Easy Potato Phyllo Pie (Krompiruša)
Recipe Highlights
This traditional Balkan potato pie (krompiruša, also known as pita od krompira, or posna pita sa krompirom) is a hearty, flaky homemade potato phyllo (also spelt filo) pastry pie filled with seasoned potatoes. It’s easier to make than you think, and the perfect dish for the whole family to enjoy. Potatoes and onions are wrapped in golden pastry and baked until crispy; it’s comfort food at its finest.
Inspiration
I’ve always loved the potato variety of burek, especially since becoming vegan over a decade ago. It became my go-to savory option when my dad would order burek from local makers. There’s something so satisfying about that combination of crispy phyllo dough and well-seasoned potato filling that makes this dish feel like a warm hug. The addition of onions gives it a sweetness.
They would typically make the pastry from scratch, but honestly, it’s a time-consuming process, and in my opinion, this version is just as delicious. You would also need a large surface area to stretch the dough, and you’d treat it a little differently compared to the store-bought kind.
When I was watching videos on the best way to make it and gain some tips from the Balkan region, I came across this video that gave me some great suggestions. Specifically, how to quickly cut the potatoes, first add the oil to the potatoes so they don’t extract liquid when salt is added, and to only oil one sheet of phyllo for speedy assembly – brilliant! I love learning new techniques and handy tips from others to implement in my own kitchen and share them with you.
Ingredients
Step by Step
Variations
- Shape options: Instead of the traditional spiral (snail) shape, you can keep the filled phyllo (filo) sheets as logs and line them in a rectangular baking dish for easier handling.
- Serving style: For easy transport, let the pie cool and firm up, then transfer to a clean pizza box and slice. We asked our local pizza shop if they could spare one the last time we ordered pizza from them. They were more than happy to give it to us. It’s the perfect way to take it to potlucks or gatherings!
Storage
- Leftovers: Store leftover potato pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or at room temperature for a day.
- Reheating: Reheat in the oven at 350°F / 175°C for 10-15 minutes to restore crispiness and slightly warm through.
- Bake later: The pie can also be assembled and refrigerated overnight before baking. Just add the sparkling mineral water once you go to bake it.
Serving Ideas
- It’s traditionally served with sour cream or yogurt on the side.
- For an authentic Balkan experience, try it with ajvar (a pepper and eggplant relish) if you can find it. The tangy accompaniments balance the rich, savory filling beautifully. We can get it in any major supermarket here, so it’s pretty accessible.
- A crispy cucumber salad to freshen up and balance the dish. Thinly slice the cucumber, and season with salt, pepper, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar. Super simple!
- Our Caprese salad is a great option as well. Ideal in the summertime when tomatoes are at their peak.
- A simple cabbage salad, for textural variance and crunch. A great option if you’re making this in winter.
- Lastly, you can’t go wrong with pickled cucumbers. Gherkins (cornichons) add a great crunch and tang to the potato pie meal.
Great as a main dish for lunch or dinner, or cut into smaller pieces as an appetizer for gatherings. It would also make a great addition to a kid’s (or adults’) lunchbox!
Tips
- Potato variety: Choosing the right potato variety is important; otherwise, the pita will be dry if you use a floury potato. I tried this, and I noticed a big difference. Choose instead an all-round potato or a waxy potato. I have tried it with a King Edward (dry and floury), and Dutch Cream (a waxy variety). The difference is significant in the outcome of the dish.
- Sparkling mineral water: The use of mineral water helps to act like baking powder would, making the crust moist. It puffs the dough, making it nice and airy. Please don’t use normal water in its place. It will come out dense and heavy.
- Moisture: Dry the potatoes once peeled so you’re not adding extra moisture to the filling.
- Save time: To cut the potatoes quickly, cut them like you would an onion. You want them in small cubes and cut evenly so they bake at the same rate.
- Crucial cooling time: It’s best to let it cool for at least 20-30 minutes for it to firm and set; otherwise, the pastry will be a little soft and hard to keep together when cutting and taking a piece.
So Many Use Cases
This recipe works for so many different situations:
- Potlucks and community gatherings – feed a crowd on a tiny budget
- Family dinners – can be made ahead and reheated
- Birthday parties – kid-friendly and impressive looking
- Packed lunches – travels well and tastes great cold
- Meal prep – make on Sunday, enjoy all week
- Holiday contributions – when you need to bring something substantial
- Picnics – no reheating required, perfect for outdoor eating
Other phyllo (filo) recipes you’ll love
I’ve made a few recipes using phyllo dough over the years. Here’s a list of the other recipes you can try using this great base.
