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    Cooking Gorgeous » Recipes » Breakfast and Brunch

    Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek)

    Published: May 17, 2021 · Modified: Feb 22, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek) is a delicious Turkish pastry made of thin flaky dough called "yufka" filled with spinach and onions.

    You can add cheese (Spinach and Feta Pie - Ispanakli Peynirli Borek) or mince (Phyllo Meat and Spinach Pie - Egyptian Goulash) to spinach filling for extra flavor and make it even more exciting!

    Jump to:
    • What is Borek?
    • Most Popular Turkish Borek Variations
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients You'll Need
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Top Tips From the Chef
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek)

    Anyone who has visited Turkey probably came across some kind of a borek. They are the most popular breakfast item or a snack on the go!

    In the old days, our grandmothers used to make yufka sheets at home to make borek, but luckily you can easily find yufka sheets in food stores or online. In Turkey, there are still some small yufka shops that only make fresh yufka sheets.

    What is Borek?

    Borek is a scrumptious savory pastry that's super popular in Turkish cuisine. It's made by layering thin, flaky yufka pastries and brushing them with melted butter or oil.

    Cheese, spinach, potatoes, or meat are the most popular fillings for boreks, but spinach borek is probably my favorite among them. You can eat borek as a snack, breakfast food, or as part of a bigger meal. It's so versatile and can be served hot or cold.

    Like Pogaca (Turkish Buns), Turkish Borek is also widely available in pastry shops and they come in different shapes and fillings.

    2 pieces of spinach and feta borek served with cherry tomatoes
    Spinach and Feta Borek is great for breakfast

    Most Popular Turkish Borek Variations

    Tepsi Boregi (Trayed borek) is one of the most common ones.

    Simply layer yufka sheets and filling on a tray and scatter the sauce between the layers. Brush the top layer with butter for crispiness and egg wash for a lovely golden brown color. Then bake it in the oven until nice and crispy outside and soft inside.

    The meat version of Tepsi Boregi is also known as Phyllo Meat and Spinach Pie (Egyptian Goulash) in Middle Eastern countries.

    Su Boregi (Water Borek) is one of the most loved boreks in Turkey and is by far the best of all Turkish Pastries. It has a reputation for being the most challenging boreks to make.

    su boregi served with cucumbers and tomatoes
    Su Boregi

    Kol boregi (Arm borek) is shaped in long rolls and named after their arm-shaped appearance. It is filled and rolled in a similar way to a rose borek but shaped like an arm instead of a rose.

    Turkish Cheese Rolls (Sigara boregi)– They are shaped like a cigarette and are usually filled with cheese or mince filling. Sigara böreği is deep fried and served as an appetiser or meze.

    crispy Turkish cheese rolls - sigara borek filled with feta and halloumi
    Sigara Boregi

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • You can make Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek) up to 3 days ahead and bake it when you need it.
    • These delicious pastries can be frozen before or after baking and kept for up to 3 months in the freezer. No need to defrost before baking or reheating!
    • It's the best way to get your kids to eat spinach, your kids will love these healthy snacks as much as the rest of the family.
    • You can use different borek fillings and make your own homemade version of these savory Turkish pies.

    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.

    Labelled picture of ingredients for spinach borek
    • Yufka - These round-shaped 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.
    • 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 also use frozen spinach, just make sure you squeeze the water out of it before using it.
    • Onions - You can use yellow or brown onions. They add umami flavor and sweetness to the spinach filling.
    • Butter - Use good quality butter and apply it with a pastry brush on top of the pastries before baking them. Butter makes the boreks extra crispy and delicious!
    • Eggs - They give color as well as flavor to the borek. You can substitute it with yogurt.
    • Vegetable oil - you can substitute it with melted butter, olive oil, sunflower oil, or rapeseed oil. It adds an extra crispness to the borek.
    • Milk - I use semi-skimmed or full-fat milk. You can substitute it with yogurt.
    • Garlic - Fresh garlic is a great flavoring 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. You can use garlic powder or granules instead although I strongly suggest using fresh ones.
    • Sesame or nigella seeds - They provide extra crunch to borek or pastries. They are commonly used in sweet or savory Turkish bakeries.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Making Spinach Borek is easy but it requires some time and patience. To achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:

    Prepare the Spinach Filling

    Put a large heavy-based pan on medium heat and add olive oil then sauté the onions and garlic until translucent.

    Sautéing the onions with butter

    Add chili, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and paprika, and sauté for another minute, stirring continuously. Add the spinach and cook until the water from the spinach totally evaporates.

    spinach is sautéed with onions

    Let the filling cool down totally before using it for borek. Prepare the sauce while the filling is cooling down. Put 2 eggs + 1 egg white in a bowl and whisk lightly. Pour in the milk and vegetable oil and whisk to combine.

    sauce for spinach and feta pie

    Set aside to use when required

    Assemble the Borek

    Preheat the oven to 180° C - 360° F (fan oven). Line a rectangular baking tray size of 35 cm x 25 cm (14" x 10") or a 28 cm (11") dia baking pan with a baking sheet.

