If you've never had Kumpir, it's Turkey's take on a Loaded Baked Potato, and it's hugely popular all over the country. The most famous place to try it is Ortaköy, a waterfront district in Istanbul with a view of the Bosphorus. Locals call the street lined with kumpir stands there Kumpir Sokak.
You mash the inside of a hot baked potato with butter and cheese until it's creamy, then load on whatever you like. I'll walk you through how to get that base right and share my favorite topping combinations.
Same as Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes), Izmir Kumru, Turkish Boyoz Pastry, and Turkish Lahmacun, kumpir comes together at home with just a few simple ingredients.
Jump to:
Kumpir reached Turkey with Balkan migrants from Bulgaria and Yugoslavia in the late 1980s, and the first shops selling it opened in Ankara in 1989. It became linked with Ortaköy specifically in the 1990s, when a shop called Tarihi Ortaköy Kumpircisi opened there and helped make the neighborhood famous for it.
The name itself traces back to the German word Grundbirne, meaning ground pear, an old term for potato that passed into Balkan languages as krumpir or kompir before reaching Turkish as kumpir.
Today it's still a Turkish classic, and you can easily make your own at home with step-by-step instructions.
Kumpir is a versatile dish, and toppings can vary depending on the region or personal preference. It's typically served hot and fresh out of the oven, right after the potato is mashed with butter and cheese.
The popular toppings are cheese, butter, sweetcorn, peas, tuna, sausages, olives, and some sort of salad such as Kisir (Turkish Bulgur Salad), Turkish Pickled Red Cabbage, or Russian Salad (Olivier Salad).
Why This Recipe Works?
- You don't need to follow this recipe exactly. Just get the base right (potato, butter, cheese, and a bit of seasoning), then fill it with whatever you have or love.
- It's easy to make and versatile. Unlike a UK jacket potato, which usually just gets cheese, beans, and butter, kumpir can carry a huge variety of toppings at once.
- It's simple to make vegetarian by leaving out the meat toppings, or vegan by swapping the butter and cheese for plant-based versions.
- Once you've got the base down, you can make a completely different kumpir every time, just switch up the toppings. It's an easy way to turn one basic recipe into a week of different meals.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Potatoes - Varieties like King Edward, Russet, and Desiree are the best potatoes for baking since their relatively high starch content gives you that soft and fluffy inside. When choosing potatoes for Kumpir, make sure they are nice and big as well as even in size to ensure that they bake evenly.
- Butter - I use plenty of good quality salted or unsalted butter to fluff the potatoes.
- Cheese - No Kumpir would be complete without plenty of cheese. I use kasar cheese, a mild, semi-hard Turkish cow's milk cheese, along with cheddar and mozzarella, but any soft or hard cheese you like will work, and cheddar or mozzarella alone are easy substitutes if you can't find kasar.
- Seasoning - Salt and pepper are enough for me but you can use extra flavorings such as cayenne, paprika, or grated nutmeg.
Topping Ideas
These are my favorite toppings for Kumpir. However, it is really up to you what to put on your potato and create your own delicious street food.
- Homemade mayonnaise
- Roasted red peppers
- Sweetcorn
- Sliced olives
- Spring onions
- Cornichon
- Smoked sausages
- Ketchup
How to Make Kumpir?
Bake the Potatoes
Wash your potatoes thoroughly, pierce each one a few times with a fork, and wrap each in aluminum foil. Preheat your oven to 200° C (392° F) and put the potatoes on a rack in the middle. Bake the potatoes for about an hour and remove them from the foil. Cook for another fifteen minutes, or until they are cooked thoroughly.
You can check them by poking them with a skewer or a small knife, or use a food thermometer. The potato is ready at around 210°F (99°C) inside. Take the potatoes out of the oven, and cut them lengthwise, but not entirely through.
Add a tablespoon of butter, a pinch of salt and pepper, and some of the cheese, and mix it thoroughly using a fork to fluff the inner flesh of the potato without tearing the skin.
Place your Kumpir on a serving plate and add your favorite toppings. Serve immediately as Kumpir tastes best when made freshly.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Underbaking the potato. If the center isn't fully soft, the mash turns lumpy instead of creamy. Bake until a skewer or knife slides in with no resistance, or check that the internal temperature reaches around 210°F (99°C).
- Wet or undrained toppings. Corn, pickles, and jarred vegetables can make the potato soggy if they're not well drained. Pat toppings dry before adding them.
- Letting the potato cool before mixing in the butter and cheese. It needs to be as hot as you can handle for the butter and cheese to melt properly and turn creamy. Use a towel or tongs to hold it if needed.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Kumpir is traditionally made using large, oval potatoes with rough, thick skin, they hold up best to a big pile of toppings.
