TURKISH BOREK RECIPE WITH CHEESE AND HERBS

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.

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 will 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.

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.

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. 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 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 4 6 years ago. Thank you so much  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.

Author: ZerrinPrep | Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Yield: 25 slices | 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

1. Combine all the ingredients for the filling and put it aside.
2. Mix eggs, yogurt and olive oil. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Slice the borek in squares and sprinkle with nigella seeds.
7. Bake it for 40-45 minutes or until its top is golden.
8. Remove it from the oven and cover it with a large clean towel and let it cool. This will keep your borek remain tender.

  Nutrition Facts

 Serving Size 1 slice
Serves 25

Amount Per Serving
Calories 66
                                          % Daily Value*
Total Fat 5.1g 8%
Cholesterol 33mg 11%
Sodium 76.8mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 3.1g 1%
Sugars 0.2g
Protein 2.3g 5%

Vitamin A 1%
Vitamin C 1%