27 Easy Turkish Recipes

Are you looking to up your dinner game this weekend? Finding new and creative recipes for Turkish food is one way to achieve this goal.

Many Turkish food recipes come in the form of stews and soups, with a lot of emphases placed on deliciously spicy meat, vegetables, and legumes.

If you’re in the mood to try something different or bookmark a page of all your favorite recipes you want to share with friends and family, you’ve come to the right spot.

Below, we have gathered up some of the most popular Turkish recipes for you and your loved ones to try.

Whether you’re celebrating Eid al-Fitr, a birthday, or a typical Thursday evening, these recipes are chock full of flavor and incredibly easy to make.

1. Turkish Bulgur Pilaf Recipe

Out of all the recipes that’ll soon be mentioned on this list, this one is one of the most popular – and if we may say so, so chock full of delicious flavor.

The secret ingredient is Coarse Bulgur. If you’re not familiar, this is a form of cracked wheat berry that originally hailed from the Middle East.

It has a light and nutty flavor to it, whereas it gets chewy once cooked.

If you don’t have Coarse Bulgur, swap it out for some rice or buckwheat since the flavors will be similar.

2. Homemade Manti (Traditional Turkish Dumplings)

This delicious traditional dumpling meal is a great Turkish dinner to try out this week!

Onions are this dish’s secret ingredient. They not only add a lot of great texture to these dumplings but provide a little something extra to the overall flavor without overpowering everything else.

If you are looking for a substitution, you can use sour cream instead of yoghurt. It will provide the same amount of consistency without changing the overall flavor drastically.

Just make sure you’re using plain yoghurt! Try this recipe out for your next family dinner.

3. Easy Turkish Baklava

This delicious Turkish dessert is one to hit your sweet tooth in a unique way that stands out from every other dessert on the table.

The secret ingredient for this recipe is walnuts. The walnuts add a texture that you don’t get out of the other ingredients and provide just enough flavor to compliment everything else in this recipe.

If you need to swap anything out we recommend changing out the sugar for a sweetener of your choice if you’re looking for a healthier take on this recipe. Or swap out the walnuts for your preferred choice of nuts.

4. Turkish Red Lentil Soup

This delicious red lentil soup is one of our favorite authentic Turkish recipes and one you really need to try for yourself

The secret ingredient for this one is the red lentils themselves. While that secret ingredient might not seem so secret, they make up the majority of the flavor for this recipe while also forming the base the other ingredients combine into.

If you need a substitution, try swapping out onion for onion powder.

While the texture might be different, it will still provide the same flavor, and that’s really all that matters.

5. Turkish Chicken Kebabs

With summer getting into full swing, most people are firing up their barbecues. If you’re looking to do something a little different at your next party, try out this recipe.

The secret ingredient here is cinnamon. It’s one of the spices that make up this dish and it provides a hint of sweetness to the savory that the rest of the ingredients need.

If you’re looking to change things up, try swapping out the cloves of garlic for garlic powder.

It’s something you’re more likely to have around the house and it doesn’t make any drastic change to the overall recipe.

6. Homemade Turkish Meatballs Kofte

These meatballs are a bit different from what you would get with your spaghetti.

These meatballs have a bit of spice to them and go great with other Turkish dishes.

The secret ingredient in these is the breadcrumbs. They help the rest of the ingredients bond together without taking away from the overall flavor.

If you need to change things up, try swapping out chilli powder with paprika. Paprika will add a hint of extra smokiness to the flavor but still provide the same amount of spice this dish is traditionally accustomed to.

7. No-knead Turkish Bread

“No-knead” to worry, this next recipe is one of our favorite Turkish recipes (I hope that pun wasn’t too on the nose).

This bread doesn’t need to be kneaded and tastes delicious with every bite. The secret ingredient for this one? The caster/fine sugar.

This adds a hint of sweetness to this bread without making it feel like you’re eating a pastry.

If you need a substitution, try swapping out yeast for baking powder. This should help it rise and maybe even do so in a shorter amount of time, so it’s a win-win.

8. Turkish Eggs (Cilbir)

This is not only one of our favorite easy Turkish recipes, but it also gives you a different way to prepare your eggs. Don’t get us wrong, we love scrambled and over easy, but this take on eggs might just become your new favorite breakfast.

The secret ingredient is cayenne pepper. While there are a few different spices in this dish, this adds a level of kick that the others don’t, making this the perfect breakfast for spicy food lovers.

