Spiced Lamb Phyllo Börek

Name: Spiced Lamb Phyllo Börek
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Greek, Turkish
Ingredients: 1 tsp Black Pepper; 2 tbsp Butter; 0.5 tsp Cayenne Pepper; 1 whole Diced Yellow Onion; 2 tbsp Dried Currant; 2 tbsp Dried Mint; 1 whole Eggs; 4 whole Garlic; 0.25 tsp Ground Allspice; 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon; 1 tsp Ground Coriander; 2 tsp Ground Cumin; 2 lb Ground Lamb; 1 tsp Lemon Juice; 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 1 tsp Paprika; 12 whole Phyllo Dough; 3 tbsp Pine Nuts; 3 tbsp Plain Greek Yogurt; 2 tsp Salt; 2 tsp Sesame Seeds; 1.5 cups Tomato Sauce; 0.25 cup Water

Appetizer 🧄Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪 Greek 🇬🇷Turkish 🇹🇷 High-Protein 💪Low-Sodium Halal 🕌Comfort-Food

Spiced Lamb Phyllo Börek features crisp, flaky layers wrapped around juicy ground lamb scented with cumin, cinnamon, and paprika, punctuated by sweet currants and buttery pine nuts. Each bite balances warmth and subtle heat, finished perfectly with a cool mint-garlic yogurt. Serve as an elegant appetizer, a festive party bite, or a cozy dinner with a simple salad.

Prep45 mins
Cook1 hr 5 mins
Serves8
DifficultyMedium

1

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, salt, and lamb. Break the lamb into small crumbles. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, currants, pine nuts, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, black pepper, cayenne, and allspice. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
2

Pour the tomato sauce into the lamb mixture. Add water, stir, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the lamb mixture dries out and you can stir it without seeing liquid on the bottom of the pan, 20 to 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool completely before using.
3

Meanwhile, combine the egg, yogurt, water, and butter in a bowl. Whisk thoroughly.
4

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a round baking pan or a sheet pan.
5

Place 2 sheets of phyllo on your work surface. Keep the remaining sheets covered with a damp towel. Sprinkle a little egg wash on top and spread it with a pastry brush. Layer 2 more sheets on, one at a time, brushing more egg wash over each.
6

Arrange 1/3 of the lamb filling along one wide edge of the phyllo. Roll the pastry up starting from the filling side and set it against the edge of the pan. Brush more egg wash on top.
7

Form and fill 2 more rolls with the remaining phyllo, most of the egg wash, and the filling. Wrap the rolls along and inside the first one to fill the pan, and brush with egg wash. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
8

Bake in the preheated oven until browned and crisp, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
9

Combine yogurt, mint, lemon juice, and garlic for the yogurt sauce. Mix in enough water to reach your preferred dipping consistency. Season with salt and cayenne. Cut the börek into wedges and serve with the yogurt sauce.