Turkish Meatballs (known as kofte in Turkey) are the best things to happen on your dinner table. These are spicy, tender and perfectly juicy. It’s not a secret any more to make meatballs at home that are much tastier than store-bought ones.
Turkish meatballs turn a dinner table into an authentic feast when served with sumac onions, Turkish bean salad called piyaz and Turkish cacik. They are easy to make and make a perfect family dinner. That's why this is one of our most popular Turkish food recipes.
We learnt how to make such scrumptious Turkish köfte from a small meatball restaurant. So we are really excited to share it with you today.
What Is Köfte?
Kofte is the term used in Turkish cuisine for meatballs. It is a ball shaped ground beef dish. In a basic kofte recipe, ground beef, lamb or a combination of these two is combined with bread crumbs, onion, garlic and spices. Then it is rolled into balls and cooked over grill, stove or in oven.
There are several kofte recipes in Turkey. Here are some:
- Turkish kofta kebab
- İzmir Köfte (Meatballs and Potatoes in Tomato Sauce)
- Kadinbudu Kofte
- Meatball Stew
- Eggplant Kebab
And we are sharing the most common kofte recipe here. You can serve these either on a plate with some pide bread on the side or in a sandwich bread or in a wrap using lavash.
Turkish Kofte Spice Mix
Although what spices to add in a kofte mixture is up to your taste, the best Turkish kofte has the following spices: salt, cumin, black pepper and dried thyme.
In addition to these, some köfte recipes include a few more spices such as chili powder, red pepper flakes (pul biber), Urfa Biber (Aleppo pepper).
These are basic spices we use when making Turkish köfte, but you can get creative and add your favorite spices as well.
We sometimes add a pinch of cinnamon or curry powder when we need a change, but these are not included in an authentic Turkish kofte recipe.
About The Ingredients
We mostly make it with ground beef, that is 80% lean. If you like the flavor of lamb, you can use a combination of lamb and beef. It will become even moister that way.
Besides ground beef, we use kofte spice mix, onions (finely chopped or pureed), garlic and bread crumbs. You can substitute 2 slices of bread (crumbled) for bread crumbs. Mom adds finely chopped parsley in the mixture and we love it too. It makes a wonderful twist on classic Turkish meatballs.
Besides the ingredients above, there are three ingredients that will help you have fluffy meatballs. These are: baking soda, lemon juice and water.
Mix these in a small bowl and pour in the ground beef mixture. Combine them all and let the mixture sit in the refrigerator at least 2-3 hours for the best result.
How To Make Kofte
This is the best kofte recipe we've ever made. If we can make it, you can too. It has five easy parts:
First, in a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, onion and garlic. Add in the spices.
Second, in a small bowl mix baking soda lemon juice and water. Pour it in the ground beef mixture.
Third, using your hand, mix everything well. Knead it for about a minute and chill in the refrigerator covered for 2-3 hours.
Fourth, roll the mixture into balls. Brush a large plate with a little olive oil and place each meatball on it. Olive oil will prevent them from sticking on the plate.
Fifth, cook the meatballs in a cast iron pan in batches. Heat a little oil in the pan and place the meatballs in it. Cook them over high heat first for about 30 seconds, flipping them over. Then bring the heat to the lowest and keep cooking until done, shaking the pan occasionally.
Our Tips
It is simple and easy to make Turkish meatballs at home but has some secrets to make them as tasty and juicy as the ones you eat out.
- What makes Turkish meatballs that tasty is the type of meat used. You need to buy the right ground beef for flavorsome meatballs. Forget about lean ground beef and ask for 20% fat, which means 80% lean. You need fat to keep your meatballs moist on the inside.
- Another thing when buying ground beef is asking for freshly ground. Don’t buy packaged ground beef, you can never be sure the type of beef inside those packages.Also, it’s not good when it sits for a long time. Finally, have it double ground.
- The key ingredient for this Turkish meatball recipe is baking soda. It helps them have that tenderness.
- You need to prepare the meatball mixture and let it rest in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Overnight is the best.
- You should dice the onions super finely or puree it.
- If you are at home and don’t have a grill or barbecue, the best way to cook Turkish meatballs is in a cast iron pan.
- Start cooking them on the highest heat, flipping them over so that all sides equally change the color, for 2 minutes. Then bring it to the lowest heat and continue cooking until done, for about 10 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Traditionally, Turkish meatballs are often served with either coban salad or piyaz.
Turkish cacik (Greek tzatziki) gives a nice refreshment when served with kofte. Other sides to serve are herbs, pickles, roasted onions or fried oyster mushrooms, garlic or peppers.
Also, kofte goes very well with Turkish rice pilav or bulgur pilav.
If you want to serve it with some bread, we recommend pide ekmek, lavash or bazlama.
These are accompanied by yogurt drink ayran, which is a cold drink that goes well with any meat dish.
Can Kofte Be Frozen?
