Turkish Borek with Cheese and Herbs is the best savory pie you can ever have in your life time. Flaky, tender and filling, these make perfect savory snacks.
You might have noticed that I’ve been posting our favorite dishes from Turkish cuisine. After posting homemade Turkish meatballs and Turkish potato salad, it’s time to share a good Turkish borek recipe with you. Filled with a mixture of cheese and herbs, this Turkish dish borek is a wonderful vegetarian snack too.
Also see the world-famous Turkish sweet snack lokum recipe on our blog!
What Is Turkish Borek
You can find borek in every pastry shop but personally I love the homemade version best. Turkish grandmas are known as masters of borek because they even make the phyllo sheets themselves. It is really common in Turkey to have breakfast at a borek bakery shop with a glass of Turkish Tea on the way to work. Also, it is almost a staple at afternoon tea parties or make a great lunch when accompanied by ayran. No idea what it is? It's a super refreshing drink made from yogurt. Go check our How To Make Ayran post out to learn more about it!
Borek in Turkish cuisine can be considered as a savory pie, but thanks to phyllo sheets, much lighter than it. It has several types and shapes, but the method is basically the same: Phyllo sheets are filled with a filling you like and either fried as in Turkish Sigara Borek or baked. You can get creative about the filling. Some examples are spinach, cheese, lentils, mashed potatoes with herbs and spices, shredded chicken, ground beef or even sautéd leek. Among all these, I guess Turkish spinach and cheese borek recipe has a special place for everyone because it is the snack of their childhood.
Here in this post, I'll be sharing the most common type of Turkish borek. It is layered with super thin phyllo sheets that are sticked one another with a mixture of yogurt, eggs and olive oil. The filling is spread in the middle of layers and the remaining yogurt mixture is generously spread over the top. We mostly sprinkle nigella seeds on the top, but sesame seeds are okay too.
If you like vegetarian pastries like this one, ypu might want to see our vegetarian quiche recipe too.
What are phyllo sheets?
In Turkey, there are small shops where local women make and sell phyllo sheets called yufka in Turkish. These shops are the best place to buy phyllo sheets as they are wonderfully thin and always fresh there. They are made only with 3 ingredients; flour, water and salt but it’s not easy to make them that thin at home. You really need to be skillful for that. If you want to try a Turkish borek recipe, look for Turkish yufka or Turkish phyllo sheets in Middle Eastern markets or online stores. If they are frozen, bring them to room temperature first and then start making your borek.
On the other hand, if you are really interested in making it at home, check out the Homemade Phyllo Recipe on Turkish Style Cooking and give it a try.
Borek Fillings
My favorite filling is a mixture of cheese and herbs like parsley, fresh dill and green onions but you can use whatever you like. Ground beef sautéd with onion, boiled and mashed potatoes or other vegetables like spinach, leek or zucchini make great borek fillings too. Check out our Potato Borek Recipe!
Unlike the cheese filling, you need to cook those fillings before spreading on the sheets. You can even use chicken in borek as in this amazing chicken borek called Cullama which was generously made and photographed by one of my favorite bloggers Ilke when I was about to deliver my son nearly 6 years ago. Thank you so much Ilke for your help! Will never forget it!
How To Make Turkish Borek Recipe
It is really easy to make when you don't have to make phyllo sheets at home. The recipe has three main parts:
First, prepare the filling. In this recipe it is: cheese and herbs. So we don't need any cooking. Just combine cheeses and herbs together. However, if you'd like to make a filling with beef, chicken or vegetables, you will have to cook the filling first and then let it cool.
Second, make the mixture to stick the phyllo sheets together. Mix yogurt, eggs and oil together until smooth.
Third, place the first phyllo sheet in a baking sheet. Spread the wet mixture on it using a brush. Place the second phyllo and brush it with the wet mixture as well. Spread the filling over it and place another phyllo on it. Brush it with the wet mixture and repeat it for the last phyllo sheet. Spread the remaining wet mixture over the top and slice it in squares. Sprinkle nigella seeds and bake until the top gets golden.
Please check out the recipe instructions below for details.
