Low-Carb & Keto Turkish Borek
Naomi Sherman- Ready in 1h
- 6.7 g net carbs
- 577 kcal
- Serves 6
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Borek is a traditional Turkish savory pastry filled with cheese and spinach but can also be made with minced meat, sausage and vegetables such as zucchini, leeks and tomato sauce. Parsley, which is often featured in Middle Eastern cuisine, is a common herb added to borek.
This Borek is a tasty and filling low-carb lunch or dinner. Savoury minced beef is nestled with rich fillings and tangy feta inside a soft grain-free and gluten-free dough, baked to perfection, and soaked in tasty juices. You could easily make this in advance and pop it in the oven when you are ready to cook it.
Surely by now you all know how much I love anything with spinach and feta in it? Do it. Make one yourself and tell me it is not divine. Enjoy!
How To Make Nut-Free Keto Borek
If you can't eat nuts, you can make the dough nut-free by swapping the almond flour for coconut flour. To do that, simply use about 6 tablespoons (48 g/ 1.7 oz) of coconut flour and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cream cheese. You can also swap for flax meal and use about 8 tablespoons (57 g/ 2 oz) flax meal and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cream cheese.
Step-by-step
Place the minced beef, seasonings, chopped onions and mushrooms into a large skillet.
Add a tablespoon of ghee and cook until browned.
Chop the spinach and add to the mince mixture, stirring until wilted. Remove from the heat and let cool.
When the mixture is cool, add the crumbled feta and stir through. Leave the mixture to go completely cold (this is essential to prevent the dough from melting and stretching).
Preheat the oven to 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan assisted), or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional). Place the mozzarella and cream cheese in a large microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for 1 minute and then stir. Heat for a further 30 seconds.
Stir mixture until it is smooth then add the almond flour and egg, beating until a smooth dough forms.
Lay a long line of baking paper on the bench. Place the dough in a tube along the paper and cover with another line of baking paper. Roll the dough out into a long thin rectangle. You will need to work quite fast now as the dough gets fragile as it cools too much.
Spoon the filling down the long side of the dough then firmly roll it into a long log.
Grease an ovenproof skillet and coil the dough into it. Beat the second egg and brush over the top, adding sesame or poppy seeds if you like.
Note: A 25 cm (10 inch) skillet (or larger) will work best. You can also simply use a baking tray although the skillet helps maintain the shape.
Bake for 25 minutes then remove and sit aside for five minutes to allow the juices to soak into the dough. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe
Low-Carb & Keto Turkish Borek
★★★★★4.8This grain-free borek is stuffed with ground beef, creamy feta and spinach. You won't even know it's low-carb!
- Hands on
- 20m
- Overall
- 1h
- Servings
- 6
- 6.7 g
- Net carbs
- 33.9 g
- Protein
- 45.7 g
- Fat
- 577
- kcal
Ingredients makes 6 servings
- Dough:
- Filling:
- Topping:
Instructions
Place the minced beef, seasonings, chopped onions and mushrooms into a large skillet.
Add a tablespoon of ghee and cook until browned.
Chop the spinach and add to the mince mixture, stirring until wilted. Remove from the heat and let cool.
When the mixture is cool, add the crumbled feta and stir through. Leave the mixture to go completely cold (this is essential to prevent the dough from melting and stretching).
Preheat the oven to 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan assisted), or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional). Place the mozzarella and cream cheese in a large microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for 1 minute and then stir. Heat for a further 30 seconds.
Stir mixture until it is smooth then add the almond flour and egg, beating until a smooth dough forms.
Lay a long line of baking paper on the bench. Place the dough in a tube along the paper and cover with another line of baking paper. Roll the dough out into a long thin rectangle. You will need to work quite fast now as the dough gets fragile as it cools too much.
Spoon the filling down the long side of the dough then firmly roll it into a long log.
Grease an ovenproof skillet and coil the dough into it. Beat the second egg and brush over the top, adding sesame or poppy seeds if you like.
Note: A 25 cm (10 inch) skillet (or larger) will work best. You can also simply use a baking tray although the skillet helps maintain the shape.Bake for 25 minutes then remove and sit aside for five minutes to allow the juices to soak into the dough. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition per serving, 1 slice
Carbs 5%Protein 24%Fat 71% of calories
- Net carbs
- 6.7 g
- Total carbs
- 9.1 g
- Fiber
- 2.4 g
- Sugars
- 4.3 g
- Protein
- 33.9 g
- Fat
- 45.7 g
- Saturated fat
- 19.4 g
- Calories
- 577 kcal
- Sodium
- 870 mg · 37.8% RDA
- Magnesium
- 89 mg · 22.3% RDA
- Potassium
- 566 mg · 28.3% EMR
Nutrition by ingredient
| Per 1 slice | Net carbs | Protein | Fat | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mozzarella cheese (low moisture, for pizza) | 1.6 g | 6.7 g | 5.6 g | 83 |
| Cream cheese, soft (full-fat) | 0.2 g | 0.4 g | 1.4 g | 12 |
| Almond flour (blanched ground almonds, almond meal) | 1.5 g | 3.6 g | 8.8 g | 98 |
| Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs) | 0.1 g | 1 g | 0.8 g | 12 |
| Beef, minced (ground), raw, grass-fed | 0 g | 14.3 g | 16.7 g | 212 |
| Onion powder, spices | 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 |
| Garlic powder, spices | 0.3 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 2 |
| Salt, sea salt | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Pepper, black, spices | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Onion, brown (yellow), raw | 0.7 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 4 |
| Mushrooms (white), fresh | 0.3 g | 0.4 g | 0 g | 3 |
| Ghee | 0 g | 0 g | 2.5 g | 23 |
| Spinach, fresh | 0.1 g | 0.3 g | 0 g | 2 |
| Feta cheese | 1.7 g | 5.9 g | 8.9 g | 110 |
| Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs) | 0.1 g | 1 g | 0.8 g | 12 |
| Sesame seeds | 0.1 g | 0.1 g | 0.2 g | 3 |
| Total | 6.7 g | 33.9 g | 45.7 g | 577 |
Serving size 1 slice
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- Nightshade free
- Pork free
- Avocado free
- Coconut free
- Fish free
- Shellfish free
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Comments & ratings (34)
Loved this and will make again - looking forward to trying many different fillings
Thank you Karin, I'm glad you enjoyed!
