Kofte Recipe (Turkish Meatballs)
Spicy and juicy Turkish meatballs from scratch.
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
- 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
If you can’t find 80% lean beef, use a mixture of lamb and beef (50% lamb, 50% beef).
Prep time includes waiting the meatballs in the refrigerator.
Prep time includes waiting the meatballs in the refrigerator.
NUTRITION
Calories: 46kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 90mgPotassium: 66mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 25IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
ADDITIONAL INFO
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