Meat Stuffed Blinchiki (Crêpes)

41 Comments | July 24, 2009 | Posted in Appetizers & Salads, Breakfast

One of the Russian foods that were imported to Azerbaijan when the country was a part of the Soviet Union, is the Russian pancake called blini, also known as blinchiki (plural for blinchik) in the Russian  speaking world, and as crêpes elsewhere. Blinchiki are great plain, or with a dollop of honey or jam on top. They are also delicious when stuffed with various savory and  sweet fillings. Stuffed blinchiki make for a perfect appetizer, or a breakfast dish, or just a go-to snack any time of day. Kids are especially fond of them.

This particular recipe is for blinchiki stuffed with meat. I usually fry the beef that goes inside the blinchik, but you can also boil it then grind finely- great for when are counting calories. Once the blinchiki have been stuffed with the filling, they are typically browned on both sides in a little bit of butter. Or, if you like, skip the frying part altogether for a leaner blinchik.

Meat Stuffed Blinchiki

Makes 16

For the Pancakes:

2 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk (reduced fat milk is OK)
1  1/5 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the Stuffing:
2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 pound (450 g) ground beef
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

To prepare the stuffing, heat the butter or oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and beef. Cook, stiring frequently, until the meat is golden brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and allow to cool while you prepare the blinchiki.

To prepare the blinchiki, in a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir until fully combined and the mixture is smooth and there no lumps left.

Heat a lightly greased small griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour the batter into the griddle, using approximately ¼ cup or a small ladleful for each pancake. Tilt the pan slightly to spread the batter evenly. Cook until lightly brown on one side and turn and lightly brown the other. Repeat with the rest of teh batter. Stack the cooked blinchiki on top of each other on a plate.

Now stuff the blinchiki. Put about1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each pancake. Fold the sides and then roll up to obtain an envelope.

Heat a lightly greased griddle or a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the stuffed blinchiki until light brown on both sides. Drain the blinchiki on paper towel lined plates. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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41 Comments Add your own

  • 1. doggybloggy  |  July 24th, 2009 at 1:41 pm

    so simple and so delicious - isnt that always the best?

  • 2. faiza  |  July 24th, 2009 at 3:30 pm

    Looks delicious and easy. Thanks for sharing this recipe :)

  • 3. James Craig  |  July 24th, 2009 at 6:36 pm

    This is without a doubt the place to learn cooking great food. I can spend hours reading and then going to the kitchen. I got so lucky

  • 4. My Comfort Food  |  July 24th, 2009 at 7:26 pm

    Lovely recipe!

    We make something very similar in the southern part of India, called Otra…here is the link to the post…
    http://mycomfortfoodnetwork.blogspot.com/2008/01/otramalabar-pancakes.html

    We have it sweet with a drizzle of ghee(clarified butter), sugar and fried button onions.

  • 5. Shari  |  July 24th, 2009 at 9:28 pm

    These look simple but also simply delicious! Obviously an old classic that has earned its reputation. Thanks for sharing.

  • 6. Cynthia  |  July 24th, 2009 at 10:14 pm

    I love that you have made a savoury stuffing for the pancakes!

  • 7. shaikhmohammed  |  July 25th, 2009 at 8:58 am

    wonderful and mouthwatering recipe but still i miss something here. if you could have give us some accompaniment - some kind of suace or dips along with the dish. what you say.? thanks

  • 8. Gloria  |  July 25th, 2009 at 5:42 pm

    Farida I think this is really so yummy!! Always make crepes but never think stuff with grinded meat! I love the idea, because we love crepes, xoxoxoxoxoGloria

  • 9. Aparna  |  July 25th, 2009 at 10:43 pm

    Reminds of Indian food we make at home, though our pancakes are made with rice flour.
    I shall try this with a vegetarian filling. Looks delicious.

  • 10. Sabina  |  July 27th, 2009 at 10:01 am

    THank you so much for this recipe. My son was always asking me to make blini for him here, because he remembers the blinchiki of his babushka. But to my shame, i couldn’t do them the way they had to be and he was very sad. Now, with your recipe it was so easy and great and tasty. He was very happy. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!

    But i would ask you for another favor. Can you please send me a recipe of a simple cabbage pie. KAPUSTNIJ PIROG. This is another thing that i would like to know how to do!!!
    Thank you so much for all your great recipes.

  • 11. Turkish Food Passion  |  July 27th, 2009 at 6:05 pm

    This sounds easy to make. I want to give it a try sometime. It sure looks appetizing!

  • 12. George@CulinaryTravels  |  July 28th, 2009 at 3:06 am

    Farida these sound and look fabulous. I will try them.

  • 13. scary azeri  |  July 28th, 2009 at 11:30 am

    Oh no…Just gone back on Atkins to get rid of the flab my mother created by cooking me plov on her visit!!! Now, all I want is these blinchiki!!!! :)

  • 14. diva  |  July 28th, 2009 at 7:32 pm

    oooo these look amazing. they remind me of crepes! i want this blinchiki please xx

  • 15. Coffee & Vanilla  |  July 29th, 2009 at 5:12 am

    Hi, long time did not hear from you.

    Hope all is good :)

    I have two awards waiting for you on my blog :)

    http://www.coffeeandvanilla.com/?p=7657

    Have a nice day, Margot

  • 16. FARIDA  |  July 29th, 2009 at 10:27 pm

    DOGGYBLOGGY: Very much true. Thanks a lot!

    FAIZA: You are very welcome.

    JAMES CRAIG: Glad my blog encourages you to cook:)

    MY COMFORT FOOD: Thank you for the link. I just checked your blog and saw Indian pancake. Looks so delicate!

    SHARI: Thank you!

    CYNTHIA: Glad you like it.

