Why Yemeni Street Vendors Guard This Crispy Beef Secret

Q: What is Yemeni Beef Martabak?

Martabak, also known as Murtabak or Mutabbaq (pronounced “moo-TAH-baq”), is a stuffed flatbread that is a popular street food snack across South-East Asia and some regions of the Middle East. In Arabic, the meaning of Martabak is “folded.” Martabak can be vegetarian by being stuffed with eggs and vegetables, or you can stuff the bread with meat and potatoes. The variations will differ based on the region where the Martabak is prepared. What’s common is that the bread is shaped into squares, and on the streets they serve martabak is small slices. Today, we will focus on the Yemeni version of Martabak with a beef filling with some vegetables. As an Indian who loves stuffed parathas from Aloo Paratha to Chicken Keema Paratha, I was thrilled to try this recipe out when researching Yemeni recipes to try out! The difference between Yemeni Martabak and the Indian paratha is that the Martabak dough is prepared with an egg, and it is rolled out very thinly. Additionally, as previously mentioned, instead of the classic circular or triangular shape of a paratha, we’ll be shaping these stuffed flatbreads into squares.

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About this recipe

Crispy, golden, and packed with spiced beef filling, Yemeni Martabak is the ultimate street food experience. Make this authentic martabak at home with our easy step-by-step recipe.

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I’m a huge lover of some stuffed bread. A good soft bread enveloping a hearty filling just always gets me excited and makes for the perfect snack or the accompaniment of a satisfying dinner!

I also love exploring new cuisines, as you may have seen if you’ve been a longtime blog reader. Every month or so, I set a goal to try a recipe from a new cuisine. If you’re looking to open your horizons in the kitchen in 2025, then this is the time to get started on your cooking journey for free today by taking part on your Live to Cook one-month challenge! One of the four themes outlined in the challenge is Destinations Unseen, and Yemeni food was definitely one for me! Trust me, it’s definitely worthwhile to take a trip to the streets of Yemen with this incredible martabak recipe, and you’ll want to have it again and again! All you need to do to start your challenge is to sign up to my free email newsletter, plus all of my latest recipes will be delivered directly to your inbox so you never run out of new delicious recipe ideas!

Golden-brown beef martabak slices arranged on a white plate, showing crispy exterior and layered filling.

To follow along from the dough making all the way to slicing and serving, then be sure to watch the step-by-step video recipe! I would really appreciate it if you could please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’re not already, and be sure to press the bell button to be notified when all of my video recipes are live! Let’s get cooking!

What is Yemeni Beef Martabak?▼

Martabak, also known as Murtabak or Mutabbaq (pronounced “moo-TAH-baq”), is a stuffed flatbread that is a popular street food snack across South-East Asia and some regions of the Middle East. In Arabic, the meaning of Martabak is “folded.” Martabak can be vegetarian by being stuffed with eggs and vegetables, or you can stuff the bread with meat and potatoes. The variations will differ based on the region where the Martabak is prepared. What’s common is that the bread is shaped into squares, and on the streets they serve martabak is small slices. Today, we will focus on the Yemeni version of Martabak with a beef filling with some vegetables.

As an Indian who loves stuffed parathas from Aloo Paratha to Chicken Keema Paratha, I was thrilled to try this recipe out when researching Yemeni recipes to try out! The difference between Yemeni Martabak and the Indian paratha is that the Martabak dough is prepared with an egg, and it is rolled out very thinly. Additionally, as previously mentioned, instead of the classic circular or triangular shape of a paratha, we’ll be shaping these stuffed flatbreads into squares.

Hand holding a crispy beef martabak square with brown spots, plate of more pieces blurred in background.

Why You’ll Love This Beef Martabak Recipe

Simple to make: You’ll find that making the dough is fairly straightforward. If you’re new to making your own bread, then don’t worry! This recipe will guide you step-by-step on how to achieve the perfect dough for our Martabak! The beef filling also only requires one pan to make with minimal steps. Then, we assemble, cook and serve!
Nutritious: Thanks to the beef filling, this Beef Martabak is high in protein and iron! Beef is also very nutritious because it contains plenty of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B12, zinc, selenium, iron, vitamin B6 and phosphorus.The fats from the beef and the olive oil used to cook the beef filling combined with the protein from the beef will keep you full and satisfied!
Soft and warm bread: This bread is truly amazing! It is crispy on the outside yet so soft and warm. You’ll love just holding onto these, and they’re almost too nice to eat!
Great for kids: I know this from personal experience from when I was a kiddo but I think we can all agree that children love handheld snacks! This Yemeni Beef Martabak recipe will have children get in their protein and vegetables in a unique and delicious way! You could even get the kids involved in the process by having them help out adding the filling inside the dough!

