Turkish Borek (Savory Spinach and Feta Pie) (2024)

Turkish borek is a staple in Turkish cuisine! These savory pastries are filled with a mixture of spinach, feta and herbs that are layered with a tender buttery glaze.

Turkish borek is a staple in Turkish cuisine. Thin sheets of phyllo are glazed with a melted butter and milk mixture and filled with a savory layer of spinach and feta cheese.

Borek can be compared to the Greek spanakopita, but in my humble opinion, I prefer the texture of borek. The addition of milk and egg in the melted glaze mixture gives the spinach pie a much more tender bite.

🌿 What is Borek?

Boreks aka boreka are Turkish savory pastries with various fillings, such as with spinach and feta or simple made as cheese borek as well as borek stuffed with eggplant.

Traditionally, you'll find borek made with a dough called yufka, which is more pliable than phyllo. When we visited Istanbul we saw woman sitting and rolling sheets and sheets of yufka. Of course it is much more difficult to find yufka here in the states, though phyllo works just as well.

📋 Ingredients

• PhylloSheets: Phyllo also spelled fillo can be found in the frozen section in most grocery stores. Phyllo is paper thin and needs to be thawed overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for at least 1 hour. If you can find the more traditional yufka at Mediterranean specialty stores, use that.
• Frozen Spinach: Thaw the frozen spinach and squeeze of any excess moisture so there is not any moisture weighing down the borek.
• Feta Cheese: Feta cheese is a sheep's milk cheese that is creamy and tangy. Look for feta cheese that is sold as a block of cheese in brine, which will be much more creamier than the pre-crumbled options.
• Fresh Herbs: Lots of fresh parsley and dill are added to the spinach and feta mixture. Remove any large stems and roughly chop the leaves.
• Eggs: This is one of the ingredients that gives more richness to this borek recipe. The eggs are added to the melted butter glaze as well as to the spinach mixture to help bind.
• Melted Butter: Use unsalted butter since feta cheese can be salty. The melted butter is part of the glaze that is brushed onto the phyllo sheets.
• Milk: Whole or part skim milk is another ingredient that adds richness and a better mouth feel to the borek recipe. Milk is added to the glaze mixture that is brushed onto the phyllo sheets.
• Olive Oil: In addition to the milk and egg, olive oil is also added to the glaze mixture.

⏲️ How to Make Turkish Borek

1. In a large bowl, add the thawed spinach, crumbled feta cheese, fresh herbs, 1 egg and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine well.
2. In the 2nd bowl, add the glaze ingredients. Whisk the melted butter, milk, olive oil and egg until well combined. And in the 3rd bowl, add the topping glaze ingredients and whisk the milk and egg.
3. Unroll phyllo sheets and cover with a damp towel to keep it from drying. If your box of phyllo has 2 rolls of phyllo, just use 1.
4. Brush a 9 by 13 pan with the butter glaze mixture on all sides and bottom.
5. Layer the first phyllo sheet into the pan and brush with glaze. Continue this for 10 layers or about half of the phyllo sheets.
6. Add the spinach and feta filling and distribute evenly. Then top with another sheet of phyllo and continue layering a phyllo sheet, then brushing with glaze until all the sheets are used up.
7. Once all the phyllo sheets are used, brush with the topping glaze and use a sharp knife to cut the borek into 12 squares or 24 triangles.
8. Bake the spinach borek at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Substitutions and Variations

• Make Cheese borek with mozzarella and feta cheese.
• Instead of spinach, make borek with kale or chard.
• After adding the topping glaze, garnish the borek with sesame seeds for added texture.

🥗 What to serve with Turkish Borek

Borek are fantastic served alone as a snack or along other sides. Here are a few suggestions.

• Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
• Tomato Fattoush Salad
• Lemon Orzo Salad
• Israeli Chopped Salad

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