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Home » Recipes » Appetizers

Turkish Sigara Borek Recipe and Video

April 1, 2017 Updated March 4, 2020 by Lisa Goldfinger 18 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

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Börek is a Turkish pastry with savory filling. The most common fillings are cheese, meat and spinach. I love these tasty little cheese-filled sigara börek (shaped like cigarettes) because they’re great for grabbing and dipping and they're always a big hit at a party.

Sigara Borek: Crisp phyllo rolls filled with feta and scallions - a delicious Turkish appetizer recipe

My travels to Istanbul left me with a long list of recipes I was excited to make at home. Sigara Börek was high up on the list. These scrumptious cheese filled phyllo rolls are perfect finger food - crispy, crunchy and packed-with-flavor. 

Sigara Borek: Crisp phyllo rolls filled with feta and scallions - a delicious Turkish appetizer recipe

One of the best experiences of my Istanbul trip was lunch at the home of our friend's Ihsan's mother and sister. We were treated to a home-cooked traditional Turkish meal that began with a rooftop cocktail party. The passed appetizer was Sigara Börek.

That's where I first fell in love with this dish. I've made it many times since I returned home, for my own parties. It's always a big crowd pleaser.

Sigara Borek: Crisp phyllo "cigars" filled with feta and scallions - a delicious Turkish appetizer recipe

There are many varieties of Turkish börek. One type that's extremely popular looks like a white lasagna or a noodle kugel with a flaky, buttery top.

When I was in Istanbul there was a börekçi (börek shop) near my hotel that I walked past every day. That took serious willpower by the way. If not for the fact that I was on a culinary tour and needed to save room for lots of other delicious foods, I would have gone into that shop every day for some borek.

Sigara Borek: Crisp phyllo rolls filled with feta and scallions - a delicious Turkish appetizer recipe

On the last day of my trip, just before we headed to the airport, I decided to get a taste. It was beyond exciting to watch the shop owner cut off a nice big piece for me, chop it up, and pile it into a paper bowl to go.

It was pure heaven!

Sigara Borek: Crisp phyllo rolls filled with feta and scallions - a delicious Turkish appetizer recipe

HOW TO MAKE SIGARA BÖREK

This sigara börek recipe takes some time but is well worth the effort. The steps are: make the cheese filling; roll up the filling in strips of phyllo; sauté the rolls. Done!

  • Make The Cheese Filling: Mix crumbled feta with chopped scallions, parsley, eggs, and pepper.
  • Roll up the Borek: Set up a rolling station with a bowl of the feta mixture, a small bowl of water, your defrosted phyllo dough covered with a clean, damp dish towel, and a plate to place the rolls on, as you make them.

Sigara Borek: Crisp phyllo rolls filled with feta and scallions - a delicious Turkish appetizer recipe

  • Place one sheet of phyllo on your work surface.
  • Cut it into four strips and don't worry about being too precise. It doesn't matter if your strips are a little uneven.

  • Put about 2 teaspoons of the feta mixture at the end of one strip, leaving a border on the end and on each side so that you can fold the long sides of the phyllo over the cheese, to meet each other in the middle.

Recipe for Turkish sigara borek

  • Roll up the dough to the end.
  • Repeat, rolling up the filling in strips of phyllo dough, until you've used all of your filling.

Recipe for Turkish sigara borek

  • Sauté the rolls in a skillet until crisp and brown.
  • Drain them on paper towels.

Sigara Borek: Crisp phyllo rolls filled with feta and scallions - a delicious Turkish appetizer recipe

  • Serve börek warm or at room temperature.

Sigara Borek are such a delicious treat, crisp and flavorful. I love them with the garlicky yogurt sauce but they're also excellent on their own.

Sigara Borek: Crisp phyllo rolls filled with feta and scallions - a delicious Turkish appetizer recipe

Tips For Working With Phyllo:

The biggest challenge of this recipe is learning how to handle the delicate phyllo sheets so they don't dry out or rip. Read through these tips and you should have no problems.

