Bifteki Stuffed Pitta with Tzatziki
Juicy Greek herb burgers tucked into warm homemade pittas with cool tzatziki, tomato and red onion.
Made with Basic bread dough and Homemade tzatziki. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time50 min
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £2.55 a head
- Oven240°C (220°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Squeeze the grated onion in a clean tea towel to remove the juice, then mix it with the lamb mince, garlic, oregano, parsley and 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Mix well with your hands, then shape into 4 oval patties about 2 cm thick. Chill for 15 minutes.
15 min - 2
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan) with a heavy tray inside. Divide your ready made bread dough (see the base recipe) into 8 pieces of 75 g and roll each into a 5 mm thick oval. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
10 min - 3
Bake the pittas on the hot tray in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Wrap in a tea towel to stay soft.
3 min 30 s - 4
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Cook the patties for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, until deep brown and cooked right through with no pink inside and juices running clear.
11 min - 5
Rest the bifteki for 3 minutes. Split each pitta open, spread with your ready made tzatziki (see the base recipe), then add a bifteki cut into slices, tomato and red onion.
- 6
Serve two pittas per person with a squeeze of lemon and any extra tzatziki on the side.
Tips
- Grating and squeezing the onion keeps the patties juicy but not wet, so they hold their shape without egg.
- Use lamb mince with about 15 to 20 per cent fat. Very lean mince makes dry bifteki.
- Traditional bifteki are often stuffed with a cube of feta or kasseri in the middle. Press a 15 g cube of cheese into each patty if you like.
Storing and freezing
Eat straight away. Leftover cooked patties keep for 3 days in the fridge and should be reheated until steaming hot all the way through. Pittas freeze well for 1 month.
Questions
Can I use beef mince instead of lamb?
Yes. Use beef mince with 15 to 20 per cent fat for the same juicy result. The oregano, parsley and garlic keep it tasting Greek, though lamb is the traditional choice.
Can I grill or barbecue the bifteki?
Yes. Cook over a medium hot barbecue or under a hot grill for 5 to 6 minutes each side, until cooked through with no pink and juices running clear. Oil the grill first so the patties do not stick.
Is this dish dairy free?
No, because tzatziki is made with yoghurt. For a dairy free version, make the tzatziki base with coconut yoghurt as the base recipe explains, and then it suits dairy free diets.
More made with basic bread dough
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.