Spinach & Feta Börek

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Published May 11, 2026  ·  ⭐ 4.0 (11 reviews)

Prep	Cook	Total	Yield
35 min	25 min	1 hr	12 rolls

Difficulty: Medium

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Ingredients

Filling

• 400 g fresh spinach (or 250 g frozen, thawed and squeezed dry)
• 200 g feta cheese, crumbled
• 100 g ricotta
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 25 g fresh dill, chopped
• 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 0.5 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes (pul biber)
• Fine sea salt and black pepper to taste

Assembly

• 12 sheets phyllo pastry (about 270 g), thawed
• 80 g unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 1 tbsp milk
• Sesame seeds and nigella seeds for topping

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Steps Overview

1. Wilt the spinach and squeeze out moisture
2. Mix filling with feta, ricotta, and herbs
3. Roll in buttered phyllo sheets
4. Egg wash and scatter with seeds
5. Bake until shatteringly crisp

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Step-by-Step

1. Cook the filling

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the spinach in handfuls, stirring until wilted (about 3 minutes for fresh, 1 minute for frozen). Transfer to a sieve and press out as much liquid as possible. Let cool completely.

2. Mix the filling

In a large bowl, combine the cooled spinach with crumbled feta, ricotta, dill, parsley, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt (go easy, feta is salty) and black pepper. Mix until well combined.

3. Assemble the rolls

Preheat the oven to 190 C (fan 170 C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Mix the melted butter with 2 tbsp olive oil. Lay one phyllo sheet on your work surface (keep the rest under a damp tea towel). Brush with the butter-oil mixture. Layer a second sheet on top and brush again. Spoon a line of filling along the short edge, leaving 2 cm on each side. Fold in the sides and roll up tightly into a cigar shape. Place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and filling.

4. Egg wash and top

Whisk the egg yolk with milk and brush over each roll. Sprinkle generously with sesame seeds and nigella seeds.

5. Bake

Bake for 20-25 minutes until deep golden and crisp. The phyllo should shatter when you bite into it. Serve warm with a bowl of plain yoghurt on the side.

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Notes

• Squeezing the spinach is the most important step. Wet spinach makes soggy borek. Wring it in a clean tea towel until bone-dry.
• The ricotta adds creaminess that pure feta lacks, but you can go all-feta if you prefer a sharper, more assertive filling.
• These freeze beautifully before baking. Assemble, freeze on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Bake from frozen, adding 5-7 minutes.
• Pul biber (Aleppo pepper flakes) gives the authentic flavour, but regular red pepper flakes work in a pinch.