Craving a culinary adventure? Look no further!
These 25 incredible Turkish recipes offer a passport to sensational flavors, right from your very own kitchen.
From savory salads to comforting soups, get ready to embark on a journey for your taste buds.
1. Turkish White Bean Salad
Although often a supporting character, white bean salad shines on its own. Since it’s packed with protein and flaunts a fantastic flavor, try making it a vegetarian main course.
Using canned beans as a hack saves time. Making the dressing only takes combining lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.
You might try adding a bit of sumac for even more zing. This is a great duo alongside Turkish meatballs.
2. Turkish Bulgur Salad
If you’re a fan of the Turkish staple bulgur, then you should put it in a salad! Bulgur salad, otherwise known as kisir, can be found in many laid-back restaurants and is often enjoyed alongside sweet and savory pastries. Its palate-pleasing taste makes it a great side to chicken and meats fresh off the grill.
The flavor of this Turkish dish becomes even more fantastic with time. Play around with the ingredients, ensuring they deliver a delightful crunch and a beautiful color to the mix.
3. Turkish Bulgur Pilaf
Share Turkey’s magnificent flavors in your very own kitchen with this bulgur pilaf recipe. Enjoy this side dish’s richness, but also take advantage of the nutritional value in bulgur wheat.
You’ll find bulgur wheat in the international section of most grocery stores. Other ingredients include tomatoes, onion, chicken broth, and tomato paste. Consider tossing in more veggies to make the dish even tastier.
4. Borek
Here’s another amazing pastry out of Turkey. Cheese, potatoes, and spinach are typical fillings, but meat is a traditional stuffing as well.
Borek has a few variations, with this recipe creating “sigara boregi” or cigar borek. Enjoy it as a simple snack in the middle of the day, maybe served with tea or salad on the side.
5. Gozleme
Gozleme is another flatbread from Turkey that comes together with just three ingredients! Prep time lasts about 20 minutes, and the recipe moves quickly.
You’ll be delighted by the golden, crisp flatbread with delectable fillings. Feta and spinach is a personal fave for stuffing. Other solutions are spiced ground meat using beef or lamb.
6. Turkish Cabbage Rolls
Prepare some of the most appealing cabbage rolls on Earth with this recipe. These vegetable rolls float in creamy tomato sauce touched with cinnamon and nutmeg. You’ll be hooked after just one bite.
Enjoy the meaty flavor from a well-spiced lamb mixture inside each roll. Bits of sweetness are incorporated into the rolls with dried apricots and pine nuts.
7. Turkish Yogurt Drink
It’s super easy to make, healthy, and so refreshing on a hot day: ayran, the Turkish yogurt drink. You’re only going to need water, yogurt, and sea salt to mix up this nutritious beverage. Five minutes and you’re all set.
A blender is optional, but you may want to use it to add ingredients such as cumin, grated cucumber, or mint. For the perfect consistency, the recipe recommends a 1:1 yogurt-to-water ratio, but it’s up to you to adjust based on thickness preferences.
8. Turkish Lentil Soup
This Turkish lentil soup is velvety, spicy, and nutritious.
Providing warmth and much-needed heat, it’s ideal in cold weather. Basic croutons add substance, and lemon brightens every flavor.
9. Turkish Coffee
Brewing Turkish coffee traditionally means using a small pot with a cardamom pod, and sugar is optional. Because there’s no milk or cream, Turkish coffee ends up being stronger than others.
This coffee is also used in fortunetelling. Advisors claim meaning can be found in the coffee grounds at the bottom of the cup.
10. Turkish Salad
Many Turkish natives are in love with Turkish salad as a summertime meal. Combining staples such as bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon juice, and parsley, this salad is incredibly simple, taking just 15 minutes to prep!
Mix well in a bowl, freeze for one hour, then serve for a taste of summer.
11. Turkish Potato Salad
You won’t find any mayo in this Turkish take on potato salad, yet the flavor still packs a punch.
Calling for the freshest ingredients, herbs, and spices, the end result is a side dish that’s both light and satisfying, pairing remarkably with barbecue or grilled meats. You likely have what you need in the pantry, including eggs, potatoes, black olives, green onion, and parsley.
12. Turkish Lamb Kebabs
These lamb bits are cooked on a metal skewer and marinated in classic Turkish spices and tomato paste. These lamb kebabs provide a flavor explosion!
Top with juicy, roasted tomatoes on flatbread, then prepare to enjoy this snack at lightning speed. If you have an affinity for kebabs, you’ll also enjoy the beef and chicken versions as well.
13. Simit
From Turkey is a breakfast food known as simit, which is similar to a bagel. This ring-shaped treat is sold in the streets, making it a popular choice among busy folks on the go. Before baking, the bagel is dipped in molasses, then dredged in sesame.
