Jewish Meat Knishes Recipe (2024)

A Jewish meat knish (kuh-NISH) is a baked dumpling filled with meat, potatoes, kasha, sauerkraut, onions or cheese (and lately spinach, sweet potatoes, and other ingredients), that is traditionally baked but sometimes fried. It's similar to a British pasty, Mexican empanada, Russian pirozhki, and an Italian calzone. Since this dough recipe is made with butter, cream cheese, and sour cream, and filled with beef, it would not be considered kosher.

The recipe for the filling was provided by Lloyd Weinstein of Benjie's Deli in Santa Ana, Calif. The knishes can be individually quick frozen on baking sheets and transferred to freezer bags for storage if desired.

Here is a potato knish recipe you might like to try.

“I thought I preferred potato knishes, but that was before I tasted this particular meat version. The addition of pastrami as one of the filling ingredients was absolutely brilliant. It kicked the flavor up to another level. I didn’t have access to a meat grinder, so I pulsed the ingredients in a food processor instead.” —Diana Andrews

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Knish Dough:

8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, more as needed
1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Meat Filling:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 poundsground beef, preferably 80/20
5 ounces pastrami, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

For the Egg Wash:

Steps to Make It

Make the Knish Dough

Gather the ingredients.
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the butter, cream cheese, and sour cream until smooth and well combined, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Add flour and salt and pulse to blend.
Turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap.
Using floured hands, form into a ball and wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Make the Meat Filling

Gather the ingredients.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about 9 minutes.
Drain the mixture of excess fat. Add the pastrami and mix well.
Pass meat through a grinder with the small hole setting. Alternatively, pulse then process the mixture in batches in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until finely chopped, taking care not to over process.
Transfer meat to a large bowl. Let cool to room temperature. Add the salt, garlic powder, and white pepper and mix to combine. Adjust the seasoning to your liking. Add the eggs and mix well to combine.

Assemble the Knishes

Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough on it. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let come to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.
Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness.
Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 3-inch squares. Re-roll any dough scraps until all the dough is used.
Make the egg wash by combining the beaten egg with the water. Brush each square with the egg wash.
Place 1 1/2 tablespoons filling on one of the dough squares.
Stretch the dough over the filling and fold the points to meet in the center, similar to an envelope, pinching the edges closed. Continue with the rest of the dough and filling. (You might not use all the filling.)
Place knishes on the prepared baking sheets and brush with the egg wash.
Bake until knishes are golden brown on the top and bottom, rotating the trays in the oven halfway through baking, about 30 minutes total.

Tips

Serve these meat knishes with some sharp deli-style mustard, which pairs especially well with the pastrami in the filling.
Any leftover filling can be used in omelets and stuffed baked vegetables, stirred into a chili, or eaten in a burrito or taco. Just be sure to cook the filling thoroughly again as it contains raw eggs.

Recipe Variations

Before baking, sprinkle the tops of the knishes with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or even a little flaky salt for a subtle crunch.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
297	Calories
20g	Fat
16g	Carbs
13g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 22to 23
Amount per serving
Calories	297
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g	25%
Saturated Fat 10g	50%
Cholesterol 89mg	30%
Sodium 321mg	14%
Total Carbohydrate 16g	6%
Dietary Fiber 1g	2%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 0mg	2%
Calcium 34mg	3%
Iron 2mg	11%
Potassium 187mg	4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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FAQs

What is Jewish knish? ›

A staple of Jewish cuisine, a knish (pronounced kuh-nish) is a hearty snack of cooked carbohydrates (usually mashed potatoes) wrapped in buttery dough. Knish were brought to the US by European immigrants in need of hearty and affordable meals in their new home.

What are the different types of knishes? ›

Knishes may be round, rectangular, or square. They may be entirely covered in dough or some of the filling may peek out of the top.

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What is the difference between a knish and a pierogi? ›

Knish is a type of pastry, like empanadas and samosas, whereas pierogi are dumplings. Knishes are made with a thin dough, often phyllo dough, while pierogi are made with a thicker, noodle-like dough. Both can be filled with similar savory or sweet fillings like potato, cheese, and spinach.

