Buftek is a crispy, golden-fried delight made from thinly sliced veal or beef. Tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside, it’s a simple yet flavorful Egyptian classic
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Egyptian buftek takes me back to childhood, where the comforting aroma of frying meat filled the house on special occasions. Thinly sliced veal or chicken, carefully breaded and fried to golden perfection, was a family favorite—crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. It was always served with a side of rice, pasta in red tomato sauce or fries, evoking a sense of warmth, care, and tradition. This dish, passed down through generations, holds memories of laughter-filled gatherings and moments when a simple meal became an expression of love.
Recipe at a Glance
Cuisine: Egyptian
Primary Cooking Method: Stove Top
Key Flavor: Golden crispy meat infused with ghee and warm spices
Skill Level: Intermediate
Ingredients to Make Egyptian Buftek
- Meat: Use round top round beef or veal to make Egyptian Buftek.
- Lemon/Lime: Use lemon or lime juice to flavor and tenderize the meat.
- Onion: Juice the onions to marinate and tenderize the meat, and keep the solids for another recipe.
- Flour: All purpose flour will work just fine to coat the Buftek.
- Spices: Use Egyptian Boharat spice or Lebanese 7 spices or the ones I listed in the recipe card.
- Eggs: Beat the eggs and season them well before adding the meat slices in them.
- Breadcrumbs: Use fine breadcrumbs and not chunky panko.
- Ghee: Use store bought grass fed ghee, or simply make your own. Check this tutorial for homemade ghee.
What is Egyptian Buftek
The word Buftek or Boftek is derived from the French word Bifteck, meaning “beef steak” in English. Buftek It’s one of Egypt’s most popular beef dishes, and it is also known as escalope pané. Similar to Veal Milanese, Egyptian Buftek uses breadcrumbs (not panko, like schnitzel). While Milanese traditionally uses veal, Buftek is slightly forgiving as it uses either veal or beef.
The key difference lies in the cooking method. While Milanese is typically fried in oil, Buftek is fried in ghee or a mixture of ghee and oil, giving it a distinct sweet aroma and rich, nutty flavor. This sets it apart from other versions. The golden-brown, crispy exterior makes Egyptian Buftek a nostalgic favorite, deeply loved for its unique taste. Its popularity endures, as Egyptian home cooks devote time, even during the sweltering summer, to frying up batches of golden Buftek for family and guests.
Buftek reflects the European influence on Egypt’s culinary landscape, tracing back to the 19th century when Europeans flocked to Egypt, attracted by the privileges granted by the ruling regime. This cultural exchange left a lasting imprint on Egyptian cuisine, with Buftek standing as a delicious testament to that cross-continental blend. Its fusion of European technique with local flavors continues to resonate, embodying the rich history of Egypt’s evolving food traditions.
What Makes Egyptian Buftek Special
- Economic: This recipe uses the round top round cut, which is an inexpensive meat cut that delivers a splendid flavor.
- Crowd Pleaser: The ghee adds a depth of flavor, creating a crispy, golden crust while keeping the meat tender and juicy inside.
- Festive: In Egyptian tradition, Buftek pleasing centerpiece at celebratory gatherings
Buftek is a labor of labor! While it is not difficult to make Buftek, making it the right way entails a multi step process. Precision is key to achieve a crisp golden exterior that doesn’t fall off the thin meat slices when they are fried in the hot fat.
The proper thickness of Buftek is 1/4 an inch. To achieve such paper thin slices, I freeze the meat cut for 20 minutes to become firm and easier to handle. With a sharp knife I slice lengthwise the meat slice into 1/2 inch thickness long slices. Place the slices between two sheets of plastic film and pound them with a meat mallet to 1/4 inch thick. ( check step 2)
Step 2: Pound the meat
First use the textured side of the meat mallet to pound the meat slices and break up their tissues. This will tenderize the meat and give easy access to the marinade to permeate the meat. Then, use the flat side of the mallet and pound until it reachs the 1/4 inch thickness slices.
Step 3: Marinate the Meat
Place the meat in a non-reactive bowl or a glass deep dish, and marinade it, adding onion juice, lemon juice, spices, and olive oil. Cover the dish with plastic film and let it sit in the fridge for 1-3 hours max. Find the marinade ingredients in the recipe below.
Step 4: Prepare the Flour Coating:
Add flour to a shallow dish and season the flour. In a second separate bowl, beat 2 eggs, and mix in ½ cup whole milk, salt and pepper, and one crushed garlic clove. In another shallow dish add the breadcrumbs in an even layer.
Step 5: Dry the Marinated Meat
This is a crucial step as the meat slices have to be totally dry before you dip them in the flour. Otherwise, the meat juices will dampen the flour and wont get the crunchy skin of buftek that is known for. To dry the meat slices, lay them down on a double layers of kitchen absorbent paper and tap the meat slices dry with the same kitchen paper. Proceed to step 6, when you feel that the meat are no longer wet.
Step 6: Assemble the Buftek:
First, dip the meat slices, one by one, in the flour to cover each, shake any excess and then dip in the eggs and then in the breadcrumbs. Use the palm of your hands to press the breadcrumbs onto the surface of the meat. Take time to do that. The breadcrumbs have to stick and thoroughly cover the meat slice.
Step 7: Fry the Buftek
Add the ghee and oil to a shallow frying pan. (see notes below in the recipe). To test whether the oil is hot enough, throw a pinch of breadcrumbs. If it fries and rises to the surface of the oil in 10 seconds, then the oil is ready.
