Cheese Burek Recipe (Börek)

Name: Cheese Burek Recipe (Börek)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 8 ounce feta cheese ((crumbled)); 16 ounce mozzarella ((shredded)); ½ cup Italian parsley ((chopped)); ¼ cup fresh dill ((chopped)); 1 T. chives ((fresh or dried)); 1 medium serrano pepper ((diced)); 1 large egg ((beaten)); 2 1 lb. packages of egg roll wrappers; vegetable oil ((for frying))

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This Cheese Burek Recipe is fantastic! Burek or Börek have a light and crunchy exterior and a hot-cheesy filling. Whether you serve them with a salad, or on their own as an appetizer, you're sure to get rave reviews!

burek (eggrolls) on a white plate garnished with chopped parsley

Why This Recipe Works

Traditional Turkish Burek are prepared using fillo dough and come with a variety of fillings. The two most popular Burek Recipe fillings include cheese mixed with various herbs and a filling made with ground meat, spices, onion, and parsley.

Armenian Burek are usually triangle-shaped and prepared with Fillo Dough. Often they are sprinkled with sesame seeds or black cumin seeds. Instead of being fried, they're brushed with butter and baked.

Many other cultures prepare Börek, including a Bosnian version that is formed into a coil-shaped pie.

This Burek recipe, however, are a lot easier to prepare than most. That's because we use egg roll wrappers instead of Fillo Dough.

What Goes Into this recipe

labeled burek egg roll ingredients on a counter

Ingredient Notes

Cheese — Feta cheese can be a bit overpowering and salty. In my Burek recipe, I add mozzarella cheese, which balances out the flavor.

Fresh herbs — Fresh herbs are not only delicious, but also good for you! We pack in plenty of parsley, dill, and chives into the filling.

Black Olives and Serrano Pepper — Although black olives and serrano peppers are not traditional cheese Burek ingredients, they complement the other flavors, and add a little zip.

Egg — The egg in this recipe is used to bind the filling ingredients, making the Burek easier to mold and roll.

Egg Roll Wrappers — Egg roll wrappers are a lot easier to work with than Fillo Dough, which makes rolling the Burek a breeze!

How to Make This Recipe

Stir crumbled feta cheese and shredded mozzarella into a medium-sized bowl. Add parsley, dill, chives, and Serrano pepper. Mix to combine.

cheese and various various herbs in a silver bowl on gray marble

cheese with herbs mixed in in a silver bowl on gray marble

Add chopped black olives and a beaten egg to bind everything together.

sliced black olives over a mixture of cheese and herbs in a silver bowl

pouring eggs over a bowlful of cheese and green herbs

Place egg roll wrapper on a flat working surface. Add approximately 1-½ tablespoons of filling towards the bottom of the wrapper and mold into a log.

cheese and herb mixture in a silver bowl

cheese and herb filling on an egg roll wrapper with an orange towel on the side and various bowls

Dab the corners of the wrapper with water (or a beaten egg) then fold the sides over the filling. Roll the bottom portion of the wrapper over the filling.

egg roll/ burek being rolled on a white plate with an orange towel on the counter

burek (egg roll) being rolled on a white plate

Continue rolling tightly upwards until the Burek is completely sealed.

burek (egg roll) rolled almost all the way on a white plate

Place seal-down on a platter and continue until all the filling is used up.

uncooked cheese borek on a plate with some filling and an orange towel on the side

Frying the Burek

Heat vegetable oil in a small pan until it reaches 350-degrees F.

Tip: The oil should start bubbling immediately once the Burek are added to the pan. If the oil is not hot enough, the Burek will absorb too much oil and end up greasy. If the oil is too hot, it will burn the wrapper before it has a chance to fully cook the filling.

Using tongs, carefully place a few Burek into the hot oil and fry on all sides until brown.

3 egg rolls being fried in hot oil in a pan

3 golden fried egg rolls in hot oil being fried

Drain excess oil into the pan and place them on a napkin-covered plate. Repeat with the remaining Burek.

Serve Burek while still hot!

burek/egg rolls on a white plate with a salad

Recipe FAQ's and Expert Tips

What herbs are included in Burek filling?

Cheese Burek obviously have cheese, but what else can you mix in to take them over the top? Here are just a few possibilities:
Fresh garlic
Scallions
Mint
Basil
Crushed red pepper

Can you freeze Burek?

Although you can freeze Burek, I recommend eating them while still fresh. If you have to freeze them, I recommend cooking them first, then reheating them in the oven.

How do you reheat frozen Burek?

To reheat the Burek, place in a 350-degree F oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until crispy on the outside and heated all the way through.

Burek can be made ahead of time. Make sure to place them on a floured tray and sprinkle them with additional flour. They tend to get soggy when stored uncooked in the fridge.
Make sure the Burek don't touch. They have a tendency to release moisture and stick to each other, making it impossible to separate them.
To freeze Burek, fry them first. Cool completely, then wrap in foil and store in a sealed Ziploc bag.
Reheat frozen Burek in a toaster oven, a few at a time, as needed.
Avoid using a microwave to reheat the Burek. It will make them soft and limp.

burek sprinkled with parsley on a white plate with a red background

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