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What is a New York knish? ›

A bomb of starchy fillings like nutty kasha groats or mashed potato with caramelized onions, wrapped in a thin sheet of dough and baked, the knish is claimed by Russians, Poles, and Ukrainians, and came to New York on the backs of Jewish immigrants.

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What is the crust of a knish made of? ›

Knish dough.

There is nothing fancy or unusual about any of the dough ingredients – mostly pantry staples like flour, eggs, oil, white vinegar, baking powder, and kosher salt – with the one exception of schmaltz, which is rendered chicken fat and has so much great flavor. This is very common addition in Jewish food.

Learn More Now ›

What does the word knish mean in English? ›

knish. noun. kə-ˈnish. : a small round or square piece of dough stuffed with a filling and baked or fried.

What do you eat with knishes? ›

Potato knish is traditionally served with mustard, horseradish, and/or sour cream for dipping. Sauerkraut is also a popular side to enjoy with a knish. Enjoy as a snack or lunch, or serve them as a side dish, maybe with some chicken and vegetables.

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What is the difference between latke and knish? ›

LATKE (pronounced 🙃 LAT-ka) is like a Jewish hash brown. It's also called a potato pancake! 👌Served with sour cream & apple sauce. POTATO KNISH is pastry dough on the outside & 😜mashed potatoes on the inside!

Keep Reading ›

What ethnicity is knish? ›

The word knish is a Yiddish derivative of the Ukrainian word knysh or Polish knysz. Knishes were popular particularly in New York City in the early 20th century, when the recipe appears to have been brought to the United States by Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants.

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What is similar to a knish? ›

Knishes, Cut Open True, both knishes and bourekas (as well as bulemas and, to a degree, boyos) are stuffed pastries. However, most world cuisines feature some sort of stuffed dough. In no order other than what springs to mind: calzones, kubbeh, jiaozi, mantu, kreplach, kutab, samosas and burritos.

How do you cook store bought knishes? ›

To Serve

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
STEP 2: Remove from packaging and place knishes on a baking sheet.
STEP 3: Heat for 10-15 minutes, or until warm throughout, and golden brown.
Knishes can also be heated in a microwave for 3-4 minutes on high.

Find Out More ›

Are gnocchi and dumplings the same thing? ›

While gnocchi are a traditional Italian pasta shape, what makes them distinct is that they use potatoes as the main ingredient. Therefore, they're commonly considered to be a dumpling. Like many dishes in Italian cuisine, gnocchi vary in both name, appearance, and recipe across the regions of lo Stivale.

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What is a coney island knish? ›

One of my earliest notable food experiences was eating potato knishes with my dad in Coney Island. I mean, mashed potatoes in a warm, flaky pastry? This potato fiend will have two, please. Back then, their secret was the copious amounts of chicken fat, aka schmaltz, but here I'll show you how to succeed without it.

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What makes a good knish? ›

While the filling is what makes a knish more appetizing, the perfectly cooked exterior also plays a crucial role in its taste. Once our artisan chefs create the well-balanced filling and stuff them inside the dumplings, they brush the exterior with eggs and bake them to perfection.

How do you eat knishes? ›

There's no wrong way to eat a knish, but we like ours served hot, with a side of good mustard. Enjoy one as an appetizer, midday snack, or served alongside a soup or sandwich.

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What is Jewish pastrami made of? ›

This Jewish Deli is made from a fine brisket; however, you can make it from turkey or lamb as well. Generally, chefs use certain cuts, such as the deckle. It is a lean, wide, and firm shoulder cut for pastrami. Sometimes, they use the navel, juicier and smaller section just below the ribs for pastrami.

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What is a Jewish Shuk? ›

A “shuk” is a vibrant and captivating marketplace that forms the heart and soul of Israel's bustling urban landscapes. This Hebrew word encapsulates not just a place to shop but a cultural and sensory experience that is deeply woven into the fabric of Israeli life.