Grandma’s Armenian Boyrek recipe – creamy melted feta cheese baked in crispy puff pastry, with step-by-step photos to make this simple authentic dish at home.
Before I get started with this recipe, I’d like to take a moment to talk about today, April 24th. This day, every year, Armenians all over the world mourn the loss of their ancestors in the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The genocide’s purpose was to completely annihilate Armenians and their history. With my yearly Armenian recipe post, I hope to keep part of our culture alive. And if this recipe reaches your kitchen, I thank you for taking the time to bring a piece of Armenia into your home.
That being said… let’s make some Armenian boyreks! (Some pronounce it ‘borek’ or ‘byorek,’ depending on the dialect, but grandma says ‘boyrek!’) Can you believe that this recipe is only 3 ingredients??? It all starts with a block of feta cheese.
Crumble your feta cheese, then crack an egg right on top of it. Use your fork to combine the egg with the feta.
Lay out your puff pastry sheet. (It should be square.) Using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut it horizontally and vertically to create 4 small squares.
Cut each square into 2 triangles. Then spread the feta into only half of each triangle.
Fold each triangle boyrek over, and arrange them on a lined baking sheet.
Then, using a pastry brush, brush the top of each boyrek with egg yolk.
Pop them in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes… and bam! Boyreks!
To be completely honest, I had never made boyreks myself before. Grandma always makes them for the whole family! She usually preps over 50 at a time and freezes them so they’re handy anytime guests are coming over. Now that I’ve learned her boyrek recipe, I seriously can’t believe how easy it is.
The hard part is not eating them all at once!
- ½ lb block (1 cup) feta cheese (see notes)
- 1 large egg
- 2 puff pastry sheets, slightly thawed
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with 2 sheets of parchment paper.
- Crumble feta in plate or bowl. Add egg and combine.
- Lay out puff pastry sheet. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut horizontally and vertically to create 4 small squares. Cut each square into 2 triangles.
- Spread 1 tbsp feta evenly into half of each triangle. Fold each triangle over to cover.
- Arrange on lined baking sheet 1 inch apart. Brush top of each triangle with thin layer of egg yolk.
- Bake on center rack in oven for 30 minutes or until golden on top. Remove and serve warm.
To reheat your boyreks, put them back in a 350 degree oven for 3-5 minutes, until just warmed through.
These boyreks can easily be made ahead. Complete steps 2, 3, and 4. Arrange the boyreks on a tray or plate lined with parchement paper. Place in freezer for 30 minutes, or until firm. Remove, then arrange closer to each other, in a single layer (4 at a time) and wrap tightly in parchment paper. Place in storage bag, squeeze tightly to remove any air inside, and freeze up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw 30 minutes before removing from parchment paper.
These boyreks can be split down the middle one more time to make mini boyreks! The best way to do this is to arrange them on a lined tray and pop them in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up, then cut each down the middle before arranging on the baking sheet.
Armenian Boyreks go great alongside Mediterranean Israeli Couscous Salad or with some of my Grandma’s Armenian Hummus.
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Hi, I'm Mary Smith! Join me while I make a mess of my kitchen to bring you cooking tips & simple recipes for two. 
Dear Mary, these look wonderful! Flaky buttery dough and feta is a delightful combination…I would love to try these soon. xo, Catherine
Thanks Catherine!
THank you so much for sharing your grandma’s recipe. This sounds like perfection! Pinning
Thanks for pinning, Kristen!
Mary – these are gorgeous! I love feta and the golden sheen on this Armenian Boyrek! Thank you for reminding us about the genocide, such a sad day in history.
Thank you very much for reading, Allie! The golden sheen is all thanks to the egg wash – such a simple touch. Grandma knows best.
There are so many different packages of puff pastry with widly varying dimensions. Would you give us a hint as to the weight/dimensions of 1 sheet when you use 2?
Hi Elizabeth. That’s a great question! My package of 2 puff pastry sheets says “17.3 oz (1.1 pounds) (490 grams).” That’s for the total of two, which is how they are packaged. The box doesn’t indicate the dimensions of the sheets. Hope that helps!
I am awestruck! This looks simply deliciously amazing! I am LOVE cheese! This recipe is mouthwatering, I can not wait to try it! Thanks for sharing!
Are you kidding me that’s it??? My great grandma always made these at Armenian Fest and always said it was a long process. I’m glad I found this recipe
Thanks, Sequoya! I don’t know what Armenian Fest is, but that sounds like a blast! I hope you enjoy the recipe
Thank you very much for posting this. My boyfriend’s great-grandmother was rescued from the genocide and brought over to the U.S. Although he’s not particularly tied to his history since his family has been in the states for a few generations now, I’ve been looking for more Armenian recipes to try. This is perfect!