⏱ Prep: 30 min 🔥Bake: 35–40 min 👤Serves: 8 🌿Vegetarian Turkish
Turkish börek (börek) is layers of thin pastry filled with spinach and feta, baked until the top and bottom are deeply golden and the interior is warm and yielding. It is eaten at breakfast with Turkish tea, as a midday snack from a pastry shop, at gatherings, and at any point in between. It is one of the defining foods of Turkish cuisine and one of those dishes that looks more difficult than it is.
The technique that makes Turkish börek distinct from other phyllo pastries is the binding liquid, a mixture of eggs, yogurt, milk and olive oil brushed between every layer. This is not just an egg wash: it keeps the phyllo from drying out, creates a slightly custardy interior beneath the crispy surface, and holds all the layers together as they bake. The other non-negotiable: the spinach filling must be completely, utterly dry before it goes in. Wet spinach makes soggy börek. Everything else is straightforward.
Ingredients
For the spinach and feta filling
- 500g (1 lb) fresh spinach, or 300g frozen spinach, fully thawed. Fresh spinach: wilt in a dry pan or pour boiling water over it, then squeeze in a tea towel until completely dry. Frozen spinach: squeeze directly through a tea towel until no more water comes out. The filling must be dry, wet spinach produces a soggy börek that falls apart when cut.
- 200g (7oz) feta cheese, crumbled, Turkish beyaz peynir (white cheese) is the authentic choice. Feta is the closest widely available substitute. For a stretchier filling, use half feta and half mozzarella.
- Small bunch fresh dill, finely chopped, the herb that defines Turkish börek. Flat-leaf parsley also works but dill is the more traditional choice for spinach filling.
- 1 egg, binds the filling and helps it hold its shape when cut
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt, taste before adding, feta is already salty
For the binding liquid (sıvı karışım)
- 3 eggs
- 100g (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) full-fat plain yogurt, the yogurt softens the phyllo slightly as it bakes, producing the characteristic yielding interior beneath the crispy surface
- 100ml (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) whole milk
- 80ml (⅓ cup) olive oil, or neutral oil. The oil keeps the layers moist and contributes to the crispy exterior.
- ½ teaspoon salt
For assembly
- 1 packet (400–450g) frozen phyllo dough, fully thawed, or fresh Turkish yufka from a Middle Eastern grocery. Phyllo dough is the most widely available substitute and works excellently. Keep the phyllo sheets under a slightly damp tea towel at all times while working ,phyllo dries and cracks within minutes of exposure to air.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter, for lightly greasing the baking tray
- 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon yogurt, mixed together for the top egg wash. Gives the top a deep, even golden colour.
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and/or nigella seeds, scattered over the top before baking. Standard Turkish börek presentation.
Step by step
- Prepare the filling, make the spinach completely dry. If using fresh spinach: wilt in a dry pan over high heat, stirring until just collapsed. Transfer to a clean tea towel, gather the corners and twist firmly over the sink, squeezing out as much water as possible. Repeat with a second squeeze. The spinach should look dry and dense. If using frozen: thaw completely, then squeeze through a tea towel the same way. Roughly chop the squeezed spinach. Combine in a bowl with crumbled feta, chopped dill, 1 egg and black pepper. Taste, add salt only if needed. Set aside. This step determines whether your börek is crispy and sliceable or a soggy, collapsing mess. Spinach holds an extraordinary amount of water, squeeze firmly, twice if needed, and don’t stop until the tea towel stops getting wet.
- Make the binding liquid. Whisk the 3 eggs, yogurt, milk, olive oil and salt together in a bowl until fully combined and emulsified. This mixture goes between every layer of phyllo, not just on top.
- Set up your workspace. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Lightly oil a 30×20cm (12×8 inch) rectangular baking tray or a 30cm round tray. Open the phyllo and cover immediately with a damp tea towel. Keep it covered throughout assembly, only expose the sheet you are actively working with.
- Layer the base, bottom half of the phyllo. Lay one phyllo sheet in the tray, allowing it to come up the sides slightly. Brush generously with the binding liquid. Lay the next sheet on top and brush again. Continue until you have used half the phyllo sheets (typically 5–6 sheets), brushing every single layer with the binding liquid. Be generous with the binding liquid between layers, don’t ration it. Each layer needs full coverage. If the phyllo is slightly larger than the tray, fold the overhanging edges in, this creates extra-crispy pastry walls at the edges.
