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Turkish

Balık Ekmek (Turkish Fish Sandwich)

An Istanbul-style Turkish fish sandwich with grilled white fish, sumac onion, parsley, lettuce, and lemon.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 7 September 2026Updated

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Balık Ekmek (Turkish Fish Sandwich)

25 mintotal

Prep 15 min · Cook 10 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Spice
Mild
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Grill.

Twenty minutes or so. The sumac onion improves if it sits while the fish grills, so make it first.

Method

  1. Pat the fish dry and season it with olive oil, part of the lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and paprika.

  2. Toss sliced onion with sumac, parsley, and remaining lemon juice.

  3. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.

  4. Grill the fish until browned outside and cooked through, turning carefully so it does not break.

  5. Warm or lightly toast the bread.

  6. Fill the bread with lettuce, tomato, grilled fish, and sumac onion.

  7. Serve immediately with extra lemon.

How to tell it's done

The fish should be flaky and moist, the bread lightly crisp, and the onion fresh and tangy.

Getting it right

Tip

Keep the fish seasoning simple; the lemony sumac onion gives the sandwich its bright street-food character.

What to serve it with

Serve hot with lemon wedges, pickles, or a simple cucumber salad.

Common mistakes

The fish breaks apart on the grill.
Pat it thoroughly dry, oil the fish rather than the pan, and leave it alone until it releases on its own. Fish sticks because it is turned too early, not because the pan is wrong.
The sandwich tastes bland despite the seasoning.
The sumac onion is the point of a balık ekmek, not a garnish. Give it a few minutes in the lemon juice so the onion softens and turns sour before it goes anywhere near the bread.

Substitutions

  • Boneless fish fillets can replace white fish if that is your available master ingredient match.
  • Use firm fish so it does not break while grilling.
  • A hot tawa can replace a grill pan, but the sandwich will have less smoky flavor.

Storing and reheating

Eat immediately — grilled fish in bread does not keep. The sumac onion is the exception and is better for sitting: it holds two days in the fridge and is worth making in a larger batch.