Sweet:
Savory:
- Gibanica Recipe (Serbian Cheese Pie)
- Spinach Pie with ‘Ricotta’ (Burek)
- Festive Phyllo Bundt with Mushrooms, Sage and Cranberries
Easy Potato Phyllo Pie (Krompiruša)
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Rest Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 slices
Description
This authentic Balkan potato phyllo pie (aka burek od krompira or krompiruša) features layers of flaky phyllo pastry wrapped around perfectly seasoned potatoes and onions. The sparkling mineral water creates an incredibly light, airy crust. Perfect for sharing with friends, as a packed lunch, or enjoyed with your family.
Ingredients
Filling:
- 1.2 kg / 2.65 pounds waxy potatoes* (like Dutch Cream – avoid floury varieties)
- 2 small (or 1 large) yellow/brown onions
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Assembly:
- 12 sheets of phyllo (filo) pastry
- ¼ cup / 45ml olive oil
- ¾ cup / 165ml sparkling mineral water*
Instructions
- Prepare the filling: Peel and wash the potatoes, and cut them into small cubes. The easiest way is to treat them like they’re onions. This will ensure that they bake evenly.
- Combine vegetables: Chop the onions and add them to a large bowl with the potatoes. Toss well with the 3 tablespoons of oil first, then add the salt (2 teaspoons), stock powder (1 teaspoon), and black pepper (½ teaspoon). Mix well. (Adding oil before salt helps reduce moisture extraction.)
- Make oil-water mixture: In a small bowl, combine the ¼ cup olive oil and ⅓ cup / 70ml normal water, stirring well to incorporate.
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Prepare phyllo: Roll out the phyllo pastry, taking two sheets of phyllo pastry. Using a pastry brush, brush the top sheet liberally with the oil-water mixture.
- Add filling: Place about 5-6 tablespoons of the potato mixture along the bottom of the phyllo sheets, leaving a small space for rolling.
- Roll: Roll the dough gently into a log. You don’t have to roll the edges in – keep them open.
- Shape: Transfer the roll to an oiled, large round baking dish (mine was 30cm / 11.81 inches) and fold it into a snail shape. It’s okay if it breaks, just make sure it’s snug in the dish.
- Repeat: Continue until all the potato mixture has been used, creating a spiral pattern in the dish.
- Add sparkling mineral water: Pour the sparkling mineral water over the assembled pie, ensuring you cover as much of the dough as possible.
- Bake: Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the dough is golden brown. When removed from the oven, cover with a tea towel and let sit for 20-30 minutes before serving. This will help it set and cool enough so it can be sliced without falling apart.
Notes
Potato variety: Choosing the right potato variety is important; otherwise, the pita will be dry if you use a floury potato. Choose instead an all-round potato or ideally a waxy potato like Dutch Cream. The difference is significant in the outcome of the dish.
Sparkling mineral water: The use of sparkling mineral water helps to act like baking powder would, making the crust moist. It puffs the dough, making it nice and airy. Please don’t use normal water in its place – it will come out dense and heavy.
Cooling time: It’s best to let it cool for at least 20-30 minutes for it to firm and set; otherwise, the pastry will be a little soft and hard to keep together when cutting and taking a piece. Cover with a tea towel so that the top phyllo doesn’t dry out.
Leftovers: Store leftover potato pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or at room temperature for a day.
Reheating: Reheat in the oven at 350°F / 175°C for 10-15 minutes to restore crispiness and to slightly warm through.
Bake later: The pie can also be assembled and refrigerated overnight before baking. Just add the sparkling mineral water once you’re ready to bake it.
This is really good! The water changes the texture of the pastry and unlike many filo recipes loads of butter or oil was not needed. Thank you for the inspiration!
Thank you, James! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
May I ask for a bit of clarity on what you mean by “mineral water”? In the countries I’ve lived in, the phrase refers to bottled water as opposed to tap water, but I’m not sure the differences between tap and bottled water are consistent enough to be what you have in mind. It looks like there might be bubbles in the water in your photo. Is it possible that you are referring to sparkling bottled water? Or even sparkling water in general? Thank you for clarifying! Really looking forward to trying your recipe.
Hi Fab, thanks for your question. You’re correct, I’m not referring to plain bottled water (flat water). There needs to be some carbonation in it to help with the desired outcome. As I mentioned in the post, this will help to puff the dough to give it lift and make it airy. Enjoy!