- Add the filling. Spread the spinach and feta filling evenly over the layered base. Use the back of a spoon to push it gently into the corners. The layer should be about 1cm thick and completely even.
- Layer the top, remaining phyllo. Lay the remaining phyllo sheets over the filling one at a time, brushing every layer with the binding liquid exactly as you did for the base. Tuck any overhanging pastry down the sides of the tray. Pour any remaining binding liquid evenly over the top layer.
- Score and finish the top. Using a sharp knife, score the top layers of phyllo (not cutting all the way through to the filling) into rectangles or squares, about 8 portions. This allows steam to escape and makes cutting the baked börek much easier. Mix the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon yogurt together and brush generously over the entire top surface. Scatter sesame seeds and/or nigella seeds over. Scoring before baking is important. Phyllo expands and puffs during baking, trying to cut unscored baked börek shatters the top layer into shards. The score lines guide the knife to clean, neat portions.
- Bake. Place on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 35–40 minutes until the top is deeply golden, the edges are crispy and the surface feels firm when lightly pressed. Check at 30 minutes, if the top is browning too fast, cover loosely with foil for the remaining time.
- Rest before cutting. Remove from the oven. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting along the scored lines. The filling firms up slightly as it cools and the portions hold together cleanly. Cut while still warm, not hot, not cold. Serve immediately.
Claire’s note
Two things. First: the damp tea towel over the phyllo is not a suggestion. Phyllo dries out within two to three minutes of being exposed to air, it becomes brittle, cracks when you try to lay it flat, and tears when you brush it. Keep every sheet covered until the moment it goes into the tray. Work fast. Second: leftover börek reheats perfectly. Wrap individual portions in foil and warm in a 180°C oven for 8–10 minutes, the top crisps back up exactly as it was. Do not microwave: the phyllo goes limp and the whole thing becomes sad. Oven only.
Variations
- Cheese only (peynirli börek): Skip the spinach entirely. Use 300g crumbled feta mixed with 1 egg, chopped parsley and black pepper. The simplest version and the most popular with children.
- Meat filling (kıymalı börek): Brown 400g ground beef or lamb with onion, cumin, paprika and black pepper. Cool completely before layering.
- Potato filling: Mashed potato with feta, dill and chili flakes, a hearty, creamy alternative to spinach.
- Kol böreği (spiral/coil style): Instead of layering in a tray, brush 2–3 phyllo sheets with binding liquid and filling in a line along one edge, roll into a long cylinder, then coil into a spiral in a round tray. Produces more caramelised, crispy surface area and a more dramatic presentation.
Serve with
Turkish börek is eaten at breakfast with strong black Turkish tea, the classic pairing throughout Turkey. It also works as a side dish alongside Turkish eggs (çılbır), as part of a mezze spread with hummus and baba ganoush, or served with plain yogurt and a tomato-cucumber salad. The full Mediterranean & Middle East hub have everything alongside.
Add Turkish börek to your weekly meal planner as a weekend bake, it keeps well for 3 days, reheats perfectly in the oven, and makes an excellent packed lunch the next day.
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Turkish Börek
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Layers of thin pastry filled with spinach and feta, baked until golden and crispy, perfect for breakfast or as a snack.
Ingredients
- 500g (1 lb) fresh spinach, or 300g frozen spinach, fully thawed
- 200g (7oz) feta cheese, crumbled
- Small bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt, to taste
- 3 eggs (for binding liquid)
- 100g (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) full-fat plain yogurt
- 100ml (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) whole milk
- 80ml (⅓ cup) olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt (for binding liquid)
- 1 packet (400–450g) frozen phyllo dough, fully thawed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter (for greasing)
- 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon yogurt (for egg wash)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and/or nigella seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the filling: make the spinach completely dry.
- Make the binding liquid by whisking together eggs, yogurt, milk, olive oil, and salt.
- Set up your workspace and preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
- Layer the base of phyllo in the baking tray, brushing each layer with binding liquid.
- Add the spinach and feta filling evenly over the layered base.
- Layer the remaining phyllo sheets over the filling, brushing each with binding liquid.
- Score the top layers into rectangles or squares.
- Brush the top with egg wash and scatter sesame or nigella seeds.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
Notes
Keep phyllo sheets covered with a damp tea towel to prevent drying. Leftover börek reheats perfectly in the oven.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Turkish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
