Turkish Meatballs, known as kofte in Türkiye, are one of those dishes we never get tired of. They are tender, juicy, packed with spices and incredibly easy to make. As a Turkish family, this is probably one of the dishes we make most often, and once you try it, you'll understand why.
Köfte: A Favorite in Turkish Homes
If you asked us what we cook most often at home, our answer would be kofte. And we don't think we're the only Turkish family who would say that.
Kofte is one of the most loved dishes in Türkiye. It might even be the meat dish that is cooked most often in Turkish homes. It is the kind of dinner that gets everyone excited when they hear it is on the menu.
It is also known as a lifesaver for Turkish moms. It is easy to make, doesn't require many ingredients, and almost everyone loves it. So it ends up on the dinner table very often.
And kofte isn't just something people make at home. There are even restaurants called kofteci that specialize in serving kofte.
The recipe we are sharing here comes from a local kofteci we loved years ago when we were living in Eskişehir, Türkiye. We got the recipe from the owner, and we've been making it this way ever since.
What Is Turkish Kofte?
There are many different types of kofte in Turkish cuisine. This recipe is for the classic homemade version that many of us grew up eating.
It is made with ground beef, onion, bread, and spices, then shaped into patties and cooked in a pan, on the grill or in the oven.
This is one of the simplest types of Turkish kofte. There is no sauce and no complicated ingredients. Just meat, onion, bread and spices coming together to create a tender and flavorful dish.
About The Ingredients
Ground Beef: We mostly make kofte with ground beef that’s 80% lean (20% fat). If you like the flavor of lamb, you can use a combination of beef and lamb.
Spices: We use cumin, chili powder (or paprika), pul biber (Aleppo pepper), thyme (or oregano), salt and black pepper. You can adjust the amounts to your taste.
Onion: We either chop it very finely or grate it. You can also use a food processor.
Garlic: We love the richness it adds to our kofte, but you can use less or leave it out if you prefer.
Bread or Breadcrumbs: We often use a large slice of stale bread without the crust. Just put it in a food processor and blitz until fine.
Baking Soda: This is one of the key ingredients for tender kofte. Mixed with a little lemon juice, it helps keep the meat soft and juicy.
Parsley: Like many Turkish people (including Zerrin’s mom), you can also add finely chopped parsley to the mixture. It adds a really nice flavor. We often do this too, but we didn’t have any parsley on hand when making this recipe.
You can find the full ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
How To Make Turkish Kofte
Making Turkish kofte is surprisingly easy.
Put the ground beef, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic and spices in a large mixing bowl. Add the baking soda, pour the lemon juice over it and then add the water. Using your hand, mix everything together for about a minute until well combined.
If you have time, cover the mixture and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This helps the flavors come together and gives the kofte an even better texture. But don't worry if you're short on time. We often skip this step too and the kofte still turn out delicious.
Shape the mixture into balls or oval patties, whichever you prefer.
Heat a little olive oil in a cast iron skillet or a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place the kofte in the pan, making sure not to overcrowd it. Cook until the bottoms are nicely browned, then flip them over and brown the other side as well.
Once both sides have a good color, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, turning them occasionally so they brown evenly on all sides. Depending on their size, they should be fully cooked in about 8 to 10 minutes.
Transfer the cooked kofte to a plate and continue with the remaining batches. Serve immediately while still hot.
You can find the full list of instructions on the recipe card below.
Serving Suggestions
Turkish kofte is often served with piyaz (Turkish bean salad) or çoban salatası (Turkish shepherd's salad). We also love serving it with sumac onions on the side.
For something cooling and refreshing, serve kofte with a bowl of cacık, the Turkish yogurt and cucumber dip.
Also, kofte goes well with Turkish rice pilaf or bulgur pilaf. Both are classic pairings.
If you want to add some bread to the table, we recommend pide ekmek, lavash or even bazlama.
And of course, just like many Turks, we would have a glass of ayran alongside kofte. This simple yogurt drink is one of the most popular accompaniments to grilled and pan-fried meat dishes in Türkiye.
Looking for more ideas? Check out our collection of Turkish side dishes.
Storage and Reheating
Store any leftover kofte in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat, place them in a skillet over medium heat and cook for a few minutes, turning occasionally, until heated through.
That said, many Turks enjoy leftover kofte without reheating. We often take them out of the refrigerator and leave them on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes to lose their chill, then serve them with bread and salad or pickles. In fact, we often prefer having the leftovers this way.
Can I Freeze Kofte?
Yes, absolutely!
If there is one thing many Turkish moms always have in the freezer, it is homemade kofte. It is often the first thing they reach for when they can't decide what to make for dinner because they know everyone will happily eat it.