If you have any ideas about traditional Turkish breakfast, you know how big and rich it is. Borek is one of the best breakfast foods. Moms always make a kind of borek in the morning of a special occasion. What's more, Turkish borek freezes well too. As a working mom, I love the idea of making a big baking sheet of borek, put it sliced in the refrigerator and heat in the morning for a quick breakfast.
Other Turkish Recipes
- Easy Walnut Baklava Recipe With Phyllo
- Turkish Manti Food
- Turkish Poğaça Recipe
- Kusbasili Pide Recipe
- Turkish Bread Simit
Turkish Borek with Cheese and Herbs
A wonderful savory pie layered with super thin phyllo sheets, cheese and herbs. Each phyllo sheet is brushed with an egg, yogurt and olive oil mixture so that they stick together and have a tender result.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 25 slices 1x
- Category: Pastry
- Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients
- 4 phyllo sheets
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups yogurt
- ¼ cup tablespoons olive oil
For the Filling:
- ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup parmesan or any cheese you love
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2 leeks, chopped
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
- For the Topping:
- 2 tablespoons nigella seeds
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for the filling and put it aside.
- Mix eggs, yogurt and olive oil. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
- Slightly grease a baking sheet (mine is 14X16 inches). Layer the first phyllo sheet in the baking sheet in a way that the sides are overhanging. Brush its top roughly with the egg and yogurt mixture. Tear the overhanging parts and just place them on the phyllo sheet that is brushed with the mixture so that they cover the first layer as much as they can. They don’t have to be perfect. Brush the top of torn phyllo sheet pieces with the mixture. Place the second phyllo sheet in the same way. Brush with the mixture. Torn its overhanging pieces, place them on the top and brush with the mixture.
- Spread the filling evenly on the top of this layer. Place the third phyllo sheet over the filling, brush with the mixture. Tear the overhanging pieces, place on the third layer. Brush with the mixture. Finally, place the fourth phyllo sheet and brush with the mixture. Tear the overhanging pieces, place them on the last layer and drizzle all the rest of the egg and yogurt mixture on the top. Spread it evenly using a brush.
- Slice the borek in squares and sprinkle with nigella seeds.
- Bake it for 40-45 minutes or until its top is golden.
- Remove it from the oven and cover it with a large clean towel and let it cool. This will keep your borek remain tender.
Keywords: turkish borek, turkish borek recipe
Jenny says
These are the best picnic foods ever! I made them yesterday for our picnic today and they were a hit! Thanks!
★★★★★
Dean Caraway says
I lived in Turkey for four years and our maid made Borek for us the filling was a grond lamb browned with onions,parsley, and she would smell all of the spices we had and put in what she liked. The mixture was then put in a square piece of filo and rolled up like a egg roll and deep fried. I still make it today and everyone that i have made it for loves it. I use egg roll rapers now they are easier and do not dry up as fast.
Maria says
We have choice of phyllo dough thickness in our area Russian supermarket. Do you prefer thicker or thinner for your cheese herb boreg made in tray?
Zerrin says
Hi Maria! The ones I use for borek are really thin. However, we also have phyllo sheets for baklava at the supermarkets here. They are way thinner than these. We make borek with them as well. So I think you can use either. You can decide which one is better for your taste.
May says
This borek used to be my favorite when I was in Turkey. I made it yesterday and it was exactly the same as the one I used to eat a lot. Will definitely make it again and freeze some. Thanks!
★★★★★
Zerrin says
Hi May! I'm glad you loved it! You can even get creative and make your own version of the filling.
Adina says
Hi Zerrin, I've made the börek last week and it was delicious! I used spinach instead of leeks though and I have already posted the recipe on my blog. 🙂 Thank you for the recipe, I am sure I will make it again with leeks or other spinach again.
Zerrin says
I've just checked your recipe and they look amazing Adina! They make me literally hungry!
Filling it with spinach is a traditional one here too and I'm sure yours taste so good.
Adina says
I have had my share of börek in all the Turkish fast food restaurants in Germany, but none of them ever looked as good as yours. The pictures your husband takes are amazing, I think about that every time I come to your blog. I would love to make this börek soon, it sounds so easy and delicious and looks really impressive.
Zerrin says
You're so sweet Adina! Yusuf will be happy to hear these. I can eat börek for all meals. Hope you try it soon and love it as much as we do.