    SHAIKHMOHAMMED: You could top it with a dollop of sour cream. It would work great.

    GLORIA: Try making crepes with meat stuffing next time. I think you will love it.

    APARNA: I like the idea of using rice flour in pancakes. It must add nicely to their flavor and the texture.

    SABINA: Now you can make your son happy:) Enjoy. I will add cabbage pie to my long list of recipe requests:) and will post it when I get a chance to make it.

    TURKISH FOOD PASSION: Thank you, arkadasim.

    GEORGE: Please do try and let me know how they turned.

    SCARY AZERI: Forget about Atkins, make blinchiki and surprise your mom with your creations:)

    DIVA: I wish I could mail them to you, Diva girl:)

    COFFEE & VANILLA: Thank you so much for the award, Margot. I am deeply honored.

  • 17. Matin  |  July 30th, 2009 at 9:27 am

    looks great and am sure tastes wonderful:-)
    Love
    M

  • 18. Nette (Krdemumma Gumman)  |  July 31st, 2009 at 12:58 pm

    Oh, looks so tasty! I will try that one… :)

  • 19. lory  |  August 1st, 2009 at 1:17 am

    miam,miam..!

  • 20. Noturus  |  August 1st, 2009 at 5:24 pm

    Beautiful simple recipe. I will have to give it a try. Thanks.

  • 21. Marysol  |  August 3rd, 2009 at 5:28 pm

    Fari, I’m a little miffed. According to blogger’s list of favorites, your site has been idle for months. If I hadn’t peeked in here, I would’ve missed your new entry.

    In any case, I just learned a new word, thanks to you, Blinchiki.
    And the dish you made looks perfect and sounds perfectly simple, which I always appreciate.
    And while I know and love crepes, I had never thought of stuffing them with ground beef.
    DH would love this, especially for breakfast.

  • 22. Hélène  |  August 3rd, 2009 at 8:31 pm

    This looks so good. I’d love to taste your crêpes. Hope everything is good for you :)

  • 23. mimi  |  August 6th, 2009 at 8:38 am

    these just look amazing!! thank you for such a wonderful recipe to try.

  • 24. davemx  |  August 6th, 2009 at 9:33 pm

    Your Blinchiki reminded me of my Bobe’s blintzes :)

    She was from Poland and would make them a bit smaller but just like yours and after frying them she served them in chicken broth, 3 to 4 little morsels in each plate.

    Gotta try them this way, you’ll love it

    !

  • 25. Azerbaijan International - Betty Blair  |  August 7th, 2009 at 2:52 am

    Hi Farida,
    Your work is so excellent. We’re so proud of you as a former staff member of Azerbaijan International. We’ve just put a link to your AZ Cookbook blog on our Home page. Check it out - http://AZER.com.

  • 26. Aysegul - Ny's Delight  |  August 9th, 2009 at 7:26 am

    Farida - thank you for a wonderful crepe recipe. It turned out awesome…just perfect!!! My best always, Aysegul

  • 27. FARIDA  |  August 11th, 2009 at 3:37 pm

    THANK YOU, FRIENDS, FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS.

  • 28. Joumana Accad  |  August 13th, 2009 at 9:01 pm

    Farida

    You have surpassed yourself! Exquisite! Fabulous photo!

  • 29. Yegana  |  February 11th, 2010 at 2:27 pm

    I made them today! All family liked and even nephew. But I have got only 12 peices not 16. Probably because of pan size and thickness of pancakes. Kiss y. Tnx dear for your great work you do.

  • 30. Chloe  |  March 27th, 2010 at 11:41 pm

    This is wonderful! The perfect side dish to go with a pot of borscht. :)

  • 31. Banu B. Bingor  |  March 28th, 2010 at 9:36 am

    My grandmother (r.i.p) was half Russian, and she often used to ask her sister to cook “blinchiki” to her :) This is such a nostalgic recipe to me :)

  • 32. mariela  |  March 30th, 2010 at 5:56 pm

    do you always have to put salt on the crepes? and well this one looks good i am going to try it and maybe it would help me for my project. thanks.

  • 33. FARIDA  |  March 31st, 2010 at 5:25 pm

    MARIELA: Do you mean in the crepe batter here? I don’t put any.

  • 34. Nithya  |  June 5th, 2010 at 7:40 am

    Thank you so much for the recipe… I tried it out today, and as usual, everyone at home enjoyed it. I added in some garlic and finely chopped green chilies into the meat and reduced the sugar in the batter, as everyone likes spicy food at home.

  • 35. Diana  |  December 22nd, 2010 at 3:03 pm

    I tested this recipe. Blinchiki were ok. Farida, is it 1/5 cup of flour or 1/2 cup? I added a little bit of milk because it was a bit of thick. Also, I remember my mom having both milk and eggs at room temp. Does it matter?

  • 36. Anya  |  February 22nd, 2011 at 10:12 am

    Do you know how many calories are in each peace. If you do can you please post it.

  • 37. Farida  |  February 24th, 2011 at 10:51 am

    ANYA: Sorry but I do not know:(

  • 38. Anya  |  March 4th, 2011 at 12:03 pm

    I also added 1/4 teaspoon of baking poweder

  • 39. gul  |  June 12th, 2011 at 8:53 am

    crepes is french not russian

  • 40. From Russia, With Love…&hellip  |  November 8th, 2011 at 8:43 am

    [...] meat filled blinchiki (that’s crepes, in English). A great recipe for them can be found here: http://www.azcookbook.com/meat-stuffed-blinchiki-crepes/ Salad buffet at The Brighton Beach [...]

  • 41. Cameron  |  May 28th, 2012 at 4:02 am

    I bought my first blini pan to tackle this recipe, and now am an expert flipper! I served this at a party and there were none left.

    :-)

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