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Cheese Borek - Peynirli Borek

This vegetarian cheese borek is a delicious breakfast on the go, a simple lunch or an appetiser for dinner parties.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 20 pieces
Calories: 285 kcal
Course: Main Course , Breakfast , Appetizer , Snacks
Cuisine: Mediterranean , Greek , Middle Eastern , Turkish

Ingredients

For the Cheese Filling
  • 200 g halloumi cheese (grated)
  • 200 g feta cheese (crumbled)
  • 200 g kasar cheese, mozzarella or cheddar cheese (grated)
  • ⅓ cup chopped parsley
  • ¼ cup chopped dill
  • ¼ cup chopped mint (or 1 teaspoon dried mint)
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
For the Sauce
  • ½ cup Greek yoghurt or natural yoghurt
  • ½ cup vegetable or sunflower oil
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 egg
For the Borek
  • 2 packs filo pastry (12 sheets and 250 grams each)
  • sesame seeds or nigella seeds

Instructions

Preparing the Cheese Filling
    Cup of Yum
  1. Place the feta cheese in a large bowl and crumble it with the back of a fork. 
  2. Grate the halloumi cheese and Kasar cheese, and add them to the bowl along with chopped herbs, freshly ground black pepper, and chili flakes (if using). 
  3. Mix them all using a fork or a spoon, and set them aside.
Preparing the Sauce
  1. Place the egg and yogurt in a small bowl and lightly whisk it.
  2. Add the oil, and vinegar, and whisk well.
Building the Borek
  1. Preheat the oven to 180° C (360° F).
  2. Place one sheet of filo on your work surface and drizzle 1-1 ½ tablespoon of the sauce, spread it evenly using a brush. 
  3. Lay another sheet of filo on top, drizzle some more sauce, and spread it evenly. Repeat the same steps until you have three sheets of filo.
  4. Cut it into three equal-size strips.
  5. Put two tablespoons of the cheese mixture at the end of one strip. Take the opposite corner and fold diagonally over the filling, forming a triangular fold. Fold again along the upper crease of the triangle. Continue folding in this way until you reach the end of the strip.
  6. Brush the seam with the sauce to seal the end. Place it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet seam side down and repeat the same with the rest of the filo sheets.
  7. Brush the borek pieces with the rest of the sauce and sprinkle on sesame seeds or nigella seeds (or both).
  8. Place the baking sheet in preheated oven and bake the boreks for 20-25 minutes, until they are golden and crispy.

Notes

  • You can keep unbaked boreks in the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply bake them in the preheated oven straight from frozen. Add an extra 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time
  • Don't overfill the pastries as the cheese filling may leak out while baking them.
  • Filo pastries are very fragile and dry out quickly if you don't keep them covered with a damp kitchen cloth. 
  • This cheese borek recipe has 285 kcal per borek.

Nutrition Information

Calories 285kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 26g (9%) Protein 10g (20%) Fat 16g (25%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 5g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 26mg (9%) Sodium 529mg (22%) Potassium 75mg (2%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 289IU (6%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 218mg (22%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 20pieces

Amount Per Serving

Calories 285

% Daily Value*

Calories 285kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Protein 10g 20%
Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 5g 25%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 26mg 9%
Sodium 529mg 22%
Potassium 75mg 2%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 289IU 6%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 218mg 22%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.