# Egyptian Hawawshi Baked in the Oven

> Hawawshi goes soggy inside for two reasons: **too little fat in the mince**, which dries it out, or **unsqueezed onion**, whose water soaks into the bread. Use 20% fat mince, squeeze the onion dry, and start with a hot oven so the bread crisps first.

**Egyptian Cuisine · 45 min · 4 servings · 480 kcal per serving**

Hawawshi is Egyptian street food at its best, and making it at home is easier than it looks. The one problem people run into is bread that turns soggy — and there are two clear fixes for it.

## Ingredients

- 500 g — minced beef, 20% fat
- 1 piece — onion, finely chopped and squeezed dry
- 1 piece — green pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves — garlic, crushed
- 0.25 cup — chopped parsley
- 1 tsp — salt
- 1 tsp — mixed spices
- 0.5 tsp — chilli
- 4 loaves — baladi flatbread
- 2 tbsp — ghee

## Method

1. **Squeeze the onion** — Chop the onion very finely and wring it out in a clean cloth until all its water is gone. That water is the number one cause of soggy bread.
2. **Mix the filling** — Combine the mince with the squeezed onion, pepper, garlic, parsley, spices and salt. Do not overwork it — mix just until it comes together.
3. **Preheat** — Heat the oven to **220°C** a full 20 minutes ahead. A hot oven bakes the bread quickly, before the meat juices have a chance to soak in.
4. **Fill the loaves** — Open each loaf from one side and spread the filling inside in a thin, even layer. A thick layer needs longer and the bread burns before it is cooked.
5. **Bake** — Brush the tops with ghee, arrange on a tray and bake for **20 to 25 minutes** until the bread is crisp and the meat is cooked, turning halfway.

## Tips

- Squeezing the onion is compulsory — without it the bread goes soggy no matter what else you do.
- Keep the fat at 20%: lean mince comes out dry, and more fat makes the bread greasy.
- A thin, even layer of filling — a thick one stays raw while the bread burns.
- It freezes filled and raw and bakes from frozen with an extra 10 minutes.

## FAQ

### Why does the bread go soggy inside?
The onion was not squeezed, or the oven was not hot enough. Wring the onion in a cloth, and preheat to 220°C for 20 minutes — the bread then crisps before the juices reach it.

### Which bread should I use?
Egyptian baladi bread is the original — thick, porous, and able to take the juices. Baguette or sandwich bread falls apart, and thin flatbread saturates too quickly.

### Can I cook it in a pan?
Yes — a heavy pan over medium heat with light pressure from a second pan on top, 7 to 8 minutes a side. Crisper than the oven but it needs more attention.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/egyptian-cuisine/egyptian-hawawshi-oven-baked
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-09-15