This deliciously crispy Spinach and Feta Borek is one of the most popular boreks in Turkey. They are made of spinach and feta cheese filling wrapped in thin yufka sheets. There are many different ways to shape these cheesy boreks and this one is perfect if you just starting to work with yufka sheets.
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 or vegetables.
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.
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.
How to make Spinach and Feta Borek?
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. Saute the onions until slightly brown and add the freshly ground black pepper along with the flaked chilli (if using). Saute for few seconds before adding the spinach. Cook the spinach for 5 minutes or until they lose most of their volume, remove from the heat and let it cool down for 10 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 cheese. Prepare the sauce while the spinach is cooling down. You can make the spinach and feta filling a day before and keep refrigerated until you need it.
- Prepare the sauce and make 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 set aside. Preheat your oven to 180 °C. 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 tbsp of the sauce. Use a brush to spread it evenly. Cover the triangle with another piece of triangle pastry, drizzle with more sauce.
Put 1 ½ to 2 tbsp 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.
Check out my video tutorial for more details about how to make these lovely pastries.
Video Tutorial
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 or vegetables. They are also widely consumed in the Balkans, 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).
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.
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 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.
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 is with a bowl of delicious soup such as Red Pepper and Tomato Soup, Turkish Lentil Soup or 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 Salad?
Check out my other easy and delicious Turkish borek recipes such as Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek), Potato Borek and Turkish Rolls (Sigara Boregi) for more ideas.
Spinach and Feta Borek
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 TSP freshly ground black pepper
- ½ TSP 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.
- Saute the onions until slightly brown and add the freshly ground black pepper along with the flaked chilli (if using).
- Saute for few seconds before adding the spinach.
- Cook the spinach for 5 minutes or until they lose most of their volume, remove 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.
- 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 tbsp of the sauce. Use a brush to spread it evenly.
- Cover the triangle with another piece of triangle pastry, drizzle with more sauce.
- Put 1 ½ to 2 tbsp 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.
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.
Perfect to take on a hike as an alternative to Cornish Pasty.
Thank you for sharing the recipe 😉
You are welcome:)
They are very filling as well as being delicious.