Bifteki

Want to give your regular old burgers a new twist? Then you have to try Bifteki, a classic Greek dish featuring well-seasoned meat patties baked with potato wedges. (Think burgers and fries, but with a different cooking method and seasonings).

In case you haven’t noticed, we kind of like Mediterranean food. So much so, that our recently published very first eBook was all about our favorite Mediterranean dishes. Take a peek at it: Best of GypsyPlate: Mediterranean Recipes.

What is Bifteki

Bifteki, also known as Biftekia, are basically just the Greek version of hamburgers. But instead of being eaten in a bun, the patties are served with potatoes that bake with the patties.

The seasonings are very similar to Keftedes, which are a type of Greek meatballs. I love both, but these Biftekia are a bit more of a lazy recipe, so when I crave those flavors this has become my go-to recipe.

Ingredients

For the meat patties

• Ground meat – I usually use a 50/50 mix of ground beef and ground pork. Ground lamb is also very traditional, though it is more expensive.
• Bread + milk – You soak the bread in milk, then squeeze most of the milk out. I like a hearty white bread here.
• Egg – This acts as a binder.
• Olive oil – It may not be strictly necessary, but I like the juiciness it adds to the patties.
• Garlic and onion – Finely chopped or grated.
• Herbs and spices – Parsley, oregano, mint, salt and pepper.

For the potatoes

• Potatoes – Any of your preferred variety.
• Extra virgin olive oil – A whole half cup. I recommend a nice, robust EVOO for big flavors.
• Garlic – Yeah, that’s a must.
• Mustard – I prefer to use a brown mustard in this recipe, but you can use yellow or Dijon if that’s what you have on hand.
• Oregano – Greek staple.
• Lemon juice – Always freshly squeezed.

Easy Bifteki Recipe

First things first, I get the oven preheating to 375°F.

Next, I soak the bread slices in the milk. After a few minutes I remove them, squeeze most of the milk out, and add the bread to a large bowl.

To the bowl, I add the remaining ingredients for the meat patties, then gently toss all of them together. I make sure they are well combined, but do not overmix them. After that, I form the meat mixture into 8 patties of approximately equal size.

In a baking dish, I toss potato wedges with olive oil and all of the seasonings that go with them.

I place meat patties atop the potato wedges, then cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Then, I remove the foil and cook for another 30 minutes uncovered. I check potatoes for doneness and use an instant read thermometer to ensure meat patties have reached at least 165°F internal temperature.

It’s optional, but at the end I like to give everything a quick broil to brown it up.

Serving Suggestions

Since meat and potatoes are there, this is almost a complete meal. You just need some veggies to go with it.

My top choice is Horiatiki, also known as Greek Salad. It’s kind of the perfect accompaniment to Bifteki, with the feta and kalamata olives. Any other veggies go well on the side also. Try Fasolakia, a Greek green bean dish. It also goes great.

Sometimes I’ll also get some pita bread and make a gyro-type meal, just using the Biftekia patties as the meat component. Don’t forget the Tzatziki!

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Bifteki, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Bifteki (Greek Meat Patties)

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Bifteki, AKA Biftekia, are kind of like the Greek version of hamburgers. They're very well seasoned and cook with potatoes for a complete one-pan meal.

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Ingredients

Meat Patties

• 4 slices bread
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 egg
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, grated
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Potatoes

• 5 large potatoes (about 3 pounds), cut into wedges
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp brown mustard
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1 lemon, juiced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Soak the bread slices in the milk. After a few minutes remove the slices, squeeze most of the milk out, and add the bread to a large bowl.
3. To the bowl, add the remaining ingredients for the meat patties. Gently toss all of the ingredients together. Make sure they are well combined, but do not overmix them.
4. Form the meat mixture into 8 patties of approximately equal size.
5. In a baking dish, toss potato wedges with all other above listed potato ingredients.
6. Place meat patties atop the potato wedges. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
7. Remove the foil and cook for another 30 minutes uncovered. Check potatoes for doneness and use an instant read thermometer to ensure meat patties have reached at least 165°F internal temperature.
8. If desired, you can give the dish a quick broil to add color to the patties.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 729Total Fat 41gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 26gCholesterol 130mgSodium 525mgCarbohydrates 52gFiber 5gSugar 5gProtein 38g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.