    Lay a piece of yufka on a work surface and scatter 2-3 tablespoon of the sauce on it. Spread the sauce evenly using a pastry brush.

    Apiece of yufka is laid on a work surface and scattered with 2-3 tablespoon of the sauce

    Divide the filling into 3 and scatter ⅓ of it on yufka evenly.

    The filling is divided into 3 and ⅓ of it is scattered on yufka evenly.

    Cut the yufka into quarters. You will have 4 large triangles. Take one of the triangles and roll it starting from the large side into a long sausage shape. 

    The yufka is cut in 4 equal pieces

    Swirl the long sausage into a rose shape.

    Take one of the triangles and roll it starting from the large side into a long sausage shape.

    And tuck the loose end piece underneath the rose. Repeat the same for the rest of the yufka pieces.

    the loose end piece is tucked underneath the rose. 

    Place the boreks on a baking tray and brush with melted butter and egg yolk. Sprinkle on sesame seeds or nigella seeds.

    12 pieces of borek are placed on a tray

    Place the tray in the oven and cook the boreks for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

    Top Tips From the Chef

    • Make sure the oven is heated to 180° C - 360° F (fan oven) before you put the borek in. A cold oven would cause a longer cooking time and less crispy pastries.
    • You can make the spinach filling a day before and keep it refrigerated until you need it.
    • Wash your spinach leaves thoroughly and dry them using a salad spinner or leave them on a colander until the leaves are dry.
    • Turn your fresh garlic into a paste with a Mortar and Pestle or grate it using a Microplane Zester Grater. 

    Serving Suggestions

    The most common way to serve borek is with a cup of Turkish tea or a glass of Ayran (Turkish Yogurt Drink).

    You can also serve these crispy Turkish pastries with a bowl of soup such as Ezogelin Corbasi (Ezogelin Soup) or Turkish Lentil Soup (Mercimek Corbasi).

    Or what about some healthy salad such as Gavurdagi Salatasi (Tomato and Walnut Salad), Beetroot and Feat Salad, Russian Salad (Olivier Salad), or colorful Indian Chickpea Salad (Chana salad)?

    Recipe FAQs

    Can you freeze borek?

    Yes, You can freeze these delicious pastries before or after baking and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    You don't need to defrost them before reheating them.
    Simply place them in a preheated oven and cook them until golden brown or reheat them until piping hot.

    Is Spinach Borek gluten-free?

    No, spinach borek is not gluten-free, as it is made with yufka or phyllo dough, which contains wheat flour.

    Where to buy yufka from?

    The quality of yufka is the key to a good borek. You can easily find them in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops as well as online. Make sure they are not vacuum-packed, buy the ones that say " fresh yufka" which can usually be found where they sell dairy products.

    Related Recipes

    For other delicious Turkish pastry recipes, why not try:

    • sliced Karadeniz Pidesi
      Karadeniz Pidesi
    • Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi
    • freshly baked simit bread
      Simit (Turkish Sesame Bagel)
    • Turkish pastries made with cheesy potato filling wrapped in yufka pastry
      Potato Borek - Patatesli Börek

    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 scrumptious Spinach Borek (Ispanaklı Börek) as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

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    Turkish savoury pies made with spinach and yufka

    Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek)

    Ayla Clulee
    Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek) is a delicious Turkish pastry made of thin flaky dough called "yufka" filled with spinach and onions. 
    5 from 18 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 40 minutes mins
    Total Time 2 hours hrs
    Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
    Servings 12 portions
    Calories 284 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Pastry brush
    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 Sharp knife
    • 1 Measuring cups
    • 1 measuring spoons

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the Spinach Filling

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 medium onion (finely diced)
    • 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
    • ½ finely chopped red chilli (optional) or ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
    • ½ tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 750 g spinach (washed, dried and chopped)

    For the Sauce

    • 1 whole egg
    • 2 egg whites (the yolks to use for egg wash)
    • ⅓ cup full fat milk
    • ⅓ cup vegetable oil

    For Rose Shaped Borek

    • 3 sheets fresh yufka
    • ¼ cup melted butter
    • 2 egg yolks
    • sesame seeds or nigella seeds (to sprinkle on top)

    Instructions
     

    Cooking the Spinach Filling

    • Heat a large pan or wok on medium heat.
    • Add olive oil and gently saute the onions and garlic until translucent.
    • Stir in the tomato paste, chili, salt, pepper, and paprika, and saute for another minute.
    • Add the spinach and cook for a few minutes on high heat until the water from the spinach totally evaporates.
    • Remove from the heat and let it cool down before using for borek.

    Preparing the Sauce

    • Put 2 egg whites+ and 1 whole egg in a bowl and whisk lightly.
    • Pour in the milk and vegetable oil and whisk to combine. Set aside to use when required.