I made it a Keto Reuben Borek with smoked pulled pork, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese this week. Added some caraway seeds on the outside to give it that rye feeling. Was lovely. Calzone next 😊
Yum! I'd love to have a slice of that 😊
Perfect Turkish Börek! THANKS!
Thank you very much for this recipe. Finally great keto dough for borek that works.
I tried yesterday and it was absolutely delicious!
Thank you Pauline, I'm glad you enjoyed! ❤️
Is it possible to make this without the beef? I'm a vegetarian. How should I substitute? Thank you very much
Of course! I think this filling would be nice: 5-Ingredient Keto Spanakopita
Or this one: Mushroom & Ricotta Keto Galette
I tried this today and it was really good. It came out perfect and know will be doing it again soon.
Thank you very much for your great recipes.
Thank you for your lovely feedback! ❤️
Hi there! Can you provide some tips in regards to preparing the dough? This was my first attempt at a Keto friendly dough and it failed big time!! I place on wax paper and rolled it out, but the dough stuck and almost melted to the paper, I was not able to make a “roll” once I had placed the filling on (which was completely cooled)
Thanks in advance!!!
I think I may know why - did the dough look similar to the one in this video recipe? Fat Head Pizza with Pepperoni & Jalapeños
If so, I used a block of mozzarella cheese that I grated. It was a "pizza style" cheese but still too moist. It works for a pizza but it's too sticky for recipes like these. What you need is part-skim shredded mozzarella (low moisture). I hope this helps!
Hi Martina ... can you let me know if it's ok to freeze fresh mozzarella and then grate or shred it for this recipe as I understand store bought shredded mozarella has potato or other suspect fillers in it?
THANKS
Hi Mary, when it comes to mozzarella, you really need a specific one. Fresh mozzarella (the one for salads sold in balls or blocks) won't work. You will need part-skim, low moisture, pizza style shredded mozzarella. Here's a similar recipe that includes a video tutorial: 5-Ingredient Keto Ham & Cheese Pockets (as you can see the dough is not sticky and easy to roll out). I hope this helps!
Thanks so much Martina 😊
Hi,
Can I make this and freeze it to cook in the oven at a later date?
Thanks
Hi Mary, I'm not sure what the filling would be like. My worry is that it may make the dough soggy but then it's not too moist, it may be fine. Let me know if you try that!
Will do Marina 😊
This looks AWESOME, I can't wait to try this!!
That looks awesome.
I have a question. I don't have a oven proof skillet right now where I am this week. Can I cook it directly in the oven tray?
Yes you can do that. The skillet helps maintain the shape but oven tray will work just fine (I added a note in step 9) 😊
Hi, I would like to try this recipe but I don’t like Feta! Is there an alternative I could use?
The closest one to feta would be soft goat's cheese but you could even use brie or blue cheese, or even shredded cheddar. It depends on what you like 😊
This looks absolutely delish!! I'm going to print it off now and make it as soon as my fridge is empty of 'teas' - supposed to be running the freezer down but this won't wait! Yum!!
Thank you Janet, I hope you enjoy! ❤️
Approximately what dimensions should the dough be when rolled out?
Hi Cici
Mine was rolled out to about 70cm long x 25cm wide.
I hope that helps.
Cheers, Naomi
I am making this for the second time now. It may be my favorite fat head recipe yet! I do add a bunch of additional spices & more spinach. I absolutely love this recipe! Thank you for posting it!!
Thank you for sharing this Cici! ❤️
This was excellent! Added more spinach as suggested. Rolled it out too thin, but the dough is so easy to work with, it didn’t matter. We will make this often. Thanks for another wonderful recipe! 😊
Thank you for your lovely feedback! ❤️
I just cooked this recipe for LC borek. When done, it looked almost the same as the featured photo even though I baked it in a square cast iron pan. It browned nicely all over, even the bottom. All five of us enjoyed it. My 4 guys said they would of liked more spinach and if the dough could be rolled out about twice as long so the roll would be less thicker and thus more authentic- that would require more ingredients and change the macros per serving, so I’m not sure if it’s a good idea for people on a LC diet.
Hi Keryn, I think you can roll it out even more. This dough is super flexible and you should be able to roll it out really thin. More spinach is an option too - it's ultra low in carbs even if you use twice as much or more. Maybe use frozen spinach and squeeze all the excess water out before adding to the beef (you want to avoid excess moisture as tat would make the dough soggy). I hope this helps!