Low Carb & Keto Sigara Boregi. ZERO carbs (almost).
These pastry rolls, filled with a tangy feta mixture, work beautifully as a starter, light lunch or snack. Serve them warm or cold, on their own or with a simple salad.
Traditional Turkish börek uses filo (phyllo) pastry, an unleavened dough stretched paper-thin to produce a crisp, flaky shell.
Because that characteristic stretch depends on gluten from wheat flour, it’s not achievable with grain-free, keto-friendly flours. Rather than trying to reproduce filo, I use a homemade keto puff pastry, which gives a flaky, buttery alternative suitable for these cheese cigars.
The texture differs from the ultra-crisp filo version, but you still get great flavor and a pleasant flakiness in every bite.
How to Make Low Carb & Keto Sigara Boregi
My keto puff pastry is central to this recipe. Fathead dough tends to be dense and is not ideal for rolling delicate cigars, so I recommend the flaky puff pastry approach.
If you can source Lor cheese, it makes a more authentic filling than standard feta, but crumbled feta works perfectly well and is widely available.
Fresh herbs brighten the filling: mint pairs nicely with feta but can be dominant, so parsley is a milder, equally delicious option. Use fresh herbs rather than dried for the best flavor.
Once the pastry is made, assembly is quick: mix the filling, portion it on pastry pieces and roll into cigars. The oven finishes the job.
This is an approachable recipe rather than an exact replica of traditional restaurant börek. Still, it captures the key flavors—crumbly cheese, fresh herbs and a flaky pastry shell—while keeping carbs very low.
Enjoy!
P.S. If you know where to buy low-carb filo pastry or have figured out how to make it, I’d love to hear from you.
- 1 batch QK keto puff pastry (unsalted)
- 200g crumbled Greek feta cheese
- 1/2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
- a small handful of fresh mint or parsley, chopped
- 2 small eggs – beaten separately
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- a little sesame flour for dusting
- Prepare the puff pastry according to your recipe, omitting salt since the feta is already salty.
- Crumble the feta into a mixing bowl and add paprika, milk and the chopped herbs.
- Beat one egg until foamy, add it to the feta mixture and mash together with a fork until well combined.
- Lightly dust a silicone pastry mat and rolling pin with sesame flour. Place chilled pastry on the mat and roll it to a sheet about 40 cm x 30 cm.
- Cut the pastry into 9 equal sections.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C static).
- Spoon a portion of filling onto each pastry section about 3 cm from the long edge.
- Brush the opposite edge with a little beaten egg, then roll the pastry tightly to form a cigar shape.
- Place the cigars on a baking tray lined with non-stick paper or a silicone baking mat, with the seals facing down.
- Brush each cigar with the remaining beaten egg.
- Bake for 17–18 minutes, until golden brown and caramelized.
- Allow the cigars to cool and firm up slightly before serving. Reheat if you prefer them warm.