Valentina Ablaev
A classic chicken chebureki recipe that makes the perfect comfort meal from scratch. Homemade tortillas filled with a flavorful chicken filling, sealed, and fried to a crispy finish. Don’t be intimidated by the tortillas from scratch because they are so simple to make and truly take this chebureki to the next level.
What Are Chebureki?
Chebureki are a Slavic “meat turnover” consisting of a soft tortilla filled with seasoned meat. The key is the frying, which gives the tortilla its recognizable, bubbly exterior. These chicken chebureki pair well with a variety of Slavic classics, like beet borscht or a classic olivye (Russian potato salad)!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for meal prep. I always make a double or triple batch and store it for later! They’re great for snacking or a quick lunch.
- Easy cooking. This chebureki recipe is an easy way to make a delicious meal from scratch.
- Family favorite. Chicken chebureki is a meal that always gets the whole family excited.
Ingredients for Chicken Chebureki
All you need are a few simple ingredients to make these chicken chebureki from scratch.
- Tortillas – Our easy tortilla recipe makes the perfect soft tortillas from scratch.
Storebought option: To make these chebureki even easier, you can use storebought tortillas! The key is to buy raw flour tortillas rather than cooked tortillas. - Ground meat – The mixture is made with ground chicken for a flavorful, lean meal.
- Veggies – The meat filling is made extra delicious with grated onion, minced garlic, and chopped green onion. This adds flavor and moisture.
- Seasoning – We use a simple blend of salt, vegeta, and black pepper.
- Oil – I never said these were healthy chebureki, because we are giving them a nice fry for that incredible texture. The key to chebureki is using an oil with a high smoke point. This includes oils such as vegetable, canola, peanut, and avocado oil. Avoid using olive oil.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Tools for this Recipe
Shop all of Valentina’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and kitchen must-haves!
- A deep-frying pan is the best for deep frying to prevent all that oil splatter!
Chicken Chebureki Variations
- Beef chebureki: Swap out the chicken for lean ground beef for a delicious variation.
- Ground pork: Another popular cheburek variation! Swap out chicken for ground pork or use a half-and-half mix! I personally often make a combination of pork and chicken, like in our pelmeni recipe.
- Store-bought tortilla: Though we love homemade tortillas for this recipe, you can get an equally delicious result with store-bought ones. The life hack is to use raw tortillas (you can find them in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores).
How to Make Chicken Chebureki
- Make tortilla dough. Mix tortilla ingredients and rest the dough. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a thin circle, about 8 inches wide.
2. Make filling. Add all filling ingredients to a bowl, mix well, then cover and set aside.
3. Assemble chebureki. Add the meat filling to one half of each tortilla, spreading it evenly and leaving a small border around the edges.
4. Fold. Fold over and press the edges with a fork to seal.
5. Fry. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large pot. Fry 2 at a time in hot oil for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
6. Repeat. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
Expert Tips:
- Oil temperature. When frying anything, keeping an eye on oil temperature matters. If the oil is too hot, your food will burn before it cooks through. If the oil is too cool, then the food won’t get crispy and will be soggy, absorbing more oil than necessary.
Use an oil thermometer and adjust the heat to maintain the oil at 350°F. - Don’t overcrowd the pan. When adding the chebureki to the pan, make sure you aren’t frying too many at once. Adding too much to the pan will cool down the oil too much and will actually take longer to get the result you want.
- Keep them warm. The frying process can be time-consuming when making a large batch. To keep the chebureki warm, simply place the cooked ones in the oven at 300°F while the rest cook. This way, you have a fresh batch to serve.
FAQs
These chebureki are made with dough rolled out to be 8 inches in diameter.
This recipe makes about 12 chebureki.
When assembling the chebureki, keep any unused dough covered with a towel. This will help keep it soft and pliable.
Other Cooking Methods
While frying chicken chebureki gives you the crispiest variation, you can also air fry or oven bake for a lower-calorie option:
Oven Chebureki:
- Arrange the chebureki in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving space between each one.
- Spray both sides of the chebureki with oil.
- Bake at 350°F (keep an eye on them). The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chebureki.
- To check if they are cooked through, use an instant-read thermometer. You’ll know they are done when the internal temperature reads 165°F.
Air fryer:
- Add the chebureki to the air fryer basket and spray with oil.
- Air fry at 375°F for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway. Again, keep an eye on them as the cooking time will vary.
Store & Reheat
Leftover chebureki are the best to enjoy throughout the week! They taste amazing when reheated properly and make the perfect snack or quick meal.
- Storage. Store leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 3 days for peak freshness.
- Reheat. The best way to reheat leftover chebureki is in the air fryer or the oven to get that crispy texture.
- Freeze. Freezing chebureki is a great way to store them for longer. Arrange the chebureki in a sheet pan with parchment paper and freeze. Once they are frozen, you can place them in a freezer-safe bag and store them for up to 3 months. Reheat: Take frozen chebureki and reheat in the air fryer or the oven until warmed through.
More Chicken Recipes
If you enjoyed this chicken chebureki recipe, be sure to try our other easy chicken recipes; here are some of our favorites:
Chicken- Grains and Pasta
- Appetizer
- Hot Sandwiches
- Chicken
- Chicken
- One Pan Meals
If you tried this traditional chicken chebureki recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we appreciate it!
Chicken Chebureki
Ingredients
tortillas –
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup warm water
- ⅓ cup olive oil
filling –
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 1 small onion grated on protruding sides
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp green onion finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vegeta
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 tsp fresh herbs dill, cilantro, or parsley
- 1/4 cup water
- Oil for frying canola or vegetable oil (or any oil with a high smoke point)
Instructions
Prepare the homemade tortillas –
- Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and mix to combine.
- In the center, create a well and pour in the water and oil.
- Mix ingredients until smooth, then transfer to a floured counter and knead for 1-2 minutes. You’ll want a smooth ball with no obvious streaks of flour. Cover the dough and rest 10-15 minutes.
Prepare filling –
- While the dough is resting, prepare the filling.
- Add the filling ingredients to a bowl, and mix to combine, cover, and set aside.
- Once tortillas have rested, divide them into 12 equal parts.
- Take one ball at a time and roll it out into a thin, even tortilla about 8 inches in diameter.
- Fill half of the tortilla with the meat mixture. Spread it evenly, leaving about ½-inch around the edges.
- Fold over to close and seal with a fork by pressing down around the edges.
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a large Dutch oven.
- Add 2 chebureki at a time. Cook about 3 minutes per side over medium heat until the color.
- Transfer to a platter lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess fat.
- Repeat with the remaining chebureki.
Notes
- Beef chebureki: Swap the chicken for lean ground beef for a rich and flavorful variation.
- Ground pork option: Use ground pork instead of chicken, or try a mix of pork and chicken for extra flavor.
- Use store-bought tortillas: Homemade is great, but store-bought works too. For best results, use raw tortillas from the refrigerated section.
- Watch the oil temperature: Keeping the oil at the right temperature is key. If it’s too hot, the outside will burn before the inside cooks. Too cool, and the chebureki will absorb excess oil and turn soggy. Use a thermometer to maintain a temperature of about 350°F.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: Fry in batches to keep the oil temperature steady and ensure even cooking.
- Keep them warm: If cooking in batches, place finished chebureki in a 300°F oven until ready to serve.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in the oven or an air fryer to achieve that crispy texture.
- Freezing: Freeze chebureki on a parchment-lined baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Reheat directly from frozen in the oven or air fryer until heated through.