  1. Defrost the phyllo dough: Phyllo dough is sold frozen. If you defrost it according to the package directions, which takes several hours, it will be perfect to work with. A couple of times, when I needed to rush the thawing process, I had success with putting the whole unopened box of phyllo in a warm oven (preheated to 300ºF and then shut off) for 30 minutes. I can't promise that it will work for you - you are safer to go by the book - but in a pinch you can give my unconventional thawing method a try.
  2. Keep phyllo dough moist: Once you remove your phyllo from the box and take it out of the plastic, it will immediately start to dry out. Be prepared with a clean, damp dish towel. Keep your phyllo sheets rolled up, placed on a cutting board or platter, covered with the towel at all times. Lift the towel off briefly, unroll the stack and pull out a sheet to work with. Then re roll and recover the stack.
  3. Don't fret if your phyllo sheets tear: if they crack or crumble a bit while you're rolling them, dab some water on the the torn part and keep rolling, and everything will usually stick together and result in a perfect little roll. 
  4. Expect to throw away a bunch of phyllo sheets. It's virtually impossible to work with these delicate sheets without messing up a few times. As hard as I try to be gentle, I often end up ripping some of them badly as I pull them out of the stack. There are about 20 sheets in a 1-pound box. Multiply that times four (since you're cutting the sheets into fourths) and that gives you 80 strips - more than you will need for this recipe. So don't fret if at first you don't succeed. 

How to Freeze borek

  • You can make the sigara borek rolls ahead and refrigerate them for a day or two before cooking.
  • You can freeze uncooked börek and cook them straight from the freezer.
  • To freeze borek, lay the rolls out in layers, with waxed paper in between, in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
  • Freeze Borek for up to 2 months. Cook them straight from the freezer. 

Sigara Borek: Crisp phyllo rolls filled with feta and scallions - a delicious Turkish appetizer recipe

While we're on the topic of delicious Turkish food, here are a few more of my favorite Turkish Recipes: 

  • Turkish Manti: Tiny Lamb-filled Dumplings with Three Sauces
  • Turkish Hot Layered Hummus
  • Turkish Sesame Fried Chicken Bites with Tahini Yogurt Remoulade
  • Grilled Turkish Kofta Kebabs
 

Here's the Sigara Borek Recipe. If you make this I hope you'll come back to leave a review and let me know what you think.

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Recipe

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Sigara Borek: Crisp phyllo rolls filled with feta and scallions - a delicious Turkish appetizer recipe

Turkish Sigara Borek Recipe: Crispy Cheese Rolls


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 5 reviews

  • Author: Lisa
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
  • Yield: 40-50 rolls 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Crisp phyllo rolls filled with feta and scallions. A delicious Turkish appetizer recipe.


Ingredients

Scale

Equipment:

  • Pizza cutter for slicing phyllo into strips
  • Large cast iron or non-stick skillet
  • A clean damp dish towel to keep phyllo sheets from drying out

For The Yogurt Sauce:

  • 1 ½ cups plain yogurt, not Greek (low fat is fine)
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced or pressed
  • A pinch of salt, to taste
  • A sprinkle of chopped parsley to garnish, optional

For The Borek:

  • 12 ounces of crumbled Feta cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4-5 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped (5-6 tablespoons)
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, plus a bit to garnish the yogurt sauce
  • ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or Maras pepper (or substitute ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika plus ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes)
  • 1 pound of store-bought phyllo dough (or Yufka dough if you can find it), defrosted per package instructions. I buy organic phyllo dough that I find in the freezer section at Whole Foods.
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil (or more) for frying

Instructions

  1. Make The Yogurt Sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill until ready to use. This can be made several hours ahead.
  2. Make The Borek filling: In a large bowl mix feta, eggs, scallions, parsley and pepper.
  3. Roll em up: Set up a work station: Set out your roll of phyllo sheets and cover them with a damp dish towel. You'll need a small bowl of water, a pizza cutter, and a large plate or tray to lay the rolls on.
  4. Place one sheet of phyllo on your work surface with the longer edge facing you. Cut it, vertically, into 4 equal strips. Put about 2 teaspoons of the feta mixture near the end of one strip, leaving a one-inch border on each side. Fold the 2 long sides of the phyllo over so they meet in the middle, covering the cheese filling. Roll up the filling and keep rolling until you get almost to the end of the strip. Moisten the end with some water and then finish rolling. The water helps seal the roll. Repeat with the other 3 rolls. Set them on a plate. Repeat the process until you use up your filling. Leftover phyllo sheets can be kept in the fridge for a few days, tightly sealed in plastic. (see photos and tips in the blog post)
  5. Sauté The Rolls: Line a plate with a double layer of paper towels. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat until the oil wrinkles. Brown the rolls in batches (don't overcrowd) for 3-4 minutes, turning often, until golden brown on all sides. Transfer to towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining rolls, adding more oil if necessary.
  6. Serve Borek warm or at room temp, with yogurt sauce to dip, if you like.

