Healthy Borek Turkish Phyllo Pastry with Cheese Filling and Spinach
There is something truly special about borek. The way those paper-thin phyllo sheets crinkle and crunch around a warm, savoury filling is the kind of thing that makes breakfast feel like a celebration. Traditional Turkish borek, or börek, has been a morning staple across Turkey and the broader Middle East for centuries, and it is not hard to understand why. This version keeps all the soul of that classic while giving it a genuine nutritional upgrade, more protein, more fibre, and noticeably less fat than the butter-drenched originals you might find at a Turkish breakfast spread.
The filling here combines low-fat feta cheese with smooth low-fat ricotta, creating a creamy, tangy mixture that still delivers that signature salty kick you expect from a great borek Turkish phyllo pastry with cheese filling. Fresh baby spinach adds iron, folate, and a decent amount of fibre without making the filling soggy, because you wilt and squeeze it properly before mixing. Two whole eggs bind everything together and push the protein content up to a level that will actually keep you full through a busy morning. A pinch of dried chilli flakes and fresh flat-leaf parsley round out the flavour, giving the filling some gentle heat and a bright herby note.
Instead of coating every single layer of phyllo in melted butter, this recipe uses a light olive oil and egg wash mixture brushed sparingly between sheets. You still get those gorgeous flaky, golden layers, but the calorie count drops considerably. Using a 9x13 inch baking tin and layering the sheets in a tray-bake style, known in Turkish kitchens as tepsi boregi, is the easiest method for home cooks. It bakes evenly, slices cleanly into neat portions, and honestly looks impressive even though the technique is very forgiving. The top gets a sprinkle of sesame seeds and nigella seeds for extra flavour and a small boost of healthy fats and minerals.
This recipe is genuinely meal-prep friendly. You can assemble the whole tray the night before, keep it covered in the fridge, and bake it fresh in the morning. Or bake a full tray on Sunday and enjoy slices through the week for a quick, protein-rich breakfast that travels well. Each serving comes in at around 280 calories with 18 grams of protein, making it far more nutritionally complete than the usual butter-heavy versions while still tasting deeply satisfying and authentically Turkish in spirit.
Ingredients
- 12 sheets phyllo pastry (thawed overnight in the fridge if frozen)
- 200 g low-fat feta cheese (crumbled)
- 200 g low-fat ricotta cheese (drained if watery)
- 150 g fresh baby spinach (wilted and squeezed very dry)
- 2 large free-range eggs (for the filling)
- 1 large free-range egg (for the egg wash)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for brushing between layers)
- 2 tbsp low-fat milk (mixed into egg wash)
- 3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
- 0.5 tsp dried chilli flakes (adjust to your heat preference)
- 0.3 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
- 0.3 tsp fine sea salt (taste before adding as feta is already salty)
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (for topping)
- 1 tsp nigella seeds (for topping)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius, or 375 Fahrenheit. Lightly brush a 9x13 inch (23x33 cm) baking tin with a small amount of olive oil and set it aside.
A metal baking tin gives a crispier base than glass. Dark-coloured tins work especially well.
- 2
Wilt the baby spinach in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until fully wilted. Transfer to a clean tea towel or a few layers of kitchen paper and squeeze out as much liquid as you possibly can. Roughly chop the squeezed spinach and set aside.
Getting the spinach genuinely dry is the most important step. Any excess moisture makes the filling watery and the base soggy.
- 3
In a large mixing bowl, combine the crumbled feta, ricotta, chopped spinach, 2 eggs, parsley, chilli flakes, black pepper, and salt. Mix well until evenly combined. Taste the filling and adjust seasoning, keeping in mind the feta is already quite salty.
- 4
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and low-fat milk to make the egg wash. Add the olive oil to this mixture and whisk again. This is what you will brush between the phyllo layers.
Whisking the olive oil into the egg wash rather than using straight butter is the key step that cuts the fat content dramatically.
- 5
Lay one sheet of phyllo into the prepared tin, letting any excess hang over the edges. Brush lightly with the olive oil and egg wash mixture. Repeat with 5 more sheets, brushing each one lightly, to build a 6-layer base.
