Gozleme (Crispy Stuffed Flatbreads) - Budget Dinners

Gozleme (Crispy Stuffed Flatbreads)

This homemade gozleme is thin, crispy, packed with flavour, and made using simple pantry staples. It’s one of those budget meals that keeps on giving—great for dinner, with leftovers perfect for lunch or even breakfast with a fried egg on top. With the cost of living in NZ through the roof, this one proves you can eat well without spending big. Let’s make those pennies count!

Serves: 2–3 (with leftovers)
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Special Equipment: Large non-stick pan

Let’s learn how to make it.

This budget-friendly Turkish-inspired flatbread is made from scratch, stuffed with spiced mince and spinach, and pan-fried until golden. It’s satisfying, and extremely versatile. You can use whatever veggies, spices or mince you have—and it’s still delicious.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 375g plain flour

• 60–80ml olive oil (or vegetable oil)

• 185ml lukewarm water

• ½ tsp salt

For the filling:

• 350g mince (I used half beef, half pork)

• ½ onion, diced

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• 100g frozen spinach (defrosted and squeezed dry)

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp chilli flakes

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• Salt and pepper

To serve:

• Leftover Asian slaw (or any salad or dipping sauce you like)

Method

1. Make the dough
   In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add in the oil and water, then knead into a smooth dough (about 5 minutes). Cover and rest while you make the filling.

2. Make the filling
   In a pan, sauté the onion until soft. Add in the mince and cook until browned. Stir in garlic, spices, and season with salt and pepper. Add the spinach and cook everything together for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool.

3. Assemble the gozleme
   Divide the dough depending on your pan size (I made 2 large ones, but you can cut into 8 pieces to make 4 smaller ones). Roll out thinly, add filling to one half, then fold over and seal the edge with a touch of water. Press flat.

4. Cook the gozleme
   In a large dry pan over low-medium heat, cook each gozleme for about 5 minutes per side until golden and crisp.

5. Serve hot
   Plate up while still warm, with some slaw or salad on the side. Great as a meal or a grab-and-go snack.

Enjoy

Del x

Looking for more cheap dinner ideas that actually taste good? Check out my Asian Rissoles recipe here  or Gnocchi Bolognese all part of this 3 dinners for under $50.

If you also are looking for the shopping list you can find it here!