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34 Delicious Turkish Recipes

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If you love Turkish cuisine you have got to try these delicious Turkish recipes!

We've rounded up several traditional Turkish dishes that include main meals, soups, salads, side dishes, and dessert.

Turkey is famous for its food - from grilled meats to fresh salads to strong coffee, it's a cuisine that will make your tastebuds sing. If you like food from the Middle East and the Mediterranean, then these recipes will be very familiar for you.

Some of my favorite Turkish dishes use simple ingredients but result in absolutely stunning flavors.

The brilliance of Turkish food is largely down to the incredible use of Turkish spices (like sumac, Aleppo pepper, and urfa biber) and methods of cooking.

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An overhead shot of a bowl of Turkish lentil soup topped with paprika oil and parsley.

Turkish Soup Recipes

Turkish stuffed eggplants on a baking sheet, after coming out of the oven.

Turkish Meat Recipes (Main Course)

  • Karniyarik (Stuffed Eggplant) - This traditional turkish dish for eggplants stuffed with ground meat is a wonderfully hearty dinner recipe.
  • Tavuk Şiş (Turkish Chicken Kabobs) - Turkish chicken kebabs are made with white or dark meat chicken marinated in yogurt and a rich spice blend. You'll grill them till they are succulent and lightly charred.
  • Kofte (Meatballs) - Spicy and juicy Turkish meatballs from scratch with ground beef.
  • Lahmucan (Turkish Pizza) - A super thin, crispy Turkish flatbread topped with a flavor-packed mixture of ground meat with peppers, tomato, fresh herbs and earthy spices.
  • Doner Kebab - This might be Turkey's most popular dish - a large, beef rotisserie cooked to succulent perfection.
  • Adana Kebab (Lamb Kebab) - Grilled, spicy lamb skewers served with flatbread and tomato.
Turkish shepherds salad on a plate with kalamata olives and pita bread.

Turkish Salad Recipes

  • Shepherd's Salad (Turkish Chopped Salad) - This easy recipe is made with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, green pepper, herbs, olive oil, and feta.
  • Cacik (Turkish Cucumber Salad) - This delicious and easy Turkish cucumber with yogurt, fresh mint, and fresh dill is delicious. It's made with a few simple ingredients and is so tasty! It can also be served as a cucumber dip.
  • Kisir (Turkish Bulgur Salad) - A simple, flavor-packed Turkish bulgur salad. It has some similarities to tabbouleh but with it's own distinct and delicious tart-savory flavors. 
  • Piyaz (Turkish White Bean Salad) - A flavorful navy bean salad full of fresh veggies and protein. Make it in 15 minutes for a full meal or healthy mezze dish!
A stack of simit on a white plate.

Turkish Bread Recipes

  • Turkish Simit Recipe - This delicious simit recipe, also called a Turkish bagel or sesame bagel, is a fantastic bread chock full of sesame seeds. Serve it with cheese and sliced vegetables for a delicious breakfast.
  • Pide (Turkish Flat Bread) - A baked Turkish flat bread that comes stuffed with a variety of toppings, including cheese, sausage, spiced meat and spinach.
  • Borek (Stuffed Pastries) - A baked, stuffed flaky pastry made by layering phyllo sheets with spinach and feta cheese.
  • Gozleme (Stuffed Flatbread) - These Turkish Gozleme with Lamb are savoury homemade flatbreads made completely from scratch filled with ground lamb, spices, herbs and feta cheese. 
An overhead shot of a bowl of cilbir with some sliced of pita bread.

Turkish Breakfast & Brunch Recipes

  • Cilbir (Turkish Eggs in Yogurt) - This eggs in yogurt and chili oil recipe is a fantastic breakfast or brunch. It hits a delightful combination of flavor notes - fresh and bright, rich and spicy, creamy and savory.
  • Menemen - A delicious, traditional Turkish breakfast recipe made with eggs, green peppers, and fresh tomatoes.
  • Full Turkish Breakfast - The meal consists of meats, cheeses, fruit, veggies, and a little something sweet. It’s a gluten free and grain free plate that is filling, healthy, satisfying and great any time of day!
A closeup shot of a bowl of Turkish potato salad.