If your pan isn’t large, don’t add more than two slices at a time. Cast iron skillet is ideal for frying as it heats evenly.
Move and shake the pan in circular motion to trap the air. Be extra careful while shaking the pan so the hot fat doesn’t splatter and burn your skin.
Fry 3 minutes on each side, and then transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking tray and sprinkle with more salt. Repeat with remaining meat slices.
For maximum control, use Kitchen tweezer to flip the meat slices, and place the Buftek over kitchen absorbent paper to drain the excess oil.
Step 8
Garnish and serve: Garnish the buftek with lemon slices and fresh aromatic herbs. Sprinkle some freshly ground pepper and salt. Placed it in a turned off oven to keep the buftek warm. Serve warm next to a salad or pasta.
Tips to Make the Best Egyptian Buftek
- Pound the meat thinly & evenly: Ensure the veal or beef is evenly thin to achieve a tender, crispy texture.
- Season well: Generously season the meat and breadcrumbs for maximum flavor.
- Dry before Coating: Before coating with flour, dry the meat slices throughly with kitchen paper.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: Fry in batches to ensure even cooking and a crispy crust.
- Keep the Buftek crunchy: After frying the Buftek, let it discard any excess oil over fine mesh sieve instead of kitchen paper.
What to Serve with Buffek
- Egyptian Green Salad (Salata Baladi)
- Egyptian Vermicelli Rice (Ruz Bel She’reya)
- Spaghetti in Red Sauce
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Can I fry the buftek in only oil without ghee?
Yes, you can but the flavor won’t be the same.
Q2: Why the skin falls off when I fry the buftek?
Make sure to dry the meat slices so well with absorbent paper, before you dip it in flour, eggs and breadcrumbs.
More Egyptian Meat Recipes
You might also like:
- Kabab Hala (Egyptian Beef Stew)
- Waraket Lahma (Beef en Papillotte)
- Kofta Al Hatti (Egyptian Meat Skewers)
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Egyptian Buftek Recipe (بفتيك)
Ingredients
- * 500 grams beef top round, or veal escalopes, sliced lengthwise (1/2" thick)
- Meat Marinade , recipe follows
- Flour Coating Mixture , recipe follows
- Egg coating , recipe follows
- Breading , recipe follows
The Marinade
- Juice of one onion
- Juice of one lime
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon 7 spices
Flour Coating
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon 7 spices
Egg Coating
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 minced garlic clove
Breadcrumbs Coating
- 2 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs, add more if needed
For Frying
- 1/3 cup ghee
- 1/4 cup unflavored or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Slice the Meat. The proper thickness of Buftek is 1/4 an inch. To achieve such paper thin slices, I freeze the meat cut for 20 minutes to become firm and easier to handle. With a sharp knife I barely slice the meat slice into 1/2 inch thickness long slices. Place the slices between two sheets of plastic film to start pounding them.* 500 grams beef top round, or veal escalopes
- Pound the Meat. First use the textured side of meat mallet to pound the meat slices and break up their tissues. This will tenderize the meat and give easy access to the marinade to permeate the meat. Then, use the flat side of the mallet and pound until it reachs the 1/4 inch thickness slices.
- Marinate the Meat. Place the meat in a non-reactive bowl or a glass deep dish, and marinade it, adding onion juice, lemon juice, spices, and olive oil. Cover the dish with plastic film and let it sit in the fridge for 1-3 hours max.
- Prepare the coating. Add flour to a flat dish and season the flour . In a second separate bowl, beat 2 eggs, add a ½ cup whole milk, salt and pepper, and one crushed garlic clove. In a shallow dish, add the breadcrumbs.
- Dry the Meat. This is a crucial step as it will impact the adherence of the skin to the meat during the frying of the Buftek. Lay the meat over a layer of kitchen absorbent paper and tap the meat slices dry. When the meat is no longer wet proceed with the rest of the recipe.
- Assemble the Buftek. First, Dip the meat slices in the flour, shake any excess and then dip in the eggs (ditto) and then in the breadcrumbs. Use the palm of your hands to press the breadcrumbs onto the surface of the meat. Take time to do that. The breadcrumbs have to stick and thoroughly cover the meat slice.
- Shallow fry the Buftek. Add the ghee and oil to a shallow frying pan. (see notes below in the recipe). To test whether the oil is hot enough, throw a pinch of breadcrumbs. If it fries and rises to the surface of the oil in 10 seconds, then the oil is ready. If your pan is large, don’t add more than two slices at a time. Cast iron skillet is ideal for frying as it heats evenly. Move and shake the pan in circular motion to trap the air. Be extra careful while shaking the pan so the hot fat doesn't splatter and burn your skin. Fry 3 minutes on each side, and then transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking tray and sprinkle with more salt. Repeat with remaining meat slices. For maximum control, use a Kitchen tweezer to flip the meat slices, and place the Buftek over kitchen absorbent paper to drain the excess oil.
- Garnish and serve. Garnish the Buftek with lemon slices and fresh aromatic herbs. Sprinkle some freshly ground pepper and salt. Keep it in the oven to keep warm. Serve warm next to a salad or pasta.
Nermine's Notes
- Pound the meat thinly & evenly: Ensure the veal or beef is evenly thin to achieve a tender, crispy texture.
- Season well: Generously season the meat and breadcrumbs for maximum flavor.
- Dry before Coating: Before coating with flour, dry the meat slices throughly with kitchen paper.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: Fry in batches to ensure even cooking and a crispy crust.
- Keep the Buftek crunchy: After frying the Buftek, let it discard any excess oil over fine mesh sieve instead of kitchen paper.
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