangles like the ones I grew up with, every culture adds its own touch.
Learning to make them became almost inevitable. I had to recreate those flavors from my childhood — the soft, lemony filling, the perfectly baked dough, the little triangle shapes with the center left slightly open to reveal the tempting filling inside.
Now, they are one of my favorite things to make, to share, and to talk about.
This is How I Make Them
I always start with the dough. I dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water and add a little olive oil.
Then I pour this mixture over a big bowl where I have the flour with the salt mixed in. I knead as I add the water, little by little, until the dough starts to feel smooth and elastic.
Once it’s nice and soft, I let it rest, covered, until it triples in size. That’s when I know it’s ready.
For the filling, I chop onions, peppers, and tomatoes into small dice, add minced garlic, and mix everything with the beef. I season the mixture with tomato paste, fresh or dry mint, parsley, baharat spice mix, an extra touch of cinnamon, plenty of salt and pepper, and then add the juice of several lemons.
This time, I used Aleppo pepper (a delicious, quite mild chili pepper variety) that tasted great in my fatay!
This lemony kick is key — it keeps the meat juicy and gives fatay its signature tang. I let the mixture marinate in the fridge for at least a couple of hours so all the flavors blend beautifully.
>> Cannot find Baharat? Make it at home by mixing: black pepper, coriander, paprika, cardamom, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Once the dough is ready, I divide it into small balls, each about the size of a golf ball, and roll them out into thin circles, roughly 20 cm in diameter.
I spoon some (a lot) of the filling in the center, then pinch the dough into triangles — folding up the edges and leaving a little opening in the center so you can see the filling peek through.
They bake quickly in a very hot oven until the dough is cooked and just turning golden, usually in 12 to 15 minutes.
I like to serve them simply, sometimes alone, sometimes with a light yogurt dip. And if I feel like changing things up, I leave them open — no folding — and what comes out of the oven is a perfect lahmacun, something like a Middle Eastern pizza.
Good to know!
With this dough, you can also make delicious pita bread by cooking the dough circles in a hot cast iron pan.
Fatay
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 kg flour
- 20 grams salt
- 600 ml lukewarm water
- 10 grams dry yeast (or 30 grams fresh yeast)
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
For the filling
- 2 big onions chopped
- 1 big red bell pepper or 1 small red and 1 small green), chopped
- 1 big tomato (without seeds) chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp fresh or dry mint
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 1 kg minced beef meat
- 1 tbsp Baharat spices (cumin, clove, nutmeg, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper)
- An extra pinch of cinnamon
- Juice of 4 lemons
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Dough
- Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water, add the olive oil, and mix.
- Place the flour in a large bowl, add the salt and mix so that the yeast does not get in direct touch with the salt
- Pour in the water mixture and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Transfer it to a lightly floured surface, knead a bit more, and cover.
- Let it rest for at least 30 minutes, or until it triples in size.
Filling
- Meanwhile, finely dice the onions, bell peppers, and tomato. Mince the garlic.
- Combine the vegetables with the minced beef, tomato paste, mint, parsley, baharat spices, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
- Add the lemon juice and mix thoroughly.
- Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Make the fatay
- Preheat the oven to very high heat (about 250°C / 480°F).
- Divide the dough into balls of about 60 grams.
- Roll each ball into a thin circle of about 20 cm diameter.
- Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each circle. Close into a triangle shape, leaving a small opening in the middle.
- Place on a baking tray with parchment paper and bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the dough is cooked and lightly golden.
- Serve hot, alone or with a light yogurt dip.
Nutrition
Tips, Secrets & Variations
- For softer dough, add a splash more olive oil when kneading.
- You can make lahmacun with the same dough and filling — just leave them open and bake as flatbreads.
- For a spicier version, add chili flakes or fresh chili to the filling.
- These freeze beautifully; just reheat in a hot oven for a few minutes before serving.
Fatay are spiced, lemony, and so delicious. They carry with them a story of migration, adaptation, and family traditions. If you’ve never made them at home, now is the perfect time to try.
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How to Make Fatay
Gabi Ancarola
Gabi is a travel writer who has lived in Crete for over a decade. Through her blog, Crete Insider, she has helped travelers uncover local experiences. Passionate about food and Cretan cuisine, she now attends Greek cooking lessons to bring the island’s flavors straight to your kitchen!
>> Interested in learning to cook in Crete, or discovering all of the top spots to eat in Chania and around the island? Book a food tour or plan your trip with me.
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