Çiğ Börek (Çiborek or Chebureki) is a thin crispy deep-fried pastry filled with ground beef, onions, and spices. They are perfect as an appetizer, breakfast/brunch item, or snack on the go.
This delicious fried turnover is a national dish of Crimean Tatars but is also a popular snack/street food throughout Turkey, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia.
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These scrumptious fried boreks were brought to Turkey from Central Asia by Crimean Tatars who have migrated to Eskişehir city of Turkey.
They are one of the most popular breakfast items as well as a snack or street food. My version of Chebureki is very easy to make at home with a few simple ingredients and is always a hit among the family.
What Is Chebureki?
Chebureki (Cig Borek in Turkish) is a half-moon-shaped fried pastry filled with ground beef and onions. The same as Izmir Kumru - Turkish Sandwich, this delicious street food is usually served as breakfast or a snack on the go. It is mainly popular in Slavic countries as well as Turkey, Central Asia, and Easter Europe.
Why This Recipe Works?
- They are crispy, juicy, and extremely delicious.
- You only need a few basic pantry/fridge ingredients you might already have to make these crispy turnovers.
- Same as my other street food recipes Kumpir - Turkish Baked Potatoes and Turkish Lahmacun, you can make Cigborek at home easily with step-by-step pictures and instructions below.
- You can prepare the pastry or/and the filling a couple of days in advance and cook your Chebureki last minute just before serving them.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Strong white flour - It is also known as strong bread flour. It is made from hard wheat varieties and contains more gluten than other types of flour. It gives some elasticity to the dough which makes it easier to roll out.
- Vinegar - It gives crispiness to the dough. I use white wine vinegar or cider vinegar for this recipe.
- Minced Beef - I use ground beef with a %15 fat percentage but you can use lean beef if you prefer. Some recipes call for lamb or pork mince, or even a mixture. It is entirely up to you what meat to use although beef is the traditional meat for the Cig Borek recipe.
- Onion - You can use white, yellow, or brown onion to add flavor to the meat filling.
- Water - I add water to the beef mixture to make the mixture juicy. Give the mixture a good stir before filling your pastries as the liquid tends to pool at the bottom of the bowl.
- Seasoning - I use salt and freshly ground pepper as seasoning. Adjust the amount to your taste.
How to Make Çiğ Börek?
Making Chebureki is very easy and straightforward. However, you need to follow a few simple steps and tips to achieve the best results:
Prepare the Dough
Mix salt, vinegar, and water in a large bowl. Sift the flour and add it to the bowl gradually, until you have a soft dough. Transfer the dough onto your worktop and knead it for five to ten minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic.
Return the dough to the bowl, cover it, and let it rest for 15 minutes while preparing the filling.
Prepare the Filling
Grate the onion in a bowl and add minced beef, salt, freshly ground black pepper, vinegar, and water.
Mix all until nicely combined. Keep it refrigerated until you need it.
Shape the Pastries and Fry
Divide the dough into 12 equal balls, approximately 40 grams each. Let them rest for another 15 minutes before starting to shape them.
Cover them with a kitchen cloth while shaping the pastries to avoid them drying.
Take one of the dough balls and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 15 cm (6") circle. Lightly dust the dough ball with flour to avoid it sticking to the rolling pin.
Scatter 1 tablespoon of the filling onto one half of the circle and fold the other half over the filling.
Pinch the seams of the Chebureki shut with your fingers and trim the edge with a pizza cutter to ensure it's nicely sealed.
Set the filled pastry aside on a lightly floured surface and repeat the same with the rest of the dough balls before you start frying them.
Fill your frying pan with oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Fry the pastries in hot oil for one or two minutes on each side until golden and crispy. I use a large frying pan just big enough to fit two pastries.
Serve immediately with a cup of Turkish tea, Coban Salatasi (Turkish Shepherd's Salad), or a bowl of Cacik (Turkish Yoghurt With Cucumbers) on the side.
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Top Tips From the Chef
- Don’t leave the borek dough to rest for longer than an hour as it can become too loose to roll it out.
- You can use uncooked raw tortillas made with wheat instead of making the dough yourself to make things quicker and easier!
- Any type of minced meat would work perfectly with this Chebureki recipe or even a mixture!
Recipe FAQs
I love these crispy fried boreks with some refreshing salads such as Rocket Salad with Parmesan and Greek Cucumber Salad as a light lunch. You can also serve Chebureki with some soup such as Wild Garlic Soup or Yayla Corbasi - Turkish Yoghurt Corbasi for a substantial meal.
The best way to reheat the Chebureki is to reheat them in a conventional oven, toaster oven, or air fryer until they’re crispy again. Do not use the microwave if you want the boreks crispy as microwaving them will turn them soggy.
Yes, you can freeze these fried boreks either before or after frying them. Simply wrap them with a cling film and place them in a freezer bag or layer them between parchment paper in a freezer-safe container to prevent them from sticking.
To thaw, place them in the fridge for a couple of hours and then fry them according to the recipe instructions or reheat them in an oven/air fryer until they are crispy again.
Related Recipes
For more delicious Turkish breakfast/brunch recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making these scrumptious fried boreks "Chebureki" as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
Çiğ Börek - Chebureki
Equipment
- 1 sifter
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 300 g strong white flour
- 170 ml water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
For the Filling
- 200 g minced beef
- 1 large onion (grated)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 100 ml water
- oil for frying
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- Mix salt, vinegar, and water in a large bowl.
- Sift the flour and add it to the bowl gradually, until you have a soft dough.
- Transfer the dough onto your worktop and knead until it becomes smooth and elastic, for five to ten minutes.
- Return the dough to the bowl, cover it and let it rest for 15 minutes while preparing the filling.
Prepare the Filling
- Grate the onion in a bowl and add minced beef, salt, freshly ground black pepper, vinegar, and water.
- Mix all until nicely combined. Keep it refrigerated until you need it.
Shape the Pastries and Fry
- Divide the dough into 12 equal balls, approximately 40 grams each. Let them rest for another 15 minutes before shaping them.
- Cover them with a kitchen cloth while shaping the pastries to avoid them drying.
- Take one of the dough balls and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 15 cm (6") circle. Lightly dust the dough ball with flour to avoid it sticking to the rolling pin.
- Scatter 1 tablespoon of the filling onto one half of the circle and fold the other half over the filling.
- Pinch the seams of the Chebureki shut with your fingers and trim the edge with a pizza cutter to ensure it's nicely sealed.
- Set the filled pastry aside on a lightly floured surface and repeat the same with the rest of the dough balls before you start frying them.
- Fill your frying pan with oil and heat it over medium-high heat.
- Fry the pastries in hot oil for one or two minutes on each side until golden and crispy. I use a large frying pan just big enough to fit two pastries.
- Serve immediately with a cup of Turkish tea or a bowl of Cacik (Turkish Yoghurt With Cucumbers) on the side.
Video
Notes
- Don’t leave the borek dough to rest for longer than an hour as it can become too loose to roll it out.
- Any type of minced meat would work perfectly with this recipe or even a mixture!
- You can use uncooked raw tortillas made with wheat instead of making the dough yourself to make things quicker and easier!
- The best way to reheat the Chebureki is to reheat them in a conventional oven, toaster oven, or air fryer until they’re crispy again.
- Do not use the microwave for reheating chebureki if you want the boreks crispy as microwaving them will turn them soggy.
Nutrition
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Sena
Lovely recipe, easy and delicious. I will make double batch next time and freeze. Thanks for the recipe!