Turkish Side Dish Recipes

  • Patates Salatasi (Potato Salad) - A hearty and filling side salad (or it can be served as a main dish) that's so flavorful. The combination of creamy potatoes, bell peppers, green onions, fresh herbs, and kicky spices really makes this dish special.
  • Yaprak Sarmasi (Stuffed Grape Leaves/Dolmas) - These delicious stuffed grape leaves are hearty and healthy.
  • Saksuka (Sauteed Vegetables) - A traditional dish with sauteed vegetables in a thick garlicky tomato sauce. 
  • Sehriyeli Pilav (Rice and Orzo) - A simple and delicious side dish that is packed full of flavor. It combines fluffy rice with orzo pasta.
  • Mucver (Zucchini Fritters) - Mucver or zucchini fritters is a classic Turkish dish that's ready in 30 minutes. This recipe calls for fresh zucchini and herbs and it's very simple to make. 
  • Turkish Layered Hummus - A creamy flavorful hummus is baked, topped with toasted pine nuts; chopped radishes, cucumber, and sun-dried tomatoes; and served warm, with bread, crackers, and/or crudités for dipping.
  • Sumac Onions - A perfect partner to your main dishes and will promote your sandwiches, hamburgers, and soups with their tart flavor and crispness.
Turkish coffee being poured into a cup.

Turkish Drink Recipes

  • Turkish Coffee - A unique, rich coffee that's brewed in an unfiltered method. It's a fantastic rich, sweet, and strong cup of coffee that's absolutely delicious.
  • Aryan (Yogurt Drink) - Mixed with sea salt, Ayran is a Turkish yoghurt drink frothed to perfection in seconds and served up icy cold. 
Three kinds of Turkish delight on a marble background.

Turkish Dessert Recipes

  • Strawberry Rhubarb Lokum (Turkish Delight) - Lokum is a flavored sweet or candy, prepared from starch and sugar, filled with dry fruits, honey or nuts. It's often flavored with rosewater or orange blossom water.
  • Fistikli Baklava - A deliciously rich, buttery, sweet dessert made from phyllo dough, finely ground pistachios, butter, and a syrup made from sugar, water and lemon juice.
  • Kunefe (Cheese Pastry) - Künefe is the Turkish interpretation of a sweet Levantine cheese pastry. The by far most common version comes with an oozy cheese filling, with a crispy and buttery pastry exterior doused in sugar syrup. 
Ingredients for blackening seasoning on a small metal plate.

Turkish Seasoning Blend

  • Turkish Seasoning Blend - this wonderful blend of rich spices is so versatile! Use it to flavor kabobs, grilled vegetables, or yogurt to make a dip.
Yield: 6 servings

Delicious Turkish Recipes: Stuffed Eggplants

Two stuffed eggplants on a white plate, next to a fork and knife.

Try one of our favorite Turkish recipes - this delicious Karnıyarık recipe is made with eggplants, ground beef, and peppers.

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 Italian eggplants, halved
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste, divided
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red chili flakes
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 3 tomatoes, grated (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
  • ½ cup chopped parsley
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of neutral oil
  • 1 green chile (poblano or other), sliced
  • ½ cup water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 
  2. Cut a slit down the center of the halved eggplants without piercing the skin. Sprinkle the eggplants with salt and set them aside. This will help them release excess water. 
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and once it’s hot, add the diced onion. Sauté for 3 minutes. 
  4. Add the ground beef and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until most of the pink is gone. Break it up into smaller chunks. 
  5. Add the diced bell pepper and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the tomato paste, sea salt, Aleppo pepper, and paprika to the skillet. Stir continuously for 30 seconds till the tomato paste is incorporated. 
  6. Stir in the grated tomatoes and then bring the mixture to a low simmer for 5 minutes. 
  7. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. 
  8. Using a paper towel to remove any excess water from the eggplants. 
  9. Heat a few tablespoons of neutral oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan. Fry the eggplants cut side down for several minutes until they are browned and a little crisped. Flip them and cook the skin side for 2 minutes. Remove and set on a paper towel. Work in batches if necessary. 
  10. Place the eggplants on a large, rimmed baking sheet or in a large baking dish. Top with the meat and pepper mixture. Place a slice or two of green chile on top of each eggplant. 
  11. Stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons and ½ cup of water together, then pour in the bottom of the rimmed baking sheet or baking dish. 
  12. Cover the eggplants with aluminum foil. Bake covered for 20 minutes and then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. 
  13. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 397Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 1494mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 9gSugar: 14gProtein: 26g
© This Healthy Table
Cuisine: Turkish / Category: Roundup

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