To freeze kofte, shape the meat mixture into patties and place them on a large plate or tray in a single layer. Freeze for 15 to 20 minutes, then transfer them to freezer bags. This quick freeze prevents them from sticking together.
When you are ready to cook, you can take the kofte straight from the freezer and cook them. There is no need to thaw them first.
We highly recommend making a big batch and keeping some in the freezer for busy weeknights. Having homemade kofte ready to cook can feel like a lifesaver when everyone is hungry and dinner needs to be on the table quickly.
More Turkish Kofte Recipes
- Turkish kofte kebab
- İzmir Köfte (Meatballs and Potatoes in Tomato Sauce)
- Kadinbudu Kofte
- Meatball Stew
- Eggplant Kebab
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📖 Recipe
Kofte Recipe (Turkish Meatballs)
Video
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds ground beef (900 grams) 80% lean
- ½ cup breadcrumbs (50 grams)
- 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
- ½ lemon juice only
- 1 tablespoon olive oil to fry the meatballs
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder (or paprika), pul biber, thyme, salt and black pepper.
- Add the baking soda on top of the mixture. Pour the lemon juice over it, then add the water.
- Using your hand, mix everything together for about 1 minute, until well combined.
- If you have time, cover and refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 hour. This helps the flavors develop, but you can skip this step if needed.
- Shape the mixture into balls or oval kofte patties.
- Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
- Place 8-10 kofte in the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until nicely browned on the bottom. Flip and cook the other side until browned as well.
- Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, turning occasionally, until the kofte are cooked through and evenly browned on all sides, about 8-10 minutes total.
- Transfer the cooked kofte to a plate and continue cooking the remaining kofte in batches. There is no need to add more oil to the pan, as the kofte will release some of their fat while cooking.
- Serve immediately with piyaz (Turkish bean salad) or your favorite side dishes.
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Bill says
Ah çok harika ya. Lived in Türkiye for 7 years while in the Air Force. Went back and forth a couple of times. Love everything about Turkish cuisine. Found this recipe, made a few tweaks from what I remember. Could not be happier. Çok lezzetli. Added a little çoban salatası and it was heaven. Her şey çok teşekkür ederim!!!
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Merhaba Bill,
We are so glad you liked our köfte recipe. It is one of the classics in Turkey, right? And it goes really well with çoban salatasi. Thank you for letting us know what you think about the recipe.
Cheers!
Bill says
Bir şey değil. It’s weekly now. Kesinlikle en iyi güzel!!!
Jen says
To quote my husband, "Wow. Wow. Wow." Forget the five stars. I'll take three Wows any day. Absolutely delicious. Served with the cacik from this site. Tomorrow I'll try with the lavash. Thank you so much.
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Jen,
Such a great compliment! This is music to our ears. We are so glad you guys enjoy our kofte recipe. It is one of our go-to dinner recipes and we always have some in the freezer. They go really well with cacik and lavash.
Cheers!
Susan says
Delicious! An extended family favorite! Thank you for sharing
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Susan,
So happy to hear that you all liked it!
Glenda Roberts says
Thank you. This was a very delicious recipe & I shall be making them many times over!💝👌
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Glenda! We are so happy to hear that you liked the recipe. It is one of our go-to dinner recipes, so we always have some uncooked kofte in the freezer 🙂
We would really appreciate if you could give a rating (star rating) to the recipe in the comments section.
Cheers!
Lydia Strong says
My son did a study tour in Turkey as part of his college degree. He recently asked me if I could make some Turkish meatballs for him, he had eaten so many when he was in Turkey and really liked them. I followed your recipe with some red pepper flakes -- the meatballs turned out a bit spicier than he preferred. Second batch: no red pepper flakes, but I used a cayenne pepper instead of black pepper. Not quite spicy enough. Nevertheless, he liked both batches, so I'm still looking for the exact spice mix to suit our family's tastes.
Susie says
I am making these for friends today! I prefer to use oven. Do you happen to have baking instructions? Thank you!
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Susie,
Hope this is not a late answer for you. You can bake these at a preheated oven to 180C (350F). Place the meatballs in a single layer on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper. And bake for 30-40 minutes. It is important to put them in a single layer, otherwise they might release too much water.
Susie says
I baked for 40 minutes and they turned out perfect!! They were delicious. In fact, will be making them again for my husband tonight. Thank you so kindly for responding!
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Susie,
We are glad you liked the result. Thank you for coming back and sharing your experience. Hope your husband loves them too.
Cheers!
