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    Borek With Meat and Spinach

    November 24, 2021 by Ayla Clulee 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This delicious Borek (or burek) with Meat and Spinach recipe is one of the many traditional Turkish borek recipes. They are made of thin filo pastries filled with a spicy lamb (or beef) & spinach filling. These scrumptious Turkish pastries are an absolute crowd pleaser!

    borek filled with meat and spinach
    Borek rolls filled with spicy mince and spinach
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • Step by Step Instructions
    • Related Recipes
    • Top Tip From the Chef
    • Borek With Meat and Spinach

    The savoury filo pies called "borek" or "burek " have been popular throughout the reign of the Ottoman Empire and continue to be a staple in Turkish cuisine today. There are many shapes and sizes of borek and recipes that vary by region.

    filo pastries filled with spicy lamb&spinach
    Crispy Turkish pastries made with filo sheets

    This delicate yet flavoursome meat&spinach borek is a family favourite. And we love eating them as finger food, snack on the go or for breakfast/brunch. In this recipe, I used filo pastries instead of Turkish yufka sheets.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Ingredients for Turkish borek with meat and spinach
    • Filo Pastry - Filo is a very thin unleavened dough used for making pastries such as baklava and borek in Turkish and Mediterranean cooking. I used 2 packs of filo dough, 20 sheets in total. You can substitute with 3 pieces of Turkish yufka sheets.
    • Mince - I use beef or lamb, or a mixture of both. Try and use mince with a minimum of 15-20% fat for extra flavour. Mince with high-fat ratio releases enough fat to saute the onions when you brown them, therefore, you don't need to add any olive oil!
    • Onions - You can use yellow or brown onions. They add umami flavour and sweetness to the mince and spinach filling.
    • Garlic - Fresh garlic is a great flavouring that adds sweetness and nuttiness to dishes. Turn it into a paste with a Mortar and Pestle or grate it using a Microplane Zester Grater. I use two large or three small fresh garlic cloves for this recipe.
    • Chilli - It is optional and should be adjusted to your taste. You can use flaked chilli or chilli powder instead of fresh chillies.
    • Spinach - I use baby spinach leaves. Always wash the spinach thoroughly before using it for cooking or salads. Dry them using a salad spinner or leave them on a colander until the leaves are dry. You can use frozen spinach instead, just make sure you squeeze the water out.
    • Tomatoes - Use nice fresh and ripen tomatoes or substitute them with a tablespoon of tomato paste.
    • Seasoning - Adjust the amount of the seasoning to your taste. Add any other spices you like to create your version.
    • Eggs - They give colour as well as flavour to the borek. You can omit and add extra oil and/or yoghurt to the sauce.
    • Oil - It adds an extra crispness to the borek. You can substitute it with melted butter, olive oil, sunflower oil or rapeseed oil.
    • Soda water - It gives crispness to the pastries. You can substitute it with sparkling water or melted butter.

    Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities.

    Step by Step Instructions

    Making these spicy lamb & spinach pastries is easier than you think. To achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:

    Prepare the Filling

    Put a frying pan on medium heat and add the mince. Cook it until brown, breaking it down into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Add olive oil and the onions to the pan, and then sauté until soft and translucent. If you use lamb mince or beef mince with some fat, you might not need olive oil for the onions.

    Add the garlic and chilli, and then sauté for another minute before adding the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes for a few minutes and then add chilli, black pepper, paprika and salt. 

    brown the mince in a pan
    add the onions, tomatoes and spices

    Add the spinach and then sauté until soft, let the water evaporate if there is any. Add the chopped parsley, give it a good stir and then remove the pan from the heat. Let the filling cool down for 10 minutes.

    add the spinach to the filling
    add the chopped parsley and take the pan off the heat

    Prepare the Sauce and Build the Borek

    To make the sauce, place the egg whites, yoghurt, oil, salt and soda water in a jug or bowl and whisk until combined. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and then line two baking sheets with silicon paper. Lay one sheet of filo on a clean work surface and then drizzle 1-1 ½ tablespoon of the sauce, spread it evenly using a brush. 

    Lay another sheet of filo on top and then drizzle some more sauce, spread it evenly. Repeat the same steps until you have four sheets of filo. Place ⅕ of the meat & spinach filling on the long side of the filo sheets and then start rolling them tightly into a log shape. Cut the log into four equal rolls using a sharp knife.

    lay one sheet of filo on a clean worktop
    spoon some filling on the long side of the filo
    roll the filo into a log and cut in 4 pieces

    Transfer the borek rolls to a paper-lined tray. Repeat the same steps for the rest of the filo sheets. You should have 20 pieces of borek rolls in total. Brush the borek rolls with egg yolk and then sprinkle on sesame seeds or nigella seeds (or both). Bake the pastries in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until they are golden and crispy. Serve them warm or at room temperature.

    egg wash the pastries and sprinkle sesame seeds on top
    baked them until golden and crispy
    Can you freeze cooked borek?

