5 Easy Turkish Recipes to Cook at Home

• November 8, 2026November 9, 2026
• Recipes, Turkish Food Guides

Turkish home cooking is generous, seasonal and surprisingly simple. These five easy Turkish recipes are everyday classics you will find in homes and lokantas across Turkey, and all of them use ingredients you can buy in any London supermarket or Turkish grocer. Each makes a great introduction to Turkish food, and together they make a complete meal.

1. Mercimek çorbası (red lentil soup)

Turkey’s favourite soup: smooth, warming and ready in about 40 minutes. Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 200g red lentils, rinsed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
• 1 tbsp tomato or red pepper paste
• 1.5 litres vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Salt and black pepper
• To serve: 1 tbsp butter, 1 tsp chilli flakes (pul biber), lemon wedges

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and soften the onion and carrot for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the paste and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the lentils and stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 25–30 minutes until everything is very soft.
4. Blend until smooth, then season with cumin, salt and pepper. Add a splash of water if it is too thick.
5. Melt the butter with the chilli flakes and drizzle over each bowl. Serve with lemon and bread.

2. Menemen (Turkish scrambled eggs)

The star of a Turkish breakfast: soft eggs cooked with tomatoes and green peppers. Serves 2.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
• 2 long green peppers, sliced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional; Turks argue about this)
• 3 ripe tomatoes, grated or finely chopped
• 4 eggs
• Salt and chilli flakes

Method

1. Cook the peppers (and onion, if using) in the oil for 5 minutes until soft.
2. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and simmer for 8–10 minutes until thick and saucy.
3. Crack in the eggs and stir gently until just set but still soft.
4. Sprinkle with chilli flakes and serve straight from the pan with crusty bread.

Want to taste the real thing first? See where to find the best Turkish breakfast in London.

3. Çoban salatası (shepherd’s salad)

A fresh, crunchy salad served with almost every Turkish meal. Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 3 tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 1 green pepper
• 1 small red onion
• A handful of flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt, and sumac if you have it

Method

1. Finely dice the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper and onion.
2. Chop the parsley and add it to the bowl.
3. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and a sprinkle of sumac, and serve straight away.

4. Izgara köfte (grilled Turkish meatballs)

Juicy, spiced meatballs, good from the grill or a hot pan. Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 500g minced lamb or beef (about 20% fat)
• 1 onion, grated and squeezed of excess juice
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 30g fresh breadcrumbs
• A small handful of parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp salt and plenty of black pepper

Method

1. Put everything in a bowl and knead with your hands for 3–4 minutes until sticky.
2. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes so the flavours develop and the mixture firms up.
3. Shape into finger-length patties about 2cm thick.
4. Grill or pan-fry over high heat for 3–4 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.
5. Serve with shepherd’s salad, rice or bread and a spoonful of yoghurt.

For London’s best köfte, visit Köfteci Metin on Green Lanes.

5. Sütlaç (Turkish rice pudding)

A light, creamy rice pudding served chilled with cinnamon. Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 80g short-grain rice
• 250ml water
• 1 litre whole milk
• 120g sugar
• 2 tbsp rice flour or cornflour, mixed with 100ml of the milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Ground cinnamon, to serve

Method

1. Simmer the rice in the water for 10–15 minutes until the water is absorbed.
2. Add the milk and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes, stirring often.
3. Stir in the sugar, then the rice flour mixture, and cook for 5 more minutes until thickened.
4. Add the vanilla, pour into bowls and chill for at least 2 hours.
5. Dust with cinnamon before serving. For the oven-baked version (fırın sütlaç), grill the tops until golden before chilling.

Where to buy Turkish ingredients in London

Turkish grocers on Green Lanes and in Dalston sell everything you need, from pepper paste and pul biber to fresh white cheese and simit. Browse Turkish grocers and delis, or plan a food trip with our Green Lanes food guide.

More London Turkish food guides

Planning by area or by dish? Read our guides to Turkish restaurants in Dalston and Stoke Newington, Turkish restaurants in Islington and on Upper Street, Turkish restaurants in Bloomsbury and King’s Cross, the best lahmacun and pide in London, Turkish seafood restaurants and late-night Turkish food.

Frequently asked questions

What are the easiest Turkish recipes for beginners?

Shepherd’s salad, menemen and mercimek soup are the easiest: each takes under 40 minutes and needs no special equipment.

What spices are used in Turkish cooking?

The essentials are pul biber (Turkish chilli flakes), cumin, sumac, dried mint and black pepper, along with tomato and red pepper paste.

Prefer someone else to cook? Learn about popular Turkish dishes and find the best Turkish restaurants in London.

Keep reading

• The best Turkish restaurants in London for a date or special occasion
• The best Turkish supermarkets, grocers and delis in London
• The best baklava, künefe and Turkish desserts in London

More Turkish recipes

We now have 50 step-by-step Turkish recipes, each with ingredients, method and a video where we could find a good one. Popular places to start:

• Lahmacun recipe
• Mercimek çorbası (red lentil soup) recipe
• Menemen recipe
• Mantı recipe
• Baklava recipe

Browse recipes by type

• Breads, Pide & Börek
• Breakfast Recipes
• Dessert Recipes
• Fish & Seafood Recipes
• Home Cooking
• Kebabs & Grills
• Meze & Salads
• Soups (Çorba)
• Street Food Recipes
• Turkish Drinks

Or see all Turkish recipes.