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.
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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 sautéed 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, you 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, make the mixture to stick the phyllo sheets together. Mix yogurt, eggs and oil together until smooth.
Second, 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.
Third, assemble. 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. Repeat this for 6 phyllo sheets. After spreading yogurt sauce on the 6th sheet, put the filling evenly on its top. Continue placing the remaining sheets, spreading yogurt sauce on each one. After placing the last sheet, spread the remaining wet mixture over the top.
Slice it in squares. Sprinkle nigella seeds and bake until golden.
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
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📖 Recipe
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: 6 1x
- Category: Pastry
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Turkish
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For The Yogurt Sauce:
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups yogurt
- ¼ cup olive oil
For The Filling:
- 2 cups spinach, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- 3 green onions, chopped
- ½ cup grated mozzarella
- ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For Borek:
- 12 phyllo sheets
- 2 tablespoons nigella seeds
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt and olive oil. Put it aside.
- In another bowl, combine spinach, dill, parsley, green onions, cheeses, olive oil, salt and pepper. Put it aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
- Cut the phyllo sheets so that they fit in your baking pan.
- Cover them with a damp kitchen towel. Keep the remaining filo sheets under it every time you take one. This will prevent the sheets from drying out.
- Line the first phyllo sheet in a greased pan. Using a brush, spread 2-3 tablespoon yogurt mixture on it. Fold the edges to the center. It doesn't have to look perfect.
- Place the second phyllo sheet in the same way. Brush with the mixture. Repeat this for 6 phyllo sheets in total.
- Spread the filling evenly on the top of the 6th phyllo sheet.
- Place the 7th phyllo sheet over the filling, brush with the mixture. Fold the edges and repeat these steps for the remaining sheets.
- Finally, pour the rest of the egg and yogurt mixture on the top and spread it evenly. If you think it is too much for your baking pan, use half of it.
- Slice the borek in squares and sprinkle nigella seeds over it.
- Bake it for 35-40 minutes or until golden.
- Remove it from the oven and let it cool for 10-15 min.
Notes
- Cut the phyllo sheets so that they fit in the baking pan.
- Make sure to cover the remaining sheets with a damp kitchen towel after you take one.
- We use 12 filo sheets, but you can increase or decrease this number depending on how thick or thin you want your borek to be.
- It is easier to slice when baked if you slice it before baking.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- You can eat this borek cold, at room temperature or warm.
- You can reheat it in a pan on the stove or in the oven for a few min.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 66
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 76.8 mg
- Fat: 5.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.1 g
- Protein: 2.3 g
- Cholesterol: 33 mg
Keywords: turkish borek, turkish borek recipe, borek
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.