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    Cooking Gorgeous » Traditional Turkish Dishes

    Spinach and Feta Borek

    Published: Sep 28, 2021 · Modified: Jun 9, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This deliciously crispy Spinach and Feta Borek is one of the most popular boreks in Turkey. They are made of a delicious and lightly spiced spinach and feta cheese filling wrapped in thin yufka sheets. There are many different ways to shape these savoury Turkish pastries and this one is perfect if you just starting to work with yufka sheets.

    Spinach and feta borek fresh out of the oven.
    Turkish Borek with Feta and Spinach
    Jump to:
    • What is Borek?
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients & Substitutes
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Related Recipes
    • Top Tip From the Chef
    • Spinach and Feta Borek

    We are sort of obsessed with borek in Turkey. We make these savoury pies for any occasion and we eat them any time of the day! They are great for breakfast as well as for lunch, dinner parties, or just as a snack on the go.

    borek with feta cheese and spinach

    You can find borek in every bakery or pastry shop in Turkey, but here in the UK, it is not quite possible. The good news is that it is very easy to make them! You can buy yufka sheets from a Turkish or Middle Eastern shop and make your own delicious homemade versions.

    What is Borek?

    Borek is the general name for the crispy and flaky baked or fried savoury pies. They are the staples of Turkish cuisine and they come with a variety of fillings such as meat, cheese, potatoes, and vegetables. They are also widely consumed in the Balkans, and Middle East and now becoming popular in the western world.
    Some boreks are cooked in a large pan and cut into portions after baking, or as individual pastries. There are also fried versions such as Turkish Rolls (Sigara Boregi) or Pacanga Boregi.

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • It is very easy to make with step-by-step pictures and instructions.
    • You can serve it for breakfast, brunch, lunch or even for dinner. They are perfect for picnics, lunch boxes, party food or a snack on the go.
    • They freeze well, and it is very easy to reheat them without needing to defrost.

    Ingredients & Substitutes

    Ingredients for Spinach and feta borek
    • Yufka - These round shape thin dough parcels are easy to find online or from Turkish or Middle Eastern food shops. You can use filo pastries instead which are similar but thinner than yufka, and they come in rectangular shapes. Filo (or phyllo) pastries are available in most supermarkets and shops, and you can buy them fresh or frozen.
    • Butter - Use salted or unsalted. It adds great flavour to spinach filling. Replace it with a tablespoon of olive oil if you prefer.
    • Onion - They add umami flavour and sweetness to the spinach and feta filling. You can use white, brown or yellow onions.
    • Spinach - Wash and dry the spinach before using it. You can replace spinach with cavalo Nero or nettle leaves.
    • Feta - I prefer feta cheese made with sheep milk with high-fat content with a creamy texture. Feta cheese works perfect with spinach but you can replace it with goats cheese, cottage cheese or halloumi cheese.
    • Eggs - It gives colour as well as flavour to the borek. You can omit and add extra oil and/or yoghurt to the sauce.
    • Milk - Use semi-skimmed or full-fat milk. You can replace the milk with yoghurt.
    • Vegetable oil - You can substitute it with melted butter, olive oil, sunflower oil or rapeseed oil. It adds an extra crispness to the borek.
    • Egg yolk - It helps the pastry brown quicker and also adds crispness to the crust. Use melted butter for the top instead of egg yolk if you want a crispier borek.
    • Sesame seeds or nigella seeds - Optional, they add an extra layer and texture to the pastries as well as flavour.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Making your own borek is an easy and rewarding task with a few simple tips and steps to follow:

    Prepare the Spinach and Feta Filling

    Melt the butter in a large pan on medium heat and add the onions. Sauté the onions until slightly brown and add the freshly ground black pepper along with the flaked chilli (if used). Sauté for a few seconds before adding the spinach. Cook the spinach for 5 minutes or until they lose most of its volume, remove it from the heat and let it cool down for 10 minutes.

    saute onions with butter in a wok
    add the seasoning and spinach, cook for few more minutes

    When the spinach is cooled down, add the feta cheese and mix together. If you don't have or want feta cheese, you can also use halloumi, cheddar, or any of your favourite cheeses. Prepare the sauce while the spinach is cooling down. You can make the spinach and feta filling a day before and keep it refrigerated until you need it.

    let the filling cool down
    add crumbled feta to the spinach

    Prepare the Sauce and Build the Borek

    While the spinach is cooling down, prepare the sauce. Place 2 eggs and 1 egg white in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Add the milk and vegetable oil, stir and then set aside. Preheat your oven to 180 °C (360 °F). Place the yufka sheets on the kitchen top and cut them into 8 triangles. You should have 24 triangles altogether. You can watch the video tutorial for more detail.

    Take one of the triangles and drizzle 1-1 ½ tablespoon of the sauce. Use a brush to spread it evenly. Cover the triangle with another piece of triangle pastry, and drizzle with more sauce.

    Yufka sheet brushed with egg, milk and oil mixture

    Put 1 ½ to 2 tablespoon of the spinach and feta filling on the large side of the triangle, leaving 2 centimetres on each side. Fold the outer corners over and then start rolling the pastry tightly into a rectangular parcel. Set it aside and continue with the remaining yufka and filling.

    Folding yufka sheet with filling to form a parcel
    Folding the yufka to form a parcel shaped borek

    Line a baking tray with silicone paper and place the borek parcels ½ cm away from each other. Make an incision in the middle of the parcels using a sharp small knife, leaving 2 cm on both sides. Brush them with egg yolk and then sprinkle on some sesame seeds or nigella seeds.

    spinach and feta borek parcels egg washed and ready to go into oven.

