Turkish Cuisine has many delicious Borek recipes and Paçanga Böreği is one of the nation's favorites. These delicious fried pastry rolls are made of yufka sheets filled with Kasar cheese, pastirma, tomatoes, and peppers.
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Same as Turkish Rolls (Sigara Boregi), these crispy and savory treats are perfect as an appetizer as well as a part of a mezze platter or a breakfast/brunch item.
The traditional way of cooking Paçanga Boregi is deep-frying them. However, you can bake them in the oven or even air fry them for a healthier option.
Why This Recipe Works?
- These crispy pastry rolls are perfect as party food, appetizer, breakfast item, or a snack.
- This recipe is very easy to follow with step-by-step pictures and instructions.
- Pacanga Boregi freezes beautifully, you can keep the leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- You can make them ahead for up to 3 days and fry them when needed.
Ingredients and Substitutes
Yufka Sheets
These round-shaped thin dough parcels are easy to find online or from Turkish or Middle Eastern food shops.
You can use filo pastries instead which are similar but thinner than yufka, and they come in rectangular shapes.
Filo (or phyllo) pastries are available in most supermarkets and shops, and you can buy them fresh or frozen.
Kasar Cheese
It is a semi-hard yellow cheese that is similar to cheddar but much milder and is made from sheep milk.
It is widely used in Turkey for pastries and general cooking. You can replace kasar with mozzarella, gouda, cheddar, or any other semi-hard cheese you like.
They are available in most Turkish or Middle Eastern shops as well as on Amazon.
Pastirma
Pastirma is an air-dried cured beef with a coating of spices called "cemen", made of cumin, fenugreek, garlic, and chili flakes.
You can buy them from most Turkish shops or online from Amazon.
Vegetables
You can use any type of peppers or tomatoes you have in hand.
Some versions of Pacanga Boregi don't include vegetables but I like adding them as they complement the strong flavor of pastirma.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making these delicious boreks is very simple and straightforward. However, to achieve the best results you need to follow a few simple steps:
Prepare the Filling
Place a pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the peppers and sauté for a few minutes.
Add the tomatoes and cook them until softened. Mix in the thyme, chili, and salt. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool down for 10 minutes.
Grate the cheese while the pepper&tomato mixture is cooling down and place it in a large bowl. Finely dice the pastirma and add it to the bowl.
Add the cooled pepper&tomato mixture into the bowl and mix until all combined.
Roll the Pastries
Cut the yufka into 8 equal triangles. That would give you 24 triangles.
Place a triangle of yufka on a large, flat surface, pointed end away from you. Add a tablespoonful of filling to the wide end and spread it into a thin line, leaving a small gap on either side.
Fold the flat end over the top of the filling, and fold the outer corners.
Roll the yufka sheet tightly.
Wet the tip on each pastry at the pointed end to seal it.
Set it aside and continue with the remaining yufka and filling.
Fry the Boreks
Heat ¼ cup of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the boreks in the oil and fry on all sides until crispy and golden.
Avoid overcrowding the pan. When cooked, place the boreks on a paper kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil.
Top Tip From the Chef
Deep-frying paçanga böreği is the most common way to cook them as it is quick and easy.
However, if you want a healthier option, you can also bake them in the oven at 200° C (390° F) for about 25 minutes, until they are golden and crispy.
Simply arrange the borek pieces on a silicon paper-lined sheet tray, egg wash them, and sprinkle on sesame seeds.
Recipe FAQs
These delicious pastries keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat them, place them in a 180° C (350 ° F) preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes until they are warm and crisp again.
Yes, you can freeze them either before or after frying them and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you freeze them uncooked, you can fry them straight out of the freezer without needing to defrost them.
If you freeze them after frying, simply wrap them in tin foil and reheat them in the preheated oven for about 10 to 12 minutes.
Related Recipes
For more delicious Turkish Borek 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 this delicious and crispy Pacanga Boregi as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
Paçanga Böreği
Equipment
- 1 grater
Ingredients
- 100 g pastirma (air-dried cured beef)
- 200 g kasar cheese, mozzarella or cheddar cheese (grated)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Turkish green pepper, or ½ green bell pepper, or 3 Padron peppers (sliced)
- ½ red pepper (sweet Romano pepper) (small diced)
- 1 medium tomato (small diced)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
- ½ teaspoon chilli
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 fresh yufka sheets (or frozen filo pastries)
- ¼ cup vegetable or sunflower oil for frying
Instructions
Prepare the Filling
- Place a pan over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- When the pan is hot, add the peppers and sauté for a few minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and cook them until softened.
- Mix in the thyme, chilli and salt.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool down for 10 minutes.
- Grate the cheese while the pepper&tomato mixture is cooling down and place it in a large bowl.
- Finely dice the pastirma and add it to the bowl.
- Add the cooled pepper&tomato mixture into the bowl and mix until all combined.
Roll the Pastries
- Cut the filo pastries into 8 equal triangles. That would give you 24 triangles.
- Place a triangle of yufka on a large, flat surface, pointed end away from you.
- Add a tablespoonful of filling to the wide end and spread it into a thin line, leaving a small gap on either side.
- Fold the flat end over the top of the filling, fold the outer corners and roll the borek tightly.
- Wet the tip on each pastry at the pointed end to seal it. Set aside and continue with the remaining yufka and filling.
Fry the Boreks
- Heat ¼ cup oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, place the boreks in the oil and fry on all sides until crispy and golden. Avoid overcrowding the pan.
- When cooked, place the boreks on a paper kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil.
Notes
- Pacanga Boregi is perfect as a party food, appetizer, breakfast item, or snack.
- If you want a healthier option, you can also bake them in the oven at 200° C (390° F) for about 25 minutes, until they are golden and crispy.
- These delicious pastries keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To reheat leftover Pacanga Boreks, place them in a 180° C (350 ° F) preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes until they are warm and crisp again.
- You can freeze the leftover boreks either before or after frying them and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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Karen
Great recipe, looks delicious too !
Julie
Made this as a side dish for your Lentil soup recipe. So delicious 😋 thanks
Haley
Loved these! My husband told me to save this recipe. Will be our go to.
Vilma
This was delicious! We really enjoyed both making and eating it!