Yes, absolutely! Moms in Turkey have always meatballs in the freezer and these are their number one option whenever they feel stuck to decide what to cook for dinner. It’s for sure that their family will devour it.
To freeze form the ground beef mixture into patties: Lay them over a large plate in a single layer. Let them sit in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the freezer and put them in freezer bags. They don’t stick to one another this way.
You can take the meatballs straight from the freezer and cook. No need for defrosting.
We highly recommend you to make a big batch of these kofte patties and freeze them for busy weeknight dinners. You can imagine how time and life saving it is when you have starving people running around you.
More Turkish Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Kofte Recipe (Turkish Meatballs)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds ground beef 80% lean
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 medium onions pureed
- 4 cloves garlic mashed (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon chili powder optional
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, finely diced onion and mashed garlic.
- Add in the spices.
- In a small bowl, mix baking soda, water and lemon juice. Pour this into the ground beef mixture. Mix well with your hand. Knead it for about a minute so that everything is combined well.
- Cover and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight or at least 2 hours.
- Roll them into meatballs.
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron pan or any non-stick pan. Cook the meatballs over high heat, flipping them over or shaking the pan occasionally so that all sides are cooked for about 3 minutes. Don't overcrowd the pan, cook the meatballs in batches until they finish or save some to freeze.
Video
NOTES
Prep time includes waiting the meatballs in the refrigerator.
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sherri says
This was absolutely perfect! It's the closest I've come in home cooking to the basic kofte I loved so much in Turkey (there are some many kinds of kofte, one day I will make them all). I only had one pound of ground beef so I cut the recipe in half -- no problem at all. Was similarly not sure how the baking soda would taste but it helped replicate that somewhat springy texture. Making and eating this kofte was the bright spot of another blah Monday in quarantine. I paired it with some macaroni and cheese, then had a green salad after for some lightness and balance. Thanks for this recipe!
Yusuf says
Hi Sherri! So happy to hear that you loved our kofte recipe! TServing it along with macaroni and cheese is brilliant! A green salad with these is a must for sure! Thanks for your feedback!
Charla says
These were AMAZING! A little more work than the meatballs I've been making recently, but it was like I was suddenly back in Istanbul!
Helly says
These meatballs are PERFECT! I made the recipe yesterday for our Turkish friends, and served it with that cucumber dip. And everyone loved it! Thank you for the recipe! Now I will make some more and freeze for a later use.
Jamie says
Hello,
I made the köfte for my boyfriend and myself and I must say it was a hit! It tasted like we were at an authentic Turkish Resturant! The baking soda and lemon will make the meat soft and juicy. Never thought of it' soo good. Thank u for sharing! Will be a staple in my home.
Amandine says
In 1978 in Oslo, when I was in second grade, 8 years old, we had a new girl starting school in my class. She was from Turkey, and the most exotic person I'd ever met. Not many foreigners in Norway in 1978! Her mum came to school one day, bringing turkish meatballs to all of us, - and it tasted like nothing I'd ever tasted in my life! I have tried to copy but never succeeded until I gave your recipe a try, and really think I nailed it! Thank you! They turned out almost as yummy as I remembered them, just as yummy if you strip them of pink nostalgia:-)
Zerrin says
Thank you Amandine for sharing your memory with us. Meatballs are one of the favorites of Turkish moms as no kid refuses these! Great to hear that you liked my recipe!
Shima says
I love kofte however in my opinion It is dreadful making kofte.
I don't like touching raw meat or washing the bowls afterwards, I don't like shaping them into balls, neither standing for half hour frying them, is there an easier way to cook kofte I don't know?
Zerrin says
Maybe you can wear kitchen gloves when making kofte. And if you don't like frying, you can cook it in oven.
Natalie - Turkish Travel Blog says
I love kofte however I have found out after countless attempts that the butcher always makes better kofte than me so I buy them ready made. Cheating, I know!
lil mama says
MY MOM DOES HER OWN BUSINESS SO SHE IS LOOKING AT HOW TO MAKE MEATBALLS
Sophie says
Your meat balls look yummie!! Me too, I made little balls like that including lemon zest & lemon juice!! I love those tastes in the meat!!
Tangled Noodle says
These meatballs look delicious! Although it's not yet warm enough to grill outside, I imagine these will be marvelous made over an open flame!
lisaiscooking says
That's interesting that lemon is used. They look fantastic!
Reeni says
I am a meatball lover from way back! These look delicious!!
Sara says
I just love meatballs, I definitely need to try your version. They look so delicious.
Natasha - 5 Star Foodie says
Since my husband doesn't like tomato sauce, I always make Swedish meatballs for him but now that I learned about köfte, I will make it for him and I know he will love these! Thanks for a great recipe!
OysterCulture says
Ha, I love kofte, and its very popular in Persia as well, as I learned, the easy way, from my friend. I cannot wait to try your version - you do realize I might be cooking Turkish for the rest of 2009 to keep up with all these wonderful recipes you provide?