Notes

Make ahead and Freezing Instructions: Sigara Borek Rolls can be assembled ahead and refrigerated for a day or two before cooking. Serve them warm or at room temperature.

Uncooked borek rolls can be frozen and cooked straight from the freezer. To freeze, lay the rolls out in layers, with waxed paper in between, in a container with a tight-fitting lid.

  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Sauté
  • Cuisine: Turkish

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on instagram with the hashtag #panningtheglobe

 

 

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Filed Under: Appetizers, Asia, Entertaining, Turkey, Vegetarian

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  1. Sally Horn

    December 04, 2024 at 1:07 pm

    beautiful post. We lived in Turkey and these are a favorite. I use Dill in my recipe and am able to find white beyiz paneer and Yufka. I make the same way and they freeze wonderfully.

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      December 04, 2024 at 2:31 pm

      Thanks Sally! I'm glad you enjoyed the post. It's good to connect with you about how delicious and special these are, and I like the idea of adding dill to the mix.

      Reply
  2. Robin

    January 28, 2024 at 1:19 am

    I made these tonight, without the dip, and they are delicious on their own!

    Reply
    • Kandy

      March 18, 2024 at 10:52 pm

      I made these without the eggs, and added spinach they came out delicious!! Thank you for sharing ????????????

      Reply
      • Lisa Goldfinger

        March 20, 2024 at 6:54 am

        I like the addition of spinach - so glad this recipe worked out well for you!

  3. Jaamy

    December 21, 2022 at 9:46 am

    Love to take this Turkish Sigara Borek With Holy Cigar & Enjoy Life. HolyCigar

    Reply
  4. Maria

    May 09, 2021 at 7:46 pm

    Hiya, can I put this in the oven instead and just brush it off with egg wash? (Healthier alternative)

    Reply
    • Lisa

      May 10, 2021 at 6:47 am

      Hi Maria, I haven't tried baking these in the oven but I'm guessing it will work well. I suggest oiling the baking pan and brushing the Borek with a little oil. If you try this in the oven, I'd love to know how it turns out.

      Reply
      • Nabat

        December 23, 2023 at 9:17 am

        Feta is too salty. Can I replace it with similar but less salty alternative? Goat cheese maybe?

      • Lisa Goldfinger

        December 23, 2023 at 7:45 pm

        I’m not sure goat cheese will work. The texture may be too soft. Try soaking the feta in milk for a few hours and then rinse it which will reduce the salt quite a bit. I hope that work for you.

  5. Alex G

    January 28, 2019 at 10:53 am

    I mean... how could this not be good?

    Reply
  6. Whitney Bond

    April 07, 2017 at 2:40 pm

    Cheesy, crispy deliciousness! Can't wait to try these!

    Reply
  7. Madi

    April 06, 2017 at 5:03 pm

    This might just be my new favorite appetizer! SO excited to try it out!

    Reply
    • Lisa

      April 06, 2017 at 6:55 pm

      I hope you love it as much as I do. Let me know!

      Reply
  8. Megan @ MegUnprocessed

    April 05, 2017 at 7:47 pm

    That looks so crispy!

    Reply
    • Lisa

      April 06, 2017 at 1:23 pm

      They are super crispy!

      Reply
  9. T.R.

    April 03, 2017 at 12:10 pm

    These look amazing and JUST what I am craving lately, now that spring is here. And the additional
    recipes you sent, I can't wait to try!!

    Reply
  10. Analida's Ethnic Spoon

    April 01, 2017 at 2:05 pm

    I love any type of pastry wrapped appetizer! I am adding this to my collection. Pinned!

    Reply

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