Hortobágyi Palacsinta Hungarian Crepes (Printable Version)

Savory stuffed crepes with spiced meat filling baked under creamy sauce

# What You Need:

→ For the Crepes

01 - 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1½ cups (360 ml) whole milk
04 - 2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter, melted
05 - ¼ tsp salt
06 - Butter or oil for frying

→ For the Meat Filling

07 - 1 lb (450 g) ground veal or pork (or a mix)
08 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 2 tbsp (30 ml) sunflower oil or vegetable oil
11 - 1½ tbsp (15 g) sweet Hungarian paprika
12 - 1 tsp (5 g) tomato paste
13 - ½ cup (120 ml) low-sodium chicken or beef broth
14 - ½ tsp salt
15 - ¼ tsp black pepper
16 - 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh parsley

→ For the Sauce

17 - ¾ cup (180 ml) sour cream
18 - 1 tbsp (8 g) all-purpose flour
19 - ½ cup (120 ml) strained pan juices from the filling or broth

# How to Make It:

01 - Whisk together flour, eggs, milk, melted butter, and salt in a bowl until smooth and lump-free. Let batter rest for 10 minutes.
02 - Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush lightly with butter or oil. Pour a small ladleful of batter, swirling to coat the pan thinly. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the edge lifts, then flip and cook 30 seconds on the other side. Repeat until you have 8 crepes, stacking with parchment in between.
03 - Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until translucent, about 3–4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
04 - Stir in ground meat and cook, breaking up lumps, until browned. Sprinkle with paprika and mix well.
05 - Add tomato paste, salt, pepper, and broth. Simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes, until most liquid evaporates. Stir in parsley. Strain the filling, reserving the pan juices for the sauce. Cool slightly.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place a crepe on a work surface, add 2–3 tablespoons of filling along the lower third, fold in the sides, and roll up. Repeat with remaining crepes and filling. Arrange filled crepes seam-side down in a lightly greased baking dish.
07 - Whisk flour into sour cream until smooth. Stir in reserved pan juices or broth. Pour sauce evenly over crepes.
08 - Bake uncovered for 15–20 minutes, until heated through and sauce is bubbling. Garnish with extra parsley if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything gets rolled up into neat packages, so people think you worked harder than you actually did
  • The paprika-spiced filling brings this incredible warmth that feels like a hug on a plate
  • You can assemble them ahead of time and just bake when guests arrive
02 -
  • I forgot to strain the filling once and ended up with chunky sauce that nobody wanted to eat
  • Letting the crepe batter rest is non-negotiable unless you want torn, frustrating crepes
  • The filling must cool slightly before rolling, or you will burn your fingers every single time
03 -
  • Use a crepe pan if you have one, but any good nonstick skillet works perfectly well
  • Warm your milk slightly before making the batter, it incorporates much more easily
  • If your sauce seems too thick, add more broth one tablespoon at a time

Go Back