- Similar-sized potatoes finish baking at the same time, so you won't end up with one that's underdone while the others are ready.
- Kumpir is best right out of the oven. Serve it immediately with a side salad or some pickled vegetables for a complete meal.
- The topping amounts in the recipe card are just a guide, adjust them to your own taste.
- Since the potatoes bake wrapped in foil, the skin comes out soft, not crispy, that's normal for Kumpir, not a sign anything went wrong.
- Prep your toppings while the potatoes bake, that way everything's ready to go the moment you mash in the butter and cheese.
How to Serve Kumpir?
You can serve Kumpir as a main meal along with a nice leafy salad such as Lebanese Fattoush Salad or Arugula Spinach Salad.
You can also serve this Turkish-style baked potato as a side dish to your BBQ dishes or grills such as BBQ Garlic Butter Prawns, Baked Salmon, or Adana Kebab.
Storage Instructions
Kumpir is best eaten fresh, but if you have leftovers, store the potato and the toppings separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheat the potato in the oven or microwave until hot, then add the cold toppings fresh. It doesn't freeze well, so this one's fridge-only.
Recipe FAQs
According to some, Kumpir is originally from the Balkans, former Yugoslavia. However, Turks gave it a completely new style, as it is now baked and many different fillings are added. Others claim the exact opposite and say that the Ottomans introduced the potato to the Balkans during the expansion of their empire.
Yes, Kumpir is gluten-free as long as no gluten-containing ingredients are used in the toppings.
I do not recommend making Kumpir in advance, as the potato may become dry and lose its texture when reheated.
Kumpir is best enjoyed hot and fresh out of the oven. However, you can prepare the toppings a couple of days in advance.
Yes, if you're short on time. Pierce the potato a few times with a fork and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway, until it's soft all the way through. The skin won't be as crispy as an oven-baked potato, but the inside mashes up just as creamy.
Yes, swap the butter and cheese for your favorite plant-based versions and stick to vegetable toppings such as corn, olives, pickles, and salads. The base still gets creamy, just choose a vegan cheese that melts well.
Related Recipes
For more delicious Potato dishes, why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this popular Turkish street food "Kumpir" as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Kumpir - Turkish Loaded Baked Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 Aluminum foil
- 1 Fork
- 1 large baking sheet
Ingredients
- 4 large potatoes (Desiree, King Edward or Russet)
- 3 oz butter (80 grams)
- 1 ½ cup kasar cheese, mozzarella or cheddar cheese
- 1 TSP salt
- ½ TSP freshly ground black pepper
Optional Topping Ideas
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup pickled red cabbage or beetroots
- 1 cup salad Olivier (Russian Salad)
- ½ cup sweetcorn
- ⅓ cup sliced pitted olives
- ⅓ cup cornichons or sauerkraut (cubed)
- ¼ cup wild garlic pesto
- ¼ cup spring onions (sliced)
- ¼ cup chopped herbs
- ⅓ cup sour cream or yoghurt
- ⅓ cup sausages or sucuk
Instructions
- Wash your potatoes thoroughly, pierce each one a few times with a fork, and wrap each in aluminum foil.
- Preheat your oven to 200° C (392° F) and put the potatoes on a rack in the middle.
- Bake the potatoes for about an hour and then remove them from the foil. Cook for another fifteen minutes, or until they are cooked thoroughly. Check by poking with a skewer or a small knife, or with a food thermometer, the potato is ready at around 210°F (99°C) inside.
- Take the potatoes out of the oven, and cut them lengthwise, but not completely through.
- Add a tablespoon of butter, a pinch of salt and pepper, and some of the shredded cheese, and mix it thoroughly using a fork to fluff the inner flesh of the potato without tearing the skin.
- Place your Kumpir on a serving plate and add your favourite toppings.
- Serve immediately as Kumpir tastes best when made freshly.
Notes
- You can easily make this vegetarian by omitting meat fillings, or vegan by swapping the butter and cheese for plant-based versions.
- Kumpir is traditionally made using large, oval potatoes with rough, thick skin. Choose potatoes that are similar in size so they finish baking at the same time.
- Check doneness with a skewer or a food thermometer, the potato is ready at around 210°F (99°C) inside.
- Mix in the butter and cheese while the potato is still as hot as you can handle, this is what makes the filling creamy. Use a towel or tongs to protect your hands.
- Drain wet toppings like corn and pickles well before adding them, so the potato doesn't turn soggy.
- Kumpir is best right out of the oven. Serve it immediately for the best texture.
- The topping amounts in the recipe card are just a guide, adjust them to your taste.
- Store the potato and toppings separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat the potato in the oven or microwave until hot, then add the cold toppings fresh. It doesn't freeze well, so this one's fridge-only.
Nutrition
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Amira says
Looks so amazing! Need to try this soon.