    It is very easy to reheat the borek and you can reheat them straight out of the freezer without defrosting. Wrap them in tinfoil and then place them in a preheated oven (180° C) for about 10 minutes, or until they are piping hot in the middle. Give extra 5 minutes for frozen boreks. Alternatively, you can reheat them in a microwave for a couple of minutes but they would lose their crispness.

    What to serve with meat and spinach borek?

    Meat and Spinach Borek is very versatile and can be served for breakfast/brunch, lunch or even dinner. They are also great as a snack or party food. There are many ways to enjoy these delicious savoury pies. Try them with a bowl of soup such as Ezogelin Gelin Corba, Thermomix Pumpkin Soup or Red Pepper and Tomato Soup. If you want to serve them as a light lunch, they go perfect with a bowl of salad such as Rocket and Parmesan Salad, Tabbouleh or Austrian Style Potato Salad. If serving them for breakfast, a cup of Turkish tea or freshly cut cucumbers & tomatoes is all you need!

    Related Recipes

    For other delicious borek recipes why not try:

    Kiymali Borek (Meat Borek)

    Potato Borek

    Spinach and Feta Borek

    Turkish Rolls (Sigara Boregi)

    Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek)

    Cheese Borek

    Su Boregi - Water Borek

    Pacanga Boregi

    Top Tip From the Chef

    You can make the borek pastries in advance and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking or freeze them uncooked and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making these delicious savoury pies as much as you would enjoy eating them! 🙂

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    Turkish pastries filled with spicy meat and spinach

    Borek With Meat and Spinach

    These scrumptious borek rolls are perfect to serve for breakfast or lunch as well as a snack on the go or finger food.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 25 mins
    Cook Time 35 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
    Servings 20 boreks
    Calories 136 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the Mince and Spinach Filling

    • 500 g minced beef or lamb
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 medium onions (finely chopped)
    • 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
    • ½ red chilli (or ½ teaspoon chilli flakes)
    • 2 medium tomatoes (finely diced)
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 500 g spinach (washed thoroughly, dried and chopped)
    • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

    For the Sauce

    • 130 g yoghurt (½ cup)
    • 90 ml vegetable or sunflower oil (½ cup)
    • 1 cup soda water or sparkling water
    • 2 egg whites (yolks to be used for egg wash)
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    For the Borek

    • 2 packs filo pastry (20 sheets in total)
    • 2 egg yolks
    • Sesame seeds or Nigella seeds

    Instructions
     

    Preparing the Meat and Spinach Filling

    • Put a frying pan on medium heat and add the mince.
    • Cook it until brown, breaking it down into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
    • Add olive oil and the onions to the pan, sauté until soft and translucent. If you use lamb mince or beef mince with some fat, you might not need olive oil for the onions.
    • Add the garlic and chilli, sauté for another minute before adding the tomatoes.
    • Cook the tomatoes for a few minutes and then add chilli, black pepper, paprika and salt.
    • Add the spinach and sauté until soft, let the water evaporate if there is any.
    • Remove the pan from the heat and let the filling cool down for 10 minutes.

    Making the Borek Rolls

    • To make the sauce, place the egg whites, yoghurt, oil, salt and soda water in a jug or bowl and whisk until combined.
    • Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line two sheet trays with silicon paper.
    • Lay one sheet of filo on a clean work surface and then drizzle 1-1 ½ tablespoon of the sauce, spread it evenly using a brush.
    • Lay another sheet of filo on top and drizzle some more sauce, spread it evenly. Repeat the same steps until you have four sheets of filo.
    • Place ⅕ of the meat & spinach filling on the long side of the filo sheets and start rolling them tightly into a log shape.
    • Cut the log into four equal rolls using a sharp knife.
    • Transfer the borek rolls on a paper-lined tray.
    • Repeat the same steps for the rest of the filo sheets. You should have 20 pieces of borek rolls ion total.
    • Brush the borek rolls with egg yolk and sprinkle on sesame seeds or nigella seeds (or both).
    • Bake the pastries in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until they are golden and crispy.
    • Serve warm or at room temperature.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 136kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 200mgPotassium: 124mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 170IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Baking, Mediterrenean Cuisine, Traditional Turkish Recipes
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    FOOD SAFETY

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lisa

      December 02, 2021 at 5:27 am

      5 stars
      Another delicious Turkish pastry, thank you for sharing this recipe. I will buy some filo today. Can I make this borek with vegetarian spinach filling?

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        December 02, 2021 at 7:53 am

        Hi Lisa
        Thank you for your kind words:)
        Yes, vegetarian spinach filling would work perfectly, with or without feta cheese.
        Hope you enjoy it!

        Reply

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    Hi! Thank you for visiting Cooking Gorgeous. My name is Ayla, and I’m a professional chef based in the UK. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    In Turkish culture, food is at the centre of every gathering: religious holidays, birthdays, celebrations, funerals and the list goes on. So, probably like many others, I love food. And not just the food itself, but also the process of preparing the food fascinated me from a very young age. 

    More about me →

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