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    Cooking Gorgeous » All Recipes » Appetizers

    Turkish Rolls (Sigara Boregi)

    Published: Jul 26, 2021 · Modified: May 24, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Turkish Rolls with cheese (Sigara Boregi or Cigarette Borek) is a type of pastry made with thin filo pastries called yufka, filled with cheese and then shallow-fried for extra crispness. These delicious pastries have a cylindric shape that looks like cannolis or taquitos but differ in taste.

    crispy Turkish cheese rolls - sigara borek filled with feta and halloumi
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • How to Make Turkish Cheese Rolls (Sigara Boregi)?
    • Related Recipes
    • Turkish Rolls (Sigara Boregi)

    Same as Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek) and Borek With Meat and Spinach, they are perfect as finger food, snack, breakfast, or as part of a mezze platter. You can make them in advance in big batches and freeze them for later. No need to defrost before frying, take them out of the freezer then fry them in hot oil.

    sigara borek-Turkish cheese rolls served with cucumbers and tomatoes
    Turkish Cheese Rolls (Sigara Borek) served with fresh vegetables as a breakfast item.

    Borek is a general name for savoury Turkish pastries made with a thin, crispy crust and various fillings. The most common way to cook them is in the oven although Turkish Cheese Rolls (Sigara Borek) are best when shallow fried in a pan.

    You can make different variations by changing the fillings, but the cheese and herb filling is the most popular one. They're not the quickest to prepare but they are fairly easy to put together.

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • It's a great food for gatherings and entertainment, you can serve them as finger food, as a part of a mezze platter or as a vegetarian appetiser.
    • This recipe is very easy to follow with step-by-step pictures, instructions and a short video tutorial.
    • They freeze 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

    Ingredients for sigara borek
    • Yufka - These round shape thin dough parcels are easy to find online or from Turkish or Middle Eastern food shops. You can use filo pastries instead which is 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.
    • 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 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 favourite cheese of yours.
    • Herbs - Parsley, mint and dill are my favourite 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 Turkish Cheese Rolls (Sigara Boregi)?

    Making these delicious cheese boreks 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.

    cheese filling for Turkish cheese rolls - sigara borek
    Cheese filling for Sigara Boregi

    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.

    cut the Yufka sheets in triangles
    Cut the yufka into 8 triangles
    put cheese filling on the large side of the yufka
    Add a tablespoon of filling

    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.

    Sigara Boreks rolled and ready to fry
    Shallow fried Sigara Boreks

    Related Recipes

    For more scrumptious pastry recipes why not try:

    • Best Pogaca Recipe (Turkish Buns)
    • Cheese Borek
    • Spinach and Feta Borek
    • Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes)
    • Pitka Bread (Koledna Pitka)
    • Potato Borek
    • Pacanga Boregi
    • Su Boregi - Water Borek
    • Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread)
    • Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi
    • Keema Naan Bread
    What is Turkish borek?

    Turkish borek is a savoury pastry made with thin flaky "yufka" dough filled with fillings such as mince, cheese, vegetables, or potatoes.
    There are many different ways of preparing and cooking these delicious pastries. Some can be wrapped and baked individually and some can be prepared as a whole in a large tray and cut into portions after baking.
    Borek is also popular in the Balkans, Middle East, Central Asia, and some Eastern and Central European countries.

    Can I freeze Sigara Boregi?

    Yes, you can freeze them either before frying or after, 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, wrap them in tin foil and reheat them in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making these crispy and cheesy rolled boreks as much as you enjoy eating them!🙂

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    turkish cheese rolls sigara borek

    Turkish Rolls (Sigara Boregi)

    Ayla Clulee
    These cheesy borek rolls are extremely delicious and very easy to make with a few ingredients.
    5 from 18 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine Turkish
    Servings 24 pieces
    Calories 229 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 sharp knife
    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 Cuisinart Nonstick 12-Inch Skillet
    • 1 Measuring Spoons
    • 1 6-Piece Plastic Measuring Cups
    • 1 Grater

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 3 fresh yufka sheets (or frozen filo pastries)
    • 200 g feta cheese
    • 125 g halloumi (or kasar,cheddar,mozarella)
    • 1 cup parsley (chopped)
    • 2 tablespoon mint (chopped)
    • 2 tablespoon dill (chopped)
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ¼ cup oil for frying

    Instructions
     

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

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 229kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 5gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 233mgPotassium: 40mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 266IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    FOOD SAFETY

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ayla

      August 03, 2021 at 2:57 pm

      5 stars
      Perfect

      Reply
    2. Dona

      March 05, 2022 at 5:06 pm

      5 stars
      I made this pastries a few times now and never disappointed. Kids love them, husband loves them so I will keep doing them. thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    3. Caroline

      March 23, 2022 at 5:26 am

      5 stars
      Perfect party food and great for snacking. I do this regularly now and wanted to say "thank you for the recipe!"

      Reply
    4. Abbie

      March 23, 2022 at 2:43 pm

      5 stars
      I couldn’t find yufka so I used filo pastries. Turned out delicious!

      Reply
    5. Dan

      March 25, 2022 at 5:25 am

      5 stars
      This is delicious! Thank you for the recipe! This is the best borek recipe I’ve tried to yet.

      Reply
    6. Carol

      March 26, 2022 at 3:59 am

      5 stars
      Brilliant Recipe, made this in batches and put some in the freezer for later. Thank you for sharing this x

      Reply
    7. Leila

      March 27, 2022 at 4:20 am

      5 stars
      Delightful and crispy!

      Reply
    8. Lana

      March 28, 2022 at 4:31 am

      5 stars
      They look amazing and so tempting ! Such a great idea for party food. It is added to my collection!

      Reply
    9. Cecile

      March 31, 2022 at 3:47 am

      5 stars
      I baked them in the oven and they were still delicious! The family loved them. I will be making these regularly.

      Reply
    10. Deann

      April 02, 2022 at 4:48 am

      5 stars
      Wonderful recipe and spot on instructions, Thank you!

      Reply
    11. Ken

      April 02, 2022 at 4:20 pm

      5 stars
      Turned out perfect and so delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe.

      Reply
    12. Nicky

      April 09, 2022 at 4:51 am

      5 stars
      Loved this so much, it was a big hit with friends…..they wanted the recipe. 😂👍

      Reply
    13. Ruth

      April 09, 2022 at 2:49 pm

      5 stars
      This morning we made your cheese rolls for the first time and …WOW….delicious!!!

      Reply
    14. Kerry

      April 19, 2022 at 5:00 am

      5 stars
      These were delicious!! I took them to a gathering and they were all gone in a matter of minutes. Thank you for a great recipe!

      Reply
    15. Marti

      April 20, 2022 at 5:13 am

      5 stars
      Wonderful recipe, have made a few times now, last time I added spring onions, delish!!!

      Reply
    16. Priya

      April 27, 2022 at 4:51 am

      5 stars
      Wonderful instructions. The pictures are so helpful. Thank you for explaining so clearly and simply.

      Reply
    17. Rubyn

      June 05, 2022 at 5:17 am

      5 stars
      These came out delicious and were a big hit with even my picky eaters.

      Reply
    18. Ruby

      June 11, 2022 at 4:19 am

      5 stars
      Made this last weekend for our family brunch, they were delicious and crispy. Thank you!

      Reply

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    Hi! Thank you for visiting Cooking Gorgeous. My name is Ayla, and I’m a professional chef based in the UK. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    More about me →

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