    Place the tray in the hot oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until they have turned golden brown and crispy.

    Turkish pastries made with spinach and feta cheese

    Related Recipes

    For other great borek recipes why not try:

    • Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek)
    • Potato Borek
    • Turkish Rolls (Sigara Boregi)
    • Kiymali Borek(Meat Borek)
    • Borek with Meat and Spinach
    • Cheese Borek
    • Pacanga Boregi
    • Su Boregi - Water Borek
    Is yufka the same as filo?

    Yufka is a kind of large and round shape, thin unleavened flatbread and is usually used for making boreks, desserts, or filled pies. In Turkey, there are small shops where local women make and sell them and they are the best ones for boreks.
    Filo is much tinner and they usually come in rectangular shapes. They are crispier than yufka sheets and more delicate to handle. They are great for making baklava, borek, or pies.

    Can borek be frozen?

    Yes, you can easily freeze borek. You can either prepare the borek and freeze it before cooking or you can cook, cool it down, and then freeze it afterwards. You don't need to defrost it, just straight to the hot oven and cook until golden and crispy. If you freeze after cooking, reheat them in the hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes covered with tin foil.

    What to serve with borek?

    If you serve borek for breakfast, the best way to serve it is with a cup of Turkish tea! I also like to serve it with some fresh and crunchy cucumbers and juicy summer tomatoes. Other ways to serve it are with a bowl of delicious soup such as Red Pepper and Tomato Soup, Mercimek Corbasi (Turkish Lentil Soup), or Ezogelin Corbasi (Ezogelin Soup). Salads are also a great accompaniment to borek for a lighter meal option.
    Why not try these lovely savoury cheese and spinach-filled pastries with some Tomato and Walnut Salad (Gavurdagi Salatasi) or delicious Greek Cucumber Salad?

    Top Tip From the Chef

    Always check the seasoning before adding salt to your dishes especially if you are using feta cheese as an ingredient.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious vegetarian Spinach and Feta Borek as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

    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.

    spinach and feta filled savoury pastries

    Spinach and Feta Borek

    Ayla Clulee
    You can enjoy these delicious & crispy pastries with a cup of the for breakfast or a bowl of soup for lunch.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Course, Snack
    Cuisine Mediterranean, Turkish
    Servings 12 boreks
    Calories 157 kcal

    Equipment

    • 2 baking sheet
    • 1 Pastry Brush
    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 Paring Knife

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 3 pieces fresh yufka (they usually are sold round shape)

    For the Spinach and Feta Filling

    • 30 g butter
    • 1 medium onion (small diced)
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon flaked chilli (pul biber) (optional)
    • 400 g spinach (washed and chopped)
    • 300 g feta cheese

    For the Sauce

    • 2 eggs
    • 1 egg white (keep the yolk for the top)
    • ½ cup milk
    • ⅓ cup vegetable oil

    For the Top

    • 1 egg yolk
    • sesame seeds or nigella seeds

    Instructions
     

    Preparing the Spinach Filling

    • Melt the butter in a large pan on medium heat and add the onions.
    • Sauté the onions until slightly brown and add the freshly ground black pepper along with the flaked chilli (if used).
    • Sauté for a few seconds before adding the spinach.
    • Cook the spinach for 5 minutes or until they lose most of its volume, remove it from the heat and let it cool down for 10 minutes.
    • Prepare the sauce while the spinach is cooling down.
    • When the spinach is cooled down, add the feta cheese and nicely combine it together.

    Preparing the Sauce

    • Place 2 eggs and 1 egg white in a small bowl and whisk until combined.
    • Add the milk and vegetable oil, stir and set aside.

    Making the Boreks

    • Preheat the oven to 180 °C (360 °F).
    • Place the yufka sheets on the kitchen top and cut them into 8 triangles. You should have 24 triangles altogether.
    • Take one of the triangles and drizzle 1-1 ½ tablespoon of the sauce. Use a brush to spread it evenly.
    • Cover the triangle with another piece of triangle pastry, and drizzle with more sauce.
    • Put 1 ½ to 2 tablespoon of the spinach and feta filling on the large side of the triangle, leaving 2 centimetres on each side.
    • Fold the outer corners over and start rolling the pastry tightly into a rectangular parcel. Set it aside and continue with the remaining yufka and filling.
    • Line a baking tray with silicone paper and place the borek parcels ½ cm away from each other.
    • Make an incision in the middle of the parcels using a sharp small knife, leaving 2 cm on both sides.
    • Brush them with egg yolk and sprinkle on some sesame seeds or nigella seeds.
    • Place the tray in the hot oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until they have turned golden brown and crispy.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 157kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 6gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 329mgPotassium: 248mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3313IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 179mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    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. Annabel

      October 08, 2021 at 7:09 am

      5 stars
      Perfect to take on a hike as an alternative to Cornish Pasty.
      Thank you for sharing the recipe 😉

      Reply
      • aylaclulee

        October 08, 2021 at 7:41 am

        You are welcome:)
        They are very filling as well as being delicious.

        Reply
    2. Alina

      April 28, 2022 at 4:30 am

      5 stars
      Wow!!!This sounds delicious and looks even prettier! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    3. Sandra

      June 09, 2022 at 11:59 am

      5 stars
      This was absolutely delicious. And it was so easy to make. The family was very impressed!

      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.

    More about me →

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