Kiymali Borek (Turkish Meat Borek)

Turkish pastries called "Kiymali borek (meat borek) made with yufka and mince

4.86 from 7 votes

Kiymali Borek (Turkish Meat Borek)

Turkish cuisine has a very large selection of borek recipes of all types and Kiymali Borek (Turkish Meat Burek) is probably one of the most popular among them.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish

Diet: Low Lactose

Servings: boreks

Calories: 190kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Equipment

1 kitchen scale
1 Measuring cups
1 measuring spoons
1 Sharp knife
1 Rubber spatula
1 frying pan

Ingredients

For the Mince Filling

14 oz ground beef or lamb (400 grams)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 medium onions (finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika (use chilli or hot paprika if you want spicy)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Sauce

1 medium egg
⅓ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup milk
2 tablespoon Greek yoghurt or natural yoghurt
1 tablespoon cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

For Building the Borek

3 pieces yufka sheets
2 tbsps melted butter for brushing (30 grams)
sesame seeds, nigella seeds or poppy seeds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparing the Mince Filling

Put a heavy-based pan on medium heat and brown the ground meat until it releases its fat.
Add the olive oil to the pan and saute the onions along with the garlic until soft and translucent.
Add salt, freshly ground black pepper and paprika, remove from the heat and let it cool down while preparing the sauce.

Preparing the Sauce

Whisk an egg in a medium-sized bowl.
Add vegetable oil, milk, yoghurt and vinegar to the eggs and whisk until combined.

Building the Borek Parcels

Preheat the oven to 360° F (180° C).
Lay one sheet of yufka on a clean work surface.
Drizzle 1-1 ½ tablespoon of the sauce and spread it evenly using a brush.
Fold one rounded side towards the middle and then fold the opposite rounded side to meet in the middle.
Drizzle some sauce just enough to lightly cover the pastry and spread it with the brush.
Fold the other rounded sides towards the middle to form a square parcel.
Brush lightly with sauce and cut them into 4 squares.
Place a large spoonful of mince filling in the middle of each pastry squares.
Fold each of the corners toward the middle to form a square parcel, gently press in the middle where all the corners meet and turn the pastry upside down.
Repeat the same steps for the 2 other yufka pieces.
Line a baking tray with silicone paper and place the borek parcels ¼" - ½ cm away from each other.
Add melted butter to the sauce. If you don't have any sauce left, just use the melted butter.
Brush your pastries with the sauce and butter mixture evenly.
Sprinkle on some sesame seeds, nigella seeds or poppy seeds.
Place the tray in the hot oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until they have turned golden brown and crispy.

Video

Notes

Double the recipe up and keep extra borek parcels in the freezer for up to 3 months. They are great for last-minute emergencies or guests and very easy to reheat from frozen.
You can use filo pastries instead of yufka which are similar but thinner than yufka, and they come in rectangular shapes.
The leftover boreks would keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.
It is very easy to reheat the borek and you can reheat them straight out of the freezer without defrosting. Wrap them in tin foil and then place them in a preheated oven (180° C - 360° F) for about 10 minutes, or until they are piping hot in the middle. Give extra 5 minutes for frozen boreks.

Nutrition