Lorna says
Made these as per recipe, except I have no red pepper flakes so missed out. I also formed into patties as I think they cook better and it’s more authentic to what we’ve had in Turkey. I didn’t have time to leave before cooking but they were still absolutely delicious! I print all recipes I try and write any comments from my partner as he’s a fussy so and so! This one says ‘5* blooming lovely’! This was his favourite meal in Turkey 🙂 will be done again!!
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Lorna,
Your comment made our day! So happy to hear that your partner and you loved these meatballs.
Thank you for coming back and sharing your thoughts with us.
Cheers!
ETM says
I'm just watching Alex, the French food guy, in Istanbul learning to make kofte from a Turkish woman, who says beef, pork, lamb, all good, should be 30 percent fat. And she definitely includes cinnamon in her version of traditional kofta. But then she is Turkish. And these "meatballs" are rarely round like what we call a meatball. More flattened with an edge that can get crispy (and cancer causing, I guess, but I don't care!). Crispy meat edges taste good.
Marlene says
Recipe is classic pretty much. There is surely room for improvements..
Baking soda - absolutely unnecessary does NOTHING for the fluffiness of the end meatball product but only contributes to possible major health problems. Baking soda is something that should be used sparingly, occasionally or best avoid altogether in cooking and baking. There are millions of ways to do without it.
The easiest method to fluff the ball is already in front of you! Bread crumbs. But use it wisely, don't just dump dry crumbs because they dry all the juices out of meat causing dry end result.
Instead take crumbs, add milk, let sit until all milk is absorbed and until you have fluffy paste so be generous with milk. Once ready, just drop it into the meat and incorporate.
Soon you will realize that soda is inadequate method.
Who in their right mind would poison family with packing soda into every meatball deal. Also do try those two methods and blind folded offer to friends, see what they will like better.
Even if you skip soda in your original method and make two batches, one with it and one without it you will see that the soda does nothing to fluff the heavy meat.
Laurel says
What’s wrong with baking soda?
pm says
The baking soda is NOT there to make the meatballs "fluffy". The backing soda is there to raise the pH on the meat's surface, making it more difficult for the proteins to bond excessively, ie prevents them from getting tough and helps in browning.
Like you suggest, a bread crumb panade will help keep meat moist and tender too, just note that adding too much will give small meatballs a bready mouth feel and taste. (Think of bad diner/cafeteria meatloaf with so much bread put into it as an extender – tender yes - but meh)
The small amount of baking soda allows a panade to keep things moist without going the point of having to use it to teh point of being an extender.
If you wish to start spouting off information like baking soda "contributes to possible major health problems" PLEASE cite/link to specific scientific medical data that has been peered reviewed and accepted by people that have spent their life studying the effects of what we eat - I am DONE with people starting stupid rumors about this or that being bad for your health and the only place they have been getting their information is some random person on a facebook or twitter feed. (side note to the editors of the site - please remove this type of stuff, the world is bad enough without bad data)
Aska says
Hi guys! The kofte turned out perfect, thank you so much. So juicy and full of flavour. My family loved them. I chopped up some parsley and mixed it in with the meat as well
Yusuf says
So happy to hear that your family is happy with the result! Parsley adds a nice flavor, we sometimes use it too.
Cheers,
Zerrin&Yusuf
Anna says
Hi
Thanks for the recipe can you make it without leaving it to marinate if you dont have the time. IE make it and cook immediately.
Yusuf says
Hi Anna,
Yes, you can cook these immediately. We sometimes do it so especially when we don't have enough time. When marinated, the meatballs turn out puffier and softer. But these are delicious both ways.
Pat says
Look great! Want to try for our Christmas meatballs as a snack. Any suggestion for dipping sauce?
Yusuf says
Hi Pat! You can use Turkish yogurt dip cacik or a tahini sauce would be great too. You can just leave turmeric out if you are not a fan of it.
dizzy says
I didn't have lemon juice or thyme, I substituted apple cider vinegar, and a za'atar mix (which had a little sumac in it), came out awesome! Served it with cucumber salad, roasted cherry tomatoes, and spanakorizo. Then headed out to play Balkan music lol.
Yusuf says
Hi Dizzy! Great twists on the recipe. Thanks for sharing! And we love Balkan musinc, let's dance together lol!
Susanna says
This looks so delicious! How would you suggest to cook them in the oven instead of pan frying?
Yusuf says
You can place the koftes on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake them in a 200C preheated oven for about 30 minutes or so.
Susie says
Would it be recommended to cover with foil while baking?
Zerrin & Yusuf says
No need to cover them. They will be steamed if covered. If you want to give them a grilled or fried taste, bake them uncovered. Hope these help.
Emily says
so easy and so phenomenal! these will rotate into my family favorites.