Meat Blini With Cheese & Dill

Published on April 27, 2017 | In Russian/Ukrainian | By tatyanaseverydayfood |

- Prep Time
- 30 Minutes
- Yield
- 12
- Difficulty Level

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If you have never tried meat blini, you’re in for a tasty surprise! These Ukrainian/Russian little pockets of meaty goodness are 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! These are seasoned with dill, a traditional Eastern European and Russian herb that is used to season just about everything in our cuisine!

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!

Watch my video recipe for step-by-step instructions on how to make these!

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Looking for more traditional Russian recipes? Try my ‘Meat & Cheese Piroshki’ next! This recipe has a very similar filling as these blini, but wrapped in a fluffy yeast dough and baked to perfection. Get the recipe: http://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/recipe-items/meat-cheese-piroshki/

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Ingredients

For Crepes:
4 large eggs
2 cups (473 ml) milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup (57 g) butter, melted
2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
For Filling:
1 pound (450 g) 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

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.