Golden-brown beef martabak triangles arranged on a white plate, crispy and folded with visible filling.

Equipment Needed to Make Beef Martabak

Ingredients for Yemeni Beef Martabak

All ingredients and their quantities can be found in the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card by scrolling to the bottom of this post or by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button. You can use the recipe card to save the recipe for later and scale the ingredients based on how many pieces of Beef Martabak you want to make! By default, the recipe yields 4 pieces.

For the Martabak Dough

Martabak dough ingredients arranged on a dark surface: flour in a bowl, salt in a dish, egg, water, and olive oil in dispensers.

For the Beef Filling

Ingredients for beef martabak laid out in white bowls: ground beef, diced onions, tomatoes, green onions, spices on wooden plate, and dough.

Olive oil
Lean ground beef: As I describe in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!!, if you already have a suitable substitute, then don’t stress about going to the store for a single ingredient! If you have medium or extra lean ground beef already in your fridge, then don’t go out of your way to get lean! If you’re using medium ground beef, then your filling will just be even tastier! If you’re using extra lean ground beef, in contrast, then your filling will be drier. It will still be delicious if you make it as described, but the overall martabak just may be less juicy. It may or may not bother you, but the recipe will indeed be just fine if you’re using extra lean ground beef!
Red onion
Tomato paste
Ginger-garlic paste
Roma tomato
Spices: Turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper
Green onions
Salt

How to Make Yemeni Beef Martabak

To Make the Martabak Dough

In a large bowl, combine flour, egg, salt, olive oil, and ½ cup water. Mix to form a soft, smooth dough, adding more water if needed.

Ingredients for martabak dough: flour in large bowl, egg, salt, olive oil, and water in measuring cup.

Flour, egg, and olive oil combined in a glass bowl for martabak dough preparation.

Knead until the dough comes together into a ball, then stretch and fold it until smooth and pliable.

Hands kneading smooth, pale dough in a glass bowl during martabak dough preparation.

Hands kneading a smooth, pale yellow dough ball on a dark surface for martabak.

Coat the dough with a thin layer of olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Smooth dough ball wrapped in plastic wrap resting on a dark surface with oil coating.

Making the Beef Filling

Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add olive oil.

Olive oil heating in a nonstick pan over medium heat for beef martabak filling.

Add ground beef and break up any large chunks with a wooden spoon.

Ground beef being browned in a black nonstick pan with olive oil during the first step of martabak preparation.

Ground beef browning in a nonstick pan with olive oil, partially cooked with pink and brown pieces visible.

Once the beef is mostly browned, add onions, ginger-garlic paste, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Mix well and cook for 5–8 minutes until aromatic.

Ground beef cooking in a pan with diced red and white onions and spices, partially browned.

Ground beef and diced red onions cooking in a pan with ginger-garlic paste and spices for Yemeni beef martabak filling.

Ground beef and diced onions browning in a dark pan with a wooden spoon breaking up meat chunks.

Create a well in the center of the pan, add tomato paste, and cook it briefly before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.

Tomato paste being mixed into browned ground beef with spices in a pan for Yemeni beef martabak filling.

Wooden spoon stirring cooked ground beef with tomato paste in a dark skillet during beef martabak preparation.

Add diced tomatoes and cook gently for 4–5 minutes until softened.

Ground beef cooked with diced tomatoes in a dark pan, showing the tomato pieces being incorporated into the meat mixture.

Cooked ground beef mixture with tomatoes and spices on a wooden spoon held over a pan.

Stir in scallions, taste, and adjust seasoning. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Ground beef filling with diced tomatoes and green scallions cooking in a dark pan with a wooden spoon.

Cooked ground beef mixture with diced tomatoes and green scallions on a fork over a skillet.

Assembling & Cooking the Martabak

Divide the dough to 4 equal portions and form the dough portions to smooth balls (see video for technique).

Hand holding a smooth, round ball of dough for martabak preparation.

Hand flattening a ball of dough on a dark surface for martabak preparation.

Spray each portion with oil and then flatten each portion using a rolling pin into thin, large squares. Roll as thin as possible without tearing the dough.

Hand flattening dough portions into thin, oval sheets on dark surface for martabak filling.

Hands flattening dough portions into thin squares with a rolling pin for martabak preparation.

Place ¼ of the meat filling in the center of each square. Spread the filling in a thin layer, leaving a 2–2½ inch gap from the edges.

Beef martabak squares with meat filling spread on thin dough before folding, rolling pin nearby.

Seasoned ground beef filling spread in a thin layer on a white dough square, ready to be folded.

Fold the edges over the filling, starting with opposite sides, to create a sealed packet.

Beef filling spread on a pastry square with edges folded partway over to create a sealed packet.

Hands folding edges of pastry square over beef filling to create a sealed martabak packet.

