Sigara Boregi (Turkish Cheese Rolls)

Sigara Boregi (Turkish Cheese Rolls) are crispy Turkish appetizers/snacks made with thin and flaky filo sheets called "yufka", filled with feta cheese, and then shallow-fried for extra crispness. Sigara Böreği means Cigarette Borek in Turkish as these delicious cheese rolls have a cylindric shape that looks like cannolis or taquitos.

Jump to:

• What is Sigara Boregi?
• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Sigara Boregi?
• How to Serve Sigara Boreks
• Top Tips From the Chef
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Sigara Boregi (Turkish Cheese Rolls)

This Sigara Boregi recipe is easy to prepare ahead (watch the video attached to see how easy it is), freezes beautifully, and doesn't require thawing before cooking!

These savory Turkish boreks are the perfect "make ahead" finger food for parties.

I also often serve them as an appetizer along with a bowl of Cacik (Turkish Yogurt with Cucumbers), as a part of a mezze spread, or Turkish Breakfast selection.

What is Sigara Boregi?

Sigara Boregi, also known as Sigara Borek or Cigarette Borek, is a type of Turkish savory pastry called "Borek".

Borek is the general name for savory Turkish pastries made with a thin, crispy crust and various fillings.

You can stuff boreks with cheese (Cheese Borek), potato (Potato Borek), spinach (Spinach Borek), and meat (Meat Borek).

The most common way to cook Turkish Cheese Rolls (Sigara Borek) is in the oven although they are best when shallow fried in a pan.

Same as the Pacanga Boregi, you can make different variations by changing the fillings, but the cheese and herb filling is the most popular one. T

hey're not the quickest to prepare but they are easy to put together.

Why This Recipe Works?

• Sigara Boregi is a great food for gatherings and entertainment, you can serve them as finger food, as a part of a mezze platter, as a Turkish breakfast item, or as a vegetarian appetizer.

• This borek recipe is very easy to follow with step-by-step pictures, instructions, and a short video tutorial.

• Turkish Cheese Rolls freeze beautifully, you can keep the leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months.

• They are also perfect for making ahead. You can make Sigara Boregi ahead for up to 3 days and fry them when needed.

Ingredients and Substitutes

What Pastry to Use for Sigara Boregi?

Traditionally, Turkish boreks such as Sigara Böreği and Spinach and Feta Borek, are made with Yufka pastry dough, which is a bit thicker than phyllo pastries. These round-shaped thin dough parcels are easy to find online or from Turkish or Middle Eastern food shops.

You can also 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.

Another alternative is to use spring roll pastry or wrappers, which might be more convenient to use as they often come in small square-shaped sheets. They are available in some grocery stores in the freezer/fridge sections, or in Asian grocery shops. Make sure to use the type made of wheat and not rice for this Sigara Boregi recipe.

Other ingredients you will need for these delicious Boreks are:

• Feta - I prefer feta cheese made with sheep milk with high-fat content with a creamy texture. You can replace it with goat's cheese, cottage cheese, halloumi, or Kasar cheese.

• Halloumi - It's a great-tasting semi-hard cheese and I love adding it to my cheese fillings for pastries. You can omit it and add any other favorite cheese of yours.

• Herbs - Parsley, mint, and dill are my favorite herbs to pair with cheese but you can use basil, oregano, thyme, chervil, or chives instead. If you want to use dried herbs, use ⅓ of the amount.

How to Make Sigara Boregi?

Making these delicious Turkish cheese rolls is very simple and straightforward. However, to achieve the best results you need to follow a few simple steps:

Prepare the Filling

Crumble the feta cheese using a fork and place it in a bowl. Grate halloumi cheese and add it to the feta cheese.

Add the chopped parsley, mint, dill, and freshly ground black pepper to the cheese mixture. Mix with a spoon to combine.

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 cheese 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 cheese, fold the outer corners over the filling, 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. 

Shallow 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.

Don't overcrowd the pan. When cooked, place the boreks on a paper kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil.

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

How to Serve Sigara Boreks

Same as Su Boregi - Water Borek and Borek With Meat and Spinach, they are perfect as finger food, appetizer, snack, breakfast, or as part of a mezze platter.

To serve Sigara Boregi as a finger food or a snack, pair them with a dipping sauce such as Thai Style Tomato Chili Jam, Tirokafteri (Spicy Whipped Feta Dip), or Haydari-Turkish Yoghurt Dip.

If you want to serve these deliciously crispy pastries as a part of a mezze platter, serve them along with Arnavut Cigeri - Turkish Liver, Falafel, Icli Kofte (Turkish Kibbeh), and Fasulye Piyaz (Turkish Bean Salad).

Sigara Boregi is one of our favorite breakfast items and I love serving these crispy pastries along with Muhammara - Acuka (Red Pepper Dip), Spinach with Eggs, Strawberry Mille Feuille, or Kaygana (Turkish Omelette).

Top Tips From the Chef

• You can make these delicious boreks in advance in big batches and freeze them for later. No need to defrost them before frying, take them out of the freezer then fry them in hot oil.

• You can make different variations by changing the fillings but the cheese and herb filling is the most popular one.

• When frying your Sigara Boreks, make sure you heat the oil to 185° C (365° F). If your oil is not hot enough, the pastries will get soggy and the cheese will start melting before the pastries get crispy.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For more scrumptious 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 these crispy Turkish Cheese Rolls "Sigara Boregi" as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂 

Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

This recipe is featured in Twinkl Picnic in the Park Blog.

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