If you need to change anything out, try swapping your Greek yoghurt for sour cream.

Sure, it won’t be as healthy but it will taste just as good.

9. Turkish Borek with Cheese and Herbs

You might be thinking to yourself, “What are traditional Turkish dishes?” While there are many great examples on this list, Borek is a great savory pie worth trying out.

The secret ingredient for this recipe is mozzarella cheese.

This is going to add some delicious cheesy flavor to the dish and it will melt nicely to make it blend with the other ingredients.

If you need to change anything up, try swapping out the green onions for shallots.

While they are a little different in terms of flavor, they shouldn’t change up the overall flavor of the dish too much.

10. Dolmas (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

This unique treat offers up a sweet and healthy snack that is worth trying out for yourself, especially if you’re looking for something a bit different.

The secret ingredient for this one is the white rice.

The white rice is going to provide the base for the other ingredients to come together and for all of the flavors to combine to create this delicious treat.

If you’re looking for a substitution, we recommend using walnuts in the case that you can’t get ahold of pine nuts.

It shouldn’t change up the flavor all that drastically and it will provide the same amount of texture.

11. Mücver (Turkish courgette/zucchini fritters)

This next dish is one you need to add to your Turkish food menu. These deep-fried zucchini fritters are so good that you won’t be able to eat just one.

The secret ingredient for this dish is coriander. It’s going to help give this dish a bit of flavor that it wouldn’t have without it and it makes this taste that much better (if that was even possible!)

If you need to change anything out, try swapping out the onion for onion powder. It might have the same consistency, but it will still provide the same amount of flavor. It’s a great substitute to get you out of a bind.

12. Turkish Shepherd Salad

If you’re looking for healthy Turkish recipes, you’ve come to the right place.

This salad not only features several incredibly healthy ingredients, but it’s also super easy to prepare!

The secret ingredient for this dish is sumac. It’s just enough to add a unique flavor to the salad without being too overpowering everything else.

Simply put, it complements the dish just right.

If you need to change anything up, you can always replace the red peppers with another pepper of your choice.

Green and yellow peppers can be used without bothering the overall taste of the salad too much.

13. Turkish Simit

This traditional Turkish bread is a delicious take on sesame seed bread that is worth trying out. And trust us when we say, it’s one of the most unique recipes on this list.

The secret ingredient for this recipe is grape molasses. This adds a somewhat fruity flavor to the bread that makes it distinct from other bread recipes and keeps it from being a dull sesame seed bread recipe.

If you need to change things up, try swapping out granulated sugar for confectioners’ sugar.

There shouldn’t be any change in flavor or texture with this switch.

14. Ekmek Turkish Bread

Unlike our previous entry, this bread is a bit different. This traditional flatbread is slightly sour and delicious down to the last bite.

The secret ingredient here is white sugar. It gives the bread the slightest hint of sweetness and compliments the other ingredients well.

If you need to change anything up, we recommend swapping out yeast for baking powder.

Not only will this not have any effect on the bread’s flavor, but it might allow it to rise faster than regular yeast.

15. Turkish Moussaka (Musakka)

This next dish is one that when you look up Turkish food names with pictures on Google, you’ll stop and drool.

Best of all, this hearty stew makes for a great dinner.

The secret ingredient for this recipe is tomatoes. While the regular tomatoes are used for the tomato paste, this still makes up for a lot of the recipe and brings the rest of the ingredients together to create the overall flavor of the dish.

If you’re looking for a substitution, you can use either beef or lamb for your meat in this stew. You can’t go wrong either way.

16. Turkish Salad

This recipe is one of our favorite Turkish side dishes. It can also be served up as an appetizer.

The secret ingredient for this dish is jalapeno pepper.

While there are many ingredients in this dish that contribute to its spiciness, the jalapeno provides an extra level of kick with every bite.

If you need to change things out, try swapping the garlic cloves for garlic powder.

It’s going to provide the same amount of garlic flavor and you won’t be sacrificing texture to get it.

17. Shepherd’s Salad

This healthy, refreshing, and easy-to-make chopped salad makes for a different and delicious way to make a salad.

The secret ingredient for this one is the cucumber. It’s going to make up a lot of the flavor of this dish without overpowering the other flavors too much.

It provides a great base for the other flavors to expand upon.

If you’re looking to change things up try serving it with a topping of feta cheese for some additional flavor. Yum!