Heat oil in a cast iron or nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the martabak seam-side up and cook until the first side is golden brown.

Golden-brown martabak cooking in a cast iron pan, showing the crispy first side being prepared.

Hand flattening folded beef martabak dough on a dark cast iron pan before cooking.

Flip and cook the other side. Spray more oil as needed for extra crispiness.

Hand pressing down on a golden-brown martabak on a dark cast iron skillet during cooking.

Golden-brown beef martabak being flipped in a dark cast iron pan with a metal spatula.

Golden-brown beef martabak cooking in a cast iron pan, being flipped with fingers visible above.

Golden brown beef martabak cooking on a cast iron pan, seam-side up during the first stage of frying.

Slice the martabak into small square pieces and serve hot with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.

Slicing cooked beef martabak into square pieces with a knife on a white surface.

Hand holding a square piece of crispy golden-brown beef martabak with visible filling inside.

Tips for This Juicy and Delicious Murtabak Recipe

Ensure that you achieve a soft and not sticky consistency while kneading the dough. This will make the rolling process much easier and result in a softer bread overall! Also, don’t forget to allow the kneaded dough to rest for at least 15 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
Make sure to cool the meat filling down to room temperature before assembling the martabak.
I used a tava pan since this is my favourite for making stuffed flatbreads, such as parathas! However, if you don’t have a tava pan, then that’s not a problem at all! You can swap for a cast iron pan or you can use non-stick pan. However, if you’re using a regular non-stick pan, be sure to cook on medium heat to avoid damaging the non-stick coating.
You can use tongs to flip the martabaks while cooking if you don’t have a fish spatula.
Use clarified butter or oil to brush the martabak while it is cooking to get additional crispness and even browning all over.
Place the cooked martabaks on a wire rack when they has finished cooking to keep them crispy and prevent them from getting soggy as you cook the remaining martabaks.

Cooked beef martabak cooling on a wire rack, golden-brown with crispy edges and even browning.

Variations of Martabak

Protein: I really wanted to make a beef filling here because I simply adore beef fillings stuffed in bread! However, you could replace the ground beef with ground chicken, which is also a popular martabak variation in Yemen. Ground lamb or mutton are also popular choices. You could do ground pork, but it is a less common variation in Yemen.
Egg: It is common that the martabak filling is made with beef and egg. You could also make an egg-only filling!
Cheese: Add cheese to the beef filling, an egg filling, or just with vegetables!
Vegetables: The vegetables I chose here were green onions, red onions and tomatoes, as these are the most commonly used vegetables in authentic martabak. However, other popular choices include bell peppers or even potatoes. Some variations also substitute the green onions for leeks.

Golden-brown beef martabak pieces arranged on a white plate, showing crispy pastry exterior with visible filling.

How to Store Beef Martabak

Storing Dough

If you’ve made too much martabak dough, then cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. Make sure to use the dough within 2-3 days because the longer the dough stays in the fridge, the darker and harder it becomes.
If using refrigerated dough to make Yemeni Martabak, allow the dough to come up to room temperature before using by letting it thaw for one hour. Doing this makes the dough pliable and ensures that you have an easy kneading process!

Storing Extra Beef Filling

If there is extra beef filling, then place it an airtight container in the refrigerator. The beef filling should stay good in the fridge for about 4 days, depending on how fresh your ground beef was at the time of cooking. You can make more martabak with the filling or use it in something else, such as serving with rice!

Storing Cooked Martabak

Wrap the cooked Yemeni martabak in a moist kitchen towel and transfer in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Eat the cooked martabak within 3 to 4 days.
You can easily reheat the martabak! The easiest way is certainly the microwave, but I recommend you heat them over a hot tava to preserve the crispiness of the bread while still being warmed through!

Freezing Cooked Martabak

You can certainly freeze your Martabaks if you can’t finish them within 4 days. To store in the freezer, ensure to tightly wrap them in aluminum foil, and place in a large Ziploc bag. I would not keep them in the freezer for longer than 4 months because the risk of freezer burn increases.
To reheat your frozen Martabaks, you could defrost them in the fridge overnight, but you can reheat them directly from frozen on a tava pan - it will just take a bit longer than reheating refrigerated parathas.

What to Serve with Martabak?▼

From my research, it appears that it is commonly served with tea, as parathas are served in India! Here are some teas that would pair perfectly well with your Yemeni Martabak:

If you want a cool drink, then a lassi such as a Mango Lassi or Kesar Pista Lassi would do the drink!

Furthermore, I’ve read that for dipping, ketchup is a common choice, which I actually love to do with my parathas! Other delicious dips that would be perfect to serve with your Yemeni Martabak include Mint-Cilantro Chutney, Tamarind Chutney, Tomato Chutney, Toum Garlic Sauce, or even just some plain yogurt.