Enjoy this Turkish pastry in different ways. For example, you might turn them into croutons by chopping them and heating until crisp. Or, go the traditional route by enjoying it as-is with a salty yogurt drink.
14. Turkish Rice
Step away from plain white rice and try this Turkish variant. Pairing well with vegetables, meats, and stews, it soaks up every flavor.
You can create a bowl of fluffy rice with nutty aroma by using arborio or baldo rice. Real Turkish rice demands butter, so you’ll want to cook it in butter first.
15. Turkish Stuffed Eggplant
Karniyarik, or stuffed eggplant, gives you a bite bursting with flavors and is a celebrated dish in Turkey. The filling is smoky, tomato-y, and garlicky.
Make karniyarik to add eggplant to your weekly meal plan. Though authentic karniyarik often involves frying, this recipe opts for baking to make it more healthy.
16. Menemen (Turkish Eggs)
Give yourself a morning boost by preparing scrambled eggs the Turkish way! Menemen is a fantastic option for a traditional Turkish breakfast.
Though it might seem difficult to make, all the fixings you need are waiting for you in your pantry. Additionally, it’s fast to prepare.
At its most basic, Menemen is scrambled eggs with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and seasonings. Sprinkle chili flakes and feta on top for an amazing kick. Be sure to pair the eggs with bread so not a drop of the sauce goes to waste!
17. Turkish Yogurt and Cucumber Dip
Yogurt works wonders beyond refreshing summertime drinks. You can also use this ingredient to prepare a wonderful dip! All that’s needed is some cucumber, mint, and garlic.
Chill the dip until needed, or enjoy it as a side. This dip makes a phenomenal pairing with meatballs or barbecued meats.
Want to turn it into soup? Add cold water to the yogurt-cucumber dip and serve right away.
18. Doner Kebab
I wondered about meat being cooked on vertical rotisseries during trips to Turkish eateries. And after trying it myself, I became a lifetime fan! That is why I am happy to share this doner kebab recipe.
If you adore this dish, you can now cook it at home, as authentically as possible. Though cooking in rotisserie mode is optional, the spice mix is vital.
A perfect mix of isot pepper, oregano, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, and salt is all that’s needed for a satisfying Turkish meal. Next, just wrap the meat in tortilla bread with onions, shepherd’s salad, and fries.
19. Turkish Vegetable Soup
Whenever winter comes around, I always turn to a soup recipe that’s full of classic Turkish spices and tasty vegetables. Orzo elevates this hearty dish, delivering even more thickness.
Level up this dish with red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and cheese on top. Yum!
20. Turkish Meatballs
Kofta, otherwise known as Turkish meatballs, is truly so much better than the kind you find in stores. They offer a perfect tenderness and are infused with spices from cumin, black pepper, thyme, and salt.
You can go with 100% lamb or beef, or even combine the two. To give it a kick, throw in red pepper flakes or chili powder to the spice mixture. Try serving these meatballs with dips, salads, and pita for a complete meal.
21. Turkish Cucumber Salad
Here is a salad that’s not only fresh and green, but also features a creamy dressing that makes it especially yummy and easy to prepare. Simply whip up a dressing with yogurt, lemon, and sour cream before mixing in the remaining ingredients.
Consider this salad a side for Mediterranean meals, such as shawarma. You might even add it to pita bread for a nutritious and light lunch.
22. Lahmacun (Turkish Pizza)
Lahmacun equates to “dough with meat.” You’ll enjoy a thin, crisp pizza topped with minced meat, tons of herbs, and veggies. If you use store-bought pizza dough, the homemade pizza comes together fast.
To make the pizza as delicious as possible, devote yourself to creating a flavorful minced meat mixture. Red onions and mint leaves? Don’t forget to add them!
The most popular way to eat this pizza is to wrap it up after drizzling it with lemon juice. There you have it: a great Turkish meal for a busy morning!
23. Turkish Bread
Similar to chapati or pizza, pide, otherwise known as Turkish bread, is a boat-shaped flatbread you can enjoy plain or with cheese, spinach, or meat. You might even combine those toppings if you are feeling bold.
You don’t need to be a professional to put together this flatbread. Being able to mix, roll, and knead is all you need!
24. Turkish Hummus
The base for this dish is a creamy paste with mashed chickpeas enhanced with tahini, garlic, and lemon.
Expect a delicious dip that’s heavy on sesame, as Turkish hummus boasts way more tahini than the Greek variant. Serve this hummus warm to highlight its texture from crispy beef bits that top it off.
25. Turkish Zucchini Fritters
Need a way to get those picky eaters to enjoy their veggies? Then you are in luck. Your family will find these zucchini fritters too delicious to resist!
Kick up the texture with vegetables like onions, carrots, and potatoes. Fry up the zucchini until golden brown before pairing with Turkish yogurt for a fulfilling Mediterranean-style experience.