Sigara böreği recipe: crisp Turkish cheese rolls with parsley
Sigara böreği (literally ‘cigarette börek’) are the slim, golden pastry rolls that turn up on almost every Turkish breakfast table, meze spread and tea-time plate. A triangle of paper-thin yufka (Turkish pastry sheets) is wrapped around crumbled white cheese and parsley, rolled into a pencil-thin cylinder and fried until it crackles. They take minutes to make once you get the hang of rolling, and they disappear even faster.
They belong to the huge family of börek, the filled pastries found across the old Ottoman lands, and the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism lists them in its guide to Turkish recipes. What makes a good one is contrast: a shell that shatters, a salty, slightly creamy middle and a clean, fresh hit of herbs.
What is sigara böreği?
The name comes from the shape, not the contents. Home cooks make them as a quick way to use up yufka and cheese, and you will find them on breakfast spreads, at kahvaltı (Turkish breakfast) cafés, in börekçi bakeries and as a hot meze in grill restaurants.
Fillings and variations
The classic is beyaz peynir (Turkish white cheese, similar to feta) with maydanoz (flat-leaf parsley). Some families add a little egg to bind the filling, others stir in dill or pul biber (Turkish chilli flakes). Popular alternatives are kıymalı (spiced minced beef), patatesli (mashed potato with onion) and a mix of cheese with spinach. Many cooks bake them for a lighter result, though deep-fried is the traditional way.
What is yufka?
Yufka is a thin, unleavened sheet of dough, thicker and more pliable than filo. Turkish grocers sell it in large rounds and in ready-cut triangular packs labelled for sigara böreği. If you can only find filo, it works, but use two layers per roll and handle it quickly so it does not dry out.
Ingredients
Makes 16 rolls (serves 4 as a snack or 6–8 as part of a meze spread).
For the filling
- 200g Turkish beyaz peynir or feta, crumbled
- 20g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about half a small bunch)
- 1 tbsp finely chopped dill (optional)
- 1 medium egg yolk
- ¼ tsp pul biber (Turkish chilli flakes) or a pinch of black pepper
For the pastry and frying
- 2 large round yufka sheets (about 250g), or a 250g pack of pre-cut sigara böreği yufka
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten, or 2 tbsp water, for sealing
- 500ml sunflower oil, for frying
- To bake instead: 1 egg yolk, 2 tbsp milk and 1 tbsp olive oil, for brushing
How to make sigara böreği
1. Make the filling
Crumble the cheese into a bowl with a fork, leaving a few small lumps, and taste a little: if it is very salty, add a tablespoon of ricotta or soaked and squeezed cheese to soften it. Do not add salt. Mix in the parsley, dill if using, egg yolk and pul biber.
2. Cut the yufka
Lay a yufka round on a board and cut it like a cake into 8 long triangles. Stack the triangles under a clean, barely damp tea towel so they stay soft while you work. Skip this step if you bought pre-cut sheets.
3. Fill and roll
Place a triangle with the wide end nearest you. Spoon about 1 tbsp of filling in a short log 2cm from the wide edge. Fold the long sides in by 2cm, then roll away from you, keeping it tight and straight. Brush the pointed tip with egg white and press to seal. Repeat with the rest.
4. Rest the rolls
Lay the rolls seam-side down on a tray and leave for 10 minutes so the seals set. You can chill or freeze them at this stage on a lined tray; freeze for up to a month and fry from frozen, adding a minute.
5. Fry until golden
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan to 170°C, or until a cube of bread browns in 40 seconds. Fry 4–5 rolls at a time, turning, for 2–3 minutes until deep golden all over. Drain on kitchen paper and serve within 15 minutes, while they still crackle.
6. Or bake them
For an oven version, heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Brush the rolls with a mix of 1 egg yolk, 2 tbsp milk and 1 tbsp olive oil, lay them on a lined tray and bake for 18–20 minutes, turning once, until crisp and golden.
Watch: how to make sigara böreği
This video shows the rolling technique clearly, which is the only tricky part.
Tips for the best sigara böreği
- Keep the filling quite dry. Wet cheese makes soggy pastry and causes the rolls to burst in the oil.
- Roll tightly and fold the sides in first; loose rolls trap air and puff open when they hit the oil.
- Use a thermometer if you have one. Below 160°C the pastry soaks up oil; above 180°C it browns before it crisps.
- Fresh yufka cracks if it dries out, so keep the sheets covered and work in batches of four.
- Make a double batch and freeze half uncooked. They fry straight from the freezer for unexpected guests.
What to serve with sigara böreği
Sigara böreği is at its best on a weekend breakfast table, next to a pan of menemen (eggs scrambled with tomatoes and peppers) and a pot of tea. As a meze they sit well beside yaprak sarma and a bowl of kısır, or serve a few alongside a bowl of red lentil soup for a simple lunch.
Where to eat sigara böreği in London
London’s Turkish bakeries and breakfast cafés fry fresh rolls every morning. Browse our börek bakeries in London, and see our guide to Turkish breakfast in London for places where they arrive with the full spread.
- Taş Fırın Edmonton – Turkish bakery & börek in Edmonton
- Sultan Kitchen Walthamstow – Turkish bakery & börek in Walthamstow
- Pera Artisan Patisserie – Turkish bakery & börek in Harringay & Green Lanes
- Ayintap Pastanesi – Turkish bakery & börek in Edmonton
- Levent Börek Fitzrovia – Turkish bakery & börek in Soho & West End
- Gece Gunduz Turkish Breakfast and Bakery – Turkish bakery & börek in Kilburn & West Hampstead
See all 16 Bakery & Börek places in London
Sigara böreği FAQs
Can I use filo pastry instead of yufka?
Yes. Filo is thinner and more fragile, so use two layers brushed lightly with oil per roll and keep the rest covered. The result is crisper and flakier, though a little less chewy than yufka.
Why is it called sigara böreği?
Sigara means cigarette in Turkish, and the rolls are shaped like one: long, thin and tightly wrapped. The name describes the shape only.
Can I make sigara böreği in an air fryer?
Yes. Brush or spray the rolls with oil and cook at 190°C for 8–10 minutes, turning halfway. They will be crisp but slightly less blistered than fried ones.
What cheese is best for sigara böreği?
Turkish beyaz peynir is traditional. Greek feta is a good substitute. For a stretchier filling, mix in some grated kaşar (a mild, semi-hard Turkish cheese) or mozzarella.
Photo: Garrett Ziegler, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