    Shaping the Rose Shaped Borek

    • Preheat the oven to 180° C - 360° F (fan oven).
    • Line a rectangular baking tray size of 35cm x 25 cm or a round tray size of 28cm dia with a baking sheet.
    • Lay a piece of yufka on a work surface and scatter 2-3 tablespoon of the sauce on it, spread the sauce evenly using a pastry brush.
    • Divide the filling into 3 and scatter ⅓ of it on yufka evenly. Then cut the yufka in quarters. You will have 4 large triangles.
    • Take one of the triangles and roll it starting from the large side into a long sausage shape.
    • Swirl the long sausage into a rose shape, and tuck the loose end piece underneath the rose.
    • Repeat the same for the rest of the yufka pieces, you should have 12 roses out of 3 yufka sheets.
    • Place them on a baking tray and brush with melted butter and then egg yolk.
    • Sprinkle on sesame seeds or nigella seeds.
    • Place the tray in the oven and cook the boreks for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

    Notes

    • Make sure the oven is heated to 180° C - 360° F (fan oven) before you put the borek in. A cold oven would cause a longer cooking time and less crispy pastries.
    • You can make the spinach filling a day before and keep it refrigerated until you need it.
    • Wash your spinach leaves thoroughly and dry them using a salad spinner or leave them on a colander until the leaves are dry.
    • Turn your fresh garlic into a paste with a Mortar and Pestle or grate it using a Microplane Zester Grater.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 284kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 7gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 430mgPotassium: 448mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 6077IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 88mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    This post uses 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. Emilia

      August 03, 2021 at 3:14 pm

      5 stars
      Looks super tasty, Can I make this Borek with different fillings?

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        March 25, 2022 at 5:21 am

        So sorry I've missed your comment. You can make this borek with any filling you like. Hope you gave it a try and loved it!
        Best wishes
        Ayla x

        Reply
    2. Sena

      March 23, 2022 at 2:50 pm

      5 stars
      Lovely recipe, easy and delicious.

      Reply
    3. Claudia

      March 25, 2022 at 5:22 am

      5 stars
      Yes! Making this is a must. The measurements are spot on for a taste sensation.

      Reply
    4. Gabriela

      March 31, 2022 at 3:56 am

      5 stars
      It tasted so good! The only difficulty was to find yufka, the recipe is very easy once you have it sorted. I will make double batch next time and freeze. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        April 02, 2022 at 5:18 am

        That’s amazing Gabriela! I always do it in batches to keep them in the freezer.
        You’re so welcome!
        Ayla x

        Reply
    5. Zara

      April 04, 2022 at 5:39 am

      5 stars
      This might just be my new favourite borek! SO excited to try it out!

      Reply
    6. Anne

      April 08, 2022 at 4:34 am

      5 stars
      GREAT RECIPE and description. I loved it. It came out exactly as promised. Fun to make but even more delicious. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        April 09, 2022 at 5:19 am

        I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe, Anne! Thank you so much for reading and leaving such a nice comment!

        Reply
    7. Rona

      April 09, 2022 at 5:14 am

      5 stars
      Turned out perfect and so delicious. Easy to follow instructions - Thank you so much for the recipe.

      Reply
    8. Ellie

      April 11, 2022 at 5:18 am

      5 stars
      My daughter and I just made these. They are wonderful! This is going in my good fill-in recipe book. Thank you!

      Reply
    9. Katrina

      April 12, 2022 at 4:18 am

      5 stars
      This was absolutely delicious! Took a bit of getting used to spiralling the pastry, but I got the hang of it! Thanks for a delicious, well thought out recipe!

      Reply
    10. Mila

      April 16, 2022 at 5:04 am

      5 stars
      I can’t believe how easy and fun this borek was to make. The notes and pictures within the recipe also helped keep this fun and stress free.
      I will definitely be referring back to this recipe next time as well.

      Reply
    11. Jas

      April 23, 2022 at 7:28 am

      5 stars
      This looks delicious! I love about anything with phyllo. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    12. Laura

      April 24, 2022 at 5:51 am

      5 stars
      What a fabulous recipe! I made the feta and spinach, absolutely delicious. Thank you so much!

      Reply
    13. Maddie

      April 27, 2022 at 5:04 am

      5 stars
      I've used this recipe Several times and each time it comes out GREAT.
      I have added or put in Less of an ingredient according to what I want it to taste like.
      My Family and friends ask for this borek constantly. It's a Big hit/Favorite.
      Thank you.

      Reply
    14. Lucia

      May 02, 2022 at 5:18 am

      5 stars
      This was such a delicious recipe! It wasn’t as hard to do as I thought either. Can’t wait to make it again, thanks!

      Reply
    15. Emily

      June 11, 2022 at 7:07 pm

      5 stars
      wow! This was incredibly delicious. Thank you! I will definitely be making this again !

      Reply
    5 from 18 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    Welcome to Cooking Gorgeous, where delicious easy-to-follow recipes and culinary inspiration await you! My name is Ayla Clulee, a passionate and professional Cordon Bleu-trained chef, recipe developer, and food content creator with decades of experience. I am based in the UK, and I'm thrilled to have you here.

    The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy.

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