Easy Cheese & Meat Blini (video)

meat and cheese blini with dill and sour cream

If you have never tried meat blini, you’re in for a tasty surprise! These Russian savory crepes are little pockets of meaty goodness made with simple crepes, filled with a beef and cheese mixture, then pan-fried in a bit of butter. The filling is so juicy and flavorful! And don’t forget to serve them with a dollop of sour cream for an authentic culinary experience!

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Watch my video recipe for step-by-step instructions on how to make these! Want to receive new recipe emails in your inbox? Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and turn on notifications!

How to Make Meat Blini

This tasty meat appetizer starts with the delicate crepes! I always use my classic crepe recipe and for these blini, too! My secret to making easy crepes is making the batter in a food blender. It leaves the batter super smooth and clump free!

The juicy filling a combination of 85% lean beef, onion and mozzarella cheese! The beef is super juicy thanks to the grated onion and the cheese gets super melty once the blini are heated! These are seasoned with dill, a traditional Eastern European and Russian herb that is used to season just about everything in our cuisine!

My Grandmother’s Recipe!

Making these at home brings back so many wonderful memories of my grandmother cooking these for us! I loved to visit babushka because she always had cabbage piroshki, cheese pancakes and blini on hand for us to enjoy. We would run across the street to visit her and come home with extras to share. This meat blini recipe is an homage to her and a ‘thank you’ for sharing such an incredible recipes with me!

ukrainian cheese and beef filled blini with sour cream

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Meat & Cheese Blini video recipe

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meat and cheese blini with dill and sour cream
5 from 1 vote

Easy Cheese & Meat Blini (video)

30 minutes prep + 45 minutes cook
12 servings
Delicious savory crepes stuffed with cheese and ground beef, then served with sour cream!

Ingredients 

For Crepes:

  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

For Filling:

  • 1 pound ground beef, 85% lean
  • 1 medium onion, grated
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese
  • additional 2 tbsp butter, for frying
  • Sour cream, for serving

Instructions

  • Prepare the crepes first. Place all of the ingredients into a blender: eggs, milk, butter, salt and flour. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes until the batter is smooth and lump free. Begin with 2 1/4 cups flour, add more if batter is too thin.
  • Preheat a crepe pan over medium heat and use 1/4 cup batter for each crepe. Pour the batter into the center of the pan, then tilt to spread it evenly to the edges. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on the first side, until golden, then turn with a rubber spatula and cook on the other side for 30 seconds. Stack the crepes onto a tray.
  • Prepare the meat filling. Preheat a large saute pan over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the ground beef and season with approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, a bit of ground black pepper and garlic powder. Fry the ground beef for 5 to 7 minutes, until well browned all over, breaking apart any larger pieces. Add the grated onion and fry for 2 to 3 more minutes, until onion is tender and fragrant.
  • In a large bowl, combine the meat mixture with grated mozzarella cheese and fresh dill. To assemble the blini, spread a few tablespoons of the filling onto the center of each crepe. Fold over the sides first, then fold into a small pocket.
  • Preheat a clean frying pan over low-medium heat and add about 1/2 tablespoon of butter for each batch. Fry the blini 3 to 4 at a time, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden. Serve warm with sour cream on the side.

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 464mg | Potassium: 234mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 388IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2mg