Börek
This Turkish starter builds yufka or phyllo sheets, feta cheese and fresh parsley into a proper meal you can have ready in about 60 minutes. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and whisk. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (5)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Crumble the feta into a bowl and mash it with the chopped parsley and a little black pepper to make the filling, folding in any leftover cooked spinach or thoroughly cooked minced meat if you have it.
- Whisk 2 of the eggs with the milk, yogurt and sunflower oil in a separate bowl to make the soaking liquid that keeps the layers tender.
- Brush a baking dish with melted butter and lay down a sheet of yufka, then spoon over some of the egg-milk mixture and continue layering, moistening every sheet as you go.
- Scatter the cheese filling over the middle layers, then top with the remaining sheets and press down gently so the pastry settles into an even slab.
- Beat the last egg with a splash of the soaking liquid, brush it over the top, and sprinkle generously with nigella or sesame seeds.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is deep golden and crisp and the egg custard is fully set, then rest for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
You'll use: Oven · Whisk · Baking dish
Ingredient substitutions
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
What to serve with Börek
- Corba Side
- Kumpir Side
- Turkish rice (vermicelli rice) Miscellaneous
- Imam bayildi with BBQ lamb & tzatziki Lamb
Tips & common questions
How long does Börek take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of eggs?
Try ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Börek vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Börek is an original Turkish recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Muska Börek.jpg by Garrett Ziegler, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.