Hand holding a crispy, golden-brown beef martabak with cinnamon sugar coating over a plate of more pieces.

More Delicious Handheld Snacks!

Can I make martabak ahead of time or freeze it?▼

Yes. You can prep the components ahead — keep the dough and the cooked beef filling separately — and assemble when you're ready. Cooked martabak also freezes well: if you can't finish them within about 4 days, wrap each tightly in foil, pop them in a freezer bag, and reheat when you want one.

Can I use a different meat for martabak?▼

This is a Yemeni beef martabak — lean ground beef cooked with red onion, tomato, ginger-garlic paste and warm spices (turmeric, coriander, cumin and a little cayenne) plus green onions. If you'd prefer, you can swap the beef for ground chicken and vary the vegetables to taste.

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra

Dive into Yemeni Street Food with this Beef Martabak Recipe!

Crispy, golden, and packed with spiced beef filling, Yemeni Martabak is the ultimate street food experience. Make this authentic martabak at home with our easy step-by-step recipe.

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30 min

Prep

50 min

Cook

15 min

Rest

1 hr 35 min

Total

pancakes

hard

Level

Ingredients

Tap any quantity to scale

For the dough

(375 g) all-purpose flourShop →
water, as neededShop →
large egg
(7.5 ml) olive oilShop →
saltShop →

For the filling

(10 ml) olive oilShop →
(227 g) lean ground beef
medium red onion
(8 g) tomato pasteShop →
(8 g) ginger-garlic paste · make your own
large Roma tomato
(1 g) turmericShop →
(3 g) ground corianderShop →
(2 g) ground cuminShop →
(1 g) ground black pepperShop →
(3 g) cayenne pepperShop →
(16 g) green onions
salt to tasteShop →

Instructions

For the dough

1
In a large bowl, combine flour, egg, salt, olive oil, and ½ cup water. Mix to form a soft, smooth dough, adding more water if needed.
In a large bowl, combine flour, egg, salt, olive oil, and ½ cup water. Mix to form a soft, smooth dough, adding more water if needed.
2
Knead until the dough comes together into a ball, then stretch and fold it until smooth and pliable.
Knead until the dough comes together into a ball, then stretch and fold it until smooth and pliable.
3
Coat the dough with a thin layer of olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Coat the dough with a thin layer of olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

For the filling

1
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add olive oil.
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add olive oil.
2
Add ground beef and break up any large chunks with a wooden spoon.
Add ground beef and break up any large chunks with a wooden spoon.
3
Once the beef is mostly browned, add onions, ginger-garlic paste, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder. Mix well and cook for 5–8 minutes until aromatic.
Once the beef is mostly browned, add onions, ginger-garlic paste, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder. Mix well and cook for 5–8 minutes until aromatic.
4
Create a well in the center of the pan, add tomato paste, and cook it briefly before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.
Create a well in the center of the pan, add tomato paste, and cook it briefly before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.
5
Add diced tomatoes and cook gently for 4–5 minutes until softened.
Add diced tomatoes and cook gently for 4–5 minutes until softened.
6
Stir in scallions, taste, and adjust seasoning. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Stir in scallions, taste, and adjust seasoning. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

To Assemble and Cook the Martabak

1
Divide the dough to 4 equal portions and form the dough portions to smooth balls (see video for technique).
Divide the dough to 4 equal portions and form the dough portions to smooth balls (see video for technique).
2
Spray each portion with oil and then flatten each portion using a rolling pin into thin, large squares. Roll as thin as possible without tearing the dough.
Spray each portion with oil and then flatten each portion using a rolling pin into thin, large squares. Roll as thin as possible without tearing the dough.
3
Place ¼ of the meat filling in the center of each square. Spread the filling in a thin layer, leaving a 2–2½ inch gap from the edges.
Place ¼ of the meat filling in the center of each square. Spread the filling in a thin layer, leaving a 2–2½ inch gap from the edges.
4
Fold the edges over the filling, starting with opposite sides, to create a sealed packet.
Fold the edges over the filling, starting with opposite sides, to create a sealed packet.
5
Heat oil in a cast iron or nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the martabak seam-side up and cook until the first side is golden brown. Flip and cook the other side. Spray more oil as needed for extra crispiness.
Heat oil in a cast iron or nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the martabak seam-side up and cook until the first side is golden brown. Flip and cook the other side. Spray more oil as needed for extra crispiness.
6
Slice the martabak into small square pieces and serve hot with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.
Slice the martabak into small square pieces and serve hot with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.

Nutrition per serving

609

Calories

25g

Protein

79g

Carbs

21g

Fat

Fiber

Sugar

834mg

Sodium

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Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen

Why You’ll Love This Beef Martabak Recipe

Equipment Needed to Make Beef Martabak