Keep the unused phyllo sheets covered with a lightly damp clean tea towel while you work to prevent them drying out and cracking.
- 6
Spread the entire cheese and spinach filling evenly over the phyllo base, smoothing it gently with the back of a spoon or a spatula.
- 7
Layer the remaining 6 sheets of phyllo on top, brushing each one lightly with the egg wash mixture as you go. Fold the overhanging edges of the bottom layers up and over the top to create a neat border. Brush the top generously with any remaining egg wash.
Tucking in those edges gives the borek a tidier look and stops the filling from drying out at the sides during baking.
- 8
Scatter the sesame seeds and nigella seeds evenly over the top of the borek. Using a sharp knife, score the top layers gently into 8 rectangular portions. Do not cut all the way through, just score through the top few sheets.
Scoring before baking makes it much easier to cut clean slices once it comes out of the oven hot.
- 9
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and the pastry is crisp. If the top is browning too quickly after 20 minutes, loosely tent a piece of foil over it for the remaining time.
- 10
Remove from the oven and allow the borek to rest in the tin for at least 10 minutes before slicing along the score lines and serving. This resting time helps the filling set so slices hold together cleanly.
Borek is wonderful served slightly warm rather than piping hot. The flavours come through much more clearly once it has settled.
Nutrition per serving
280kcal
Calories
18g
Protein
24g
Carbs
11g
Fat
2g
Fibre
2g
Sugar
480mg
Sodium
Pro Tips
- ✓
Always thaw phyllo pastry slowly in the fridge overnight. Quick thawing at room temperature makes it sticky and prone to tearing.
- ✓
Squeezing the spinach properly dry is non-negotiable for a crispy borek. Do it twice if you need to.
- ✓
Use a pastry brush with soft bristles rather than a silicone brush when working with phyllo. Silicone can drag and tear the delicate sheets.
- ✓
Low-fat feta varies in saltiness by brand, so always taste the filling before adding any extra salt.
- ✓
Leftover slices reheat beautifully in an air fryer at 170 degrees Celsius for 4 to 5 minutes, which restores the crunch far better than a microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Variations
- •
Sun-Dried Tomato and Herb Borek
Add 60 grams of finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes and a teaspoon of dried oregano to the cheese filling for a Mediterranean twist with extra antioxidants.
- •
High-Protein Cottage Cheese Borek
Replace the ricotta entirely with well-drained low-fat cottage cheese. This pushes the protein content up to around 22 grams per serving while reducing fat further.
- •
Za'atar Spiced Borek
Mix 2 tablespoons of za'atar spice blend into the cheese filling and sprinkle extra za'atar over the top along with the sesame seeds for a fragrant, herby variation common in Levantine cooking.
- •
Egg-Free Borek
Skip the eggs in the filling and replace with 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tablespoons of water, rested for 5 minutes. Brush the layers with plain olive oil instead of the egg wash.
Substitutions
- •Low-fat feta cheese → Reduced-fat halloumi, finely grated (Halloumi is firmer and saltier, so reduce added salt to zero and crumble finely before mixing.)
- •Low-fat ricotta → Low-fat cottage cheese, well drained (Drain cottage cheese in a fine sieve for 20 minutes before using. It increases protein and reduces fat.)
- •Fresh baby spinach → Frozen chopped spinach (Use 100g frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed extremely dry. The flavour is slightly more intense.)
- •Phyllo pastry → Gluten-free phyllo pastry sheets (Available in specialist health food shops. Handle with extra care as gluten-free versions are more fragile.)
- •Extra virgin olive oil → Light olive oil or avocado oil spray (An avocado oil spray used between layers reduces the fat content further while still preventing sticking.)
🧊 Storage
Store leftover borek in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For best texture, reheat slices in an oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 8 to 10 minutes or in an air fryer at 170 degrees Celsius for 4 to 5 minutes. Avoid microwaving if you want to preserve the crispiness of the pastry.
📅 Make Ahead
Assemble the full tray the night before, cover tightly with cling film, and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before baking to take the chill off the tin, then bake as directed. This actually allows the layers to meld together beautifully and can produce an even more cohesive slice.
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