18. Gozleme

This recipe is a delicious flatbread that is stuffed with ingredients that are sure to make you come back for more.

The secret ingredient for this dish is baby spinach. It’s fairly prominent in the dish but its flavor doesn’t overpower everything else.

It just compliments the rest of the ingredients.

If you need to substitute anything, beef and lamb can be used pretty interchangeably in this dish.

It tastes great either way. We personally prefer lamb, but it’s just as good with beef instead.

19. Hummus tehina

This Turkish take on Vegan hummus is worth trying out if you’re looking for something a little different in your afternoon snack.

The secret ingredient is paprika. It’s going to add a little bit of smoky heat to the hummus without setting your mouth on fire with every bite.

If you need to change things up, try swapping out cloves of garlic for garlic powder, if that is all you have handy. Try this one out if you want a change in your hummus.

20. Pide – Turkish Flatbread/Pizza

What is Turkey’s most popular food? Well, it might be hard to narrow down that list, but pide is definitely one of the dishes on that list.

The secret ingredient for this dish is the minced lamb. It makes a lot of the flavor in the dish and when it’s paired with Turkish sujuk sausage, it creates a meaty flavor that is unlike anything else.

If you need to swap anything out, you can swap the Turkish kasar cheese with mozzarella if that’s all you’re able to get your hands on.

21. Turkish One-Pan Eggs and Peppers

This is a great Turkish street food that can be served for almost any meal of the day.

The secret ingredient for this dish is tomatoes. It forms the base for the dish where a lot of the other ingredients can come together and let their flavors combine to create a delicious overall flavour.

If you need to substitute anything, try swapping out the yoghurt for sour cream.

It should provide the same level of thickness without changing the flavor too much.

22. Turkish Delight

This dessert is so good that the quality is specified in its name.

This delightful treat is definitely one you should try serving up at your next party!

The secret ingredient for this one is rosewater. It makes up not only the majority of the flavour of this treat but also provides it with its distinct rose coloring.

If you need to swap anything out, try swapping out the cornstarch for rice flour.

It’s a nice healthy alternative and it does so without changing the flavor.

23. Haydari (Turkish Yogurt Dip)

If you’re looking for a great dip to compliment one of the many kebab or flatbread recipes on this list, try this recipe for size.

This thick dip compliments the flavors of those recipes really well. The secret ingredient for this dip is cream cheese.

It helps make the dip nice and thick while providing a base for all of the flavors to come together.

If you have to substitute anything, swap out the yoghurt for sour cream.

It won’t hurt the consistency of the dip and still provide the same amount of flavor for your kebabs.

24. Turkish Coffee

If you’re looking for a unique morning pick-me-up, then try out this recipe for Turkish coffee.

The secret ingredient here is the coffee grounds. While maybe not totally surprising, their distinct flavor is what gives this coffee its character and taste.

If you’re looking to change things up, much like a regular cup of coffee, adding sugar to your liking is always welcome.

This Turkish take on a traditional cup of coffee is the perfect way to start your day and one recipe we recommend before you reach for your next k-cup.

25. Tavuk Şiş: Authentic Turkish Chicken Kebab

This delicious dish is an authentic Turkish kebab that will have your mouth watering after every bite.

So it’s not surprising that this savory dish is one of our favorites on this list.

The secret ingredient is yoghurt.

This is going to add some thickness to the sauce that is coated on the kebab and also provides a base for the other ingredients and flavors to come together.

If you’re looking to change things up, you can add some paprika for a little bit of smokey heat. Or, go ahead and swap out your favorite type of meat.

26. Easy Lahmacun Recipe

This Turkish flatbread pizza is a hearty, tasty version of the Italian classic. The secret ingredient for this dish is cayenne pepper.

While there’s not so much that it will overpower the other flavors, there’s just enough to add a bit of spice to the dish.

If you have to substitute anything, you can swap out the lamb for ground beef.

It tastes great either way, but ground beef might be a bit more affordable and easier to get ahold of.

27. Turkish Slow-Cooked Beef and Vegetable Stew

While this dish might take a while to cook, in the end, the wait is well worth it.

This stew is a great one to serve for dinner for your family. The secret ingredient is the Anaheim chiles.

They’re going to add a bit of spice to the dish but they shouldn’t overpower anything or make this dish too hot to handle.

If you need to change things out, you can use tomato paste instead of Turkish pepper paste if that’s all you have handy.