Sigara Boregi - Turkish Cheese Rolls

Sigara Boregi - Turkish Cheese Rolls are crispy fried pastries filled with feta, halloumi, and plenty of fresh herbs. Three sheets of yufka give you 24 rolls, so one batch feeds a party.

Roll them up to 3 days ahead, or freeze them and fry them from frozen. That is why sigara borek is the first thing I make when I am feeding a crowd. None of it is difficult, and the only part that takes practice is the fold.

Jump to:

• What is Sigara Boregi?
• Why This Recipe Works
• What Pastry to Use for Sigara Boregi
• How to Cut Yufka Into Triangles
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Make Sigara Boregi
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe Tips From the Chef
• Variations
• Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Sigara Boregi - Turkish Cheese Rolls

If you would rather watch than read, the short video below shows the rolling and the frying from start to finish.

What is Sigara Boregi?

Sigara Boregi is the rolled and fried version of Turkish borek, made with thin sheets of yufka pastry. The name means cigarette borek, and it is only a nod to the shape. Each roll is about as long as a finger, and you eat them in two or three bites.

Sigara Böreği is also called Sigara Borek, Turkish Cigar Borek, or Cigarette Borek in English. In Turkey you will also see the same pastry sold as kalem böreği, which means pencil borek. The usual filling is white cheese with parsley, and some cooks add spinach as well.

Why This Recipe Works

• The filling is feta, halloumi, and three herbs, so there is nothing to cook before you start rolling.

• Apart from the yufka, everything in them is a fridge staple.

• No deep fryer needed, just a shallow layer of oil in a frying pan.

• Nothing goes in the oven, so they are not competing for space when you have other food on.

• The whole batch is fried in about 15 minutes, a couple of minutes at a time in the pan.

• They are meat free, so one plate covers the vegetarian guests.

What Pastry to Use for Sigara Boregi

Traditionally, Turkish boreks such as Sigara Böreği and Spinach and Feta Pie are made with Yufka pastry dough, which is a bit thicker than phyllo pastries.

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 sheets. They are available in some grocery stores in the freezer/fridge sections, or Asian grocery shops.

Make sure to use the type made of wheat and not rice for this Sigara Boregi recipe.

How to Cut Yufka Into Triangles

Put a whole round sheet of yufka on a clean, flat surface and smooth out any wrinkles. Cut it in half, then cut each half in half again to give you four quarters. Cut each quarter in half once more and you have eight triangles.

Try to keep the triangles the same size. Even triangles hold the same amount of filling, which means they all fry in the same time.

Ingredients You'll Need

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

• Yufka - A thin, unleavened Turkish flatbread sold in large round sheets. Turkish and Middle Eastern shops carry it, and it also sells online.

• Feta - I prefer feta cheese made with sheep milk with a 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

Prepare the Cheese Filling

Crumble the feta cheese using a fork and place it in a bowl. Grate halloumi cheese and add it to the bowl along with the chopped parsley, mint, dill, and freshly ground black pepper.

Mix well until all combined with a spoon or a fork.

Roll the Pastries

Cut each yufka sheet into 8 equal triangles, which gives you 24 in total. 

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 then 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 then roll the borek up firmly. 

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.

Serving Suggestions

Sigara Borek is best served hot, straight out of the pan, with something cold and sharp beside it. My Su Boregi goes out on the same table when I am putting on a bigger spread.

To serve Sigara Boregi as a finger food or a snack, pair them with a dipping sauce such as Thai Style Tomato Chili Jam, Spicy Feta Dip, or Haydari. A bowl of Cacik on the side is how I serve them most often.

If you want to serve them as a part of a mezze platter, serve them along with Arnavut Cigeri - Turkish Liver, Lebanese Falafel, Icli Kofte (Turkish Kibbeh), and White Bean Salad.

Sigara Boregi is one of our favorite Turkish Breakfast items and I love serving these crispy pastries along with Muhammara, Spinach With Eggs, Strawberry Puff Pastry, or Kaygana (Turkish Omelette).

Recipe Tips From the Chef

• Use fresh yufka if you can get it. Dried out sheets crack as soon as you start folding.

• Drain the feta and pat it dry before you mix the filling.

• Roll them firmly but not tight. The filling needs a little room as it heats.

• Wet the pointed tip and press it down. If the tip lifts, the roll unwinds in the pan.

• Get the oil properly hot before the first borek goes in, around 185° C (365° F). In warm oil they soak up fat instead of crisping.

• Fry in batches with space around each one, because crowding the pan drops the oil temperature.

• Lift them out with a slotted spoon rather than tongs, which tear the pastry.

Variations

• Cooked minced beef or lamb with onion makes kiymali sigara boregi, which is the most common savory swap after cheese.

• Mashed potato with parsley works well, and so does wilted spinach squeezed dry and mixed into the cheese.

• Chopped sucuk or pastirma with the cheese gives you something closer to my Paçanga Böreği.

• Some cooks mix an egg into the filling to bind it. I leave it out, but it helps if your cheese is on the wet side.

• A pinch of pul biber in the filling adds a little heat without changing anything else.

Storage and Make Ahead Instructions

Rolled, uncooked boreks keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Lay them on a tray in a single layer, cover the tray, and fry them straight from the fridge when you need them.

To freeze, spread the rolls on a lined baking sheet so they are not touching, and put the tray in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours. Once they are solid, tip them into a freezer bag or a box and keep them for up to 3 months. Fry them from frozen with no thawing, and give them a little longer in the pan.

Fried boreks are at their best within a couple of hours of coming out of the oil. They soften as they sit, so I fry them as close to serving as I can. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, and a few minutes in a hot oven brings the crunch back better than a microwave.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For more Turkish Borek recipes, 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! 🙂