Community Pick
Turkish Meatballs (Kofta)
"These are the well-known Turkish Kofta, delicious little meat balls or patties. You can make them with beef, but lamb is traditional and makes them very special."
photo by The 500 Chef
- Ready In:
- 35mins
- Ingredients:
- 11
- Yields:
-
36 meatballs
- Serves:
- 4-6
ingredients
- 1 cup fine fresh breadcrumb
- 1 lb lean ground lamb
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1⁄2 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
directions
- Make the bread crumbs by breaking up 2 slices of stale but not dried out whole wheat bread into the bowl of a food processor.
- Whizz until finely crumbed.
- Add the ground lamb and the egg, and process until blended.
- Add the spices, garlic and parsley.
- Process the meat well to achieve a fine texture.
- Roll the mixture into small meatballs (I use a melonballer) or finger shaped patties using dampened hands.
- You may cook them at once, or refrigerate the mixture for several hours.
- (If your meat is very fresh, you can divide it in half and wrap part well in plastic for the next day's meal.) Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, and fry the balls or patties until cooked through and evenly browned.
- The meatballs should be stirred several times, the patties turned once.
- Remove them with a slotted spoon to drain.
- Serve the meatballs hot or at room temperature as an appetizer.
- Lovely with a yogurt or tahini sauce, on a bed of rice or in a pita.
Questions & Replies
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Reviews
-
these are really good and a nice change from the usual. i made these into patties and served them in pitas with tzatziki sauce. i served them with baked french fries which i seasoned with cumin. nice week night dinner. -
I lived in Turkey for