Potato Babka with Ground Meat — A Cozy Oven-Baked Delight

Whenever I’m craving something homey and comforting, I reach for my trusty Potato Babka recipe. It’s the kind of dish that doesn’t require a trip to the store for fancy ingredients, yet it feels like a complete meal on the table, not just a quick bite.

This dish is perfect for family dinners. The aroma wafting from the kitchen is enough to gather everyone around, and when you pull it out of the oven, you know it belongs at the center of the table. It’s easy to slice, holds its shape, and is hearty without being heavy — a frequent request at our house.

Potato Babka with Ground Meat

350kcal

5 з 1 голосувати

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Prep 30 minutes mins

Cook 1 hour hr

Total 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Potato Babka is a delicious and hearty Ukrainian dish that combines simple ingredients with exceptional flavor. It's a fantastic choice for a family dinner.

Servings 4

Course Hot dish

Cuisine Ukrainian

Ingredients

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main ingredients

• ▢ 1 kg potatoes Choose starchy varieties.
• ▢ 2 pcs eggs Fresh eggs add tenderness.
• ▢ 2 pcs onions Adds aroma to the dish.
• ▢ 300 g meat (pork or beef) Ground.
• ▢ 2 tbsp vegetable oil For greasing the dish.

seasonings

• ▢ to taste salt Don't forget the salt.
• ▢ to taste black pepper Use ground or whole.

Equipment

• ▢
  Сковорода
• ▢
  Миска
• ▢
  Тертка
• ▢
  Форма для запікання
• ▢
  Лопатка

Method

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preparation

1. Peel the potatoes and grate them using a large grater.
2. Chop the onions and sauté in a pan until golden.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste, and mix thoroughly.
4. In a large bowl, combine the grated potatoes, onions, meat, and eggs. You can also layer them: potatoes on the top and bottom, with the meat and onions in the middle.
5. Grease a baking dish with oil and spread the mixture evenly.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 60 minutes.

serving

1. Let it cool for 10 minutes after baking, then cut into portions.

Nutrition

Calories350kcalCarbohydrates45gProtein18gFat10g

Notes

It's best to grate the potatoes on a medium grater, not too fine, to avoid a dense and heavy texture.

I like to squeeze some of the juice out of the grated potatoes, but not too much. If the mixture is too watery, the babka won't hold its shape well, but if it's too dry, it will be too dense.

Lightly browning the ground meat with onions beforehand makes the filling more juicy and flavorful, rather than boiled inside.

Don't skimp on butter or sour cream if you include it in the recipe. They add the tenderness that makes this dish so beloved.

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If you’re looking for even more ideas for what to cook after a long workday, check out our collection of dinner recipes.

When preparing potato babka, not only the recipe but also the right baking dish plays a crucial role. The material and shape of the baking pan affect how evenly the dish cooks and whether you’ll achieve a delicious crust without drying out. You can find detailed tips and comparisons of different options in a separate article about choosing baking dishes for potatoes.

Potato babka is one of those dishes that always come to the rescue. When you don’t feel like thinking too hard about the menu but want to eat something satisfying instead of just “grabbing a snack.”

I often prepare it for several days at once. It reheats well, doesn’t lose its quality the next day, and easily substitutes for both lunch and dinner. For me, it’s one of the most convenient homemade meals.

Such recipes are usually not searched for online on a weekly basis—they’re passed down between people. From mom, from grandma, from a friend, from a neighbor. And each time they vary slightly, but the essence remains the same.

I love that potato babka doesn’t try to look “trendy.” It simply exists. Hearty, straightforward, without unnecessary embellishments. And that’s why people keep coming back to it.