Paçanga böreği combines yufka with pastırma and melting cheese. Tomato and pepper fillings vary; this version uses well-drained roasted red pepper and a little rosemary, without a breadcrumb coating.
Paçanga Böreği — Recipe Card
Crisp yufka rolls with pastırma, kaşar and roasted peppers
Makes 4 servings · 8 rolls; 2 per servingUS cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Paçanga Böreği
Prepare the filling
Pat the roasted peppers dry. Mix them with the pastırma, cheese and rosemary. Do not add salt: the cured meat and cheese already supply it. Cut each round yufka into four triangles, making eight in total. Keep unused pastry covered so it does not dry out.
Roll and seal
Divide the filling between the broad ends of the triangles, leaving the edges clear. Fold the side corners over the filling, then roll toward the point without squeezing tightly. Moisten the point with a little of the water and press to seal. Keep the rolls seam-side down.
Fry and serve
Heat the oil in a deep heavy pan to 170–175°C (340–350°F), using enough for about 1.5 cm (⅝ inch) depth; adjust the amount to your pan and never fill it more than halfway. Fry in small batches for about 4–5 minutes total, turning carefully, until golden and the filling reaches 74°C (165°F). Do not crowd the pan. Drain on a rack over a tray, then serve promptly, allowing the hot cheese to cool slightly before biting.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-pastirma-and-cheese-rolls-pacanga-boregi. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
Make it work in your kitchen
Ingredient Substitutions
These swaps change flavor or texture as described. Keep the original ingredients for the closest version of the dish.
Yufka
For rolled börek, use two thin sheets of thawed filo per roll, cut to a similar size. Keep unused sheets covered with a slightly damp towel. Filo is more brittle and produces a flakier shell; try one roll before shaping the full batch.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Dietary notes
Contains wheat gluten, milk and beef; not vegetarian or gluten-free. Check yufka and pastırma labels for other allergens or spice ingredients. Use ready-to-eat cured beef, not raw beef strips.
Heat level
Mild with sweet peppers and mildly seasoned pastırma; the meat's çemen coating varies by brand. Check its chili content. For more heat, mix 1 g (½ teaspoon) hot pul biber into the filling.
Hot oil
Keep the outside of each roll dry and lower it into the oil carefully. If a roll leaks, lift it out with a slotted utensil. Keep water away from hot oil.
How to store and reheat Paçanga Böreği
Refrigerate cooked leftovers in shallow containers at 4°C (40°F) or below within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C (90°F). Eat within 2 days. Reheat in a 180°C (350°F) oven until the center reaches 74°C (165°F); the shell may be less crisp than when freshly fried.
Paçanga Böreği: questions and answers
Can I roll them ahead?
Refrigerate uncooked rolls covered at 4°C (40°F) or below for up to 12 hours, following any shorter package limit. Keep the surfaces dry and fry straight from the refrigerator, allowing extra time to reach 74°C (165°F).
Is thin filo the same as Turkish yufka?
No. Supermarket filo is usually thinner and needs a different layering method. Use fresh Turkish börek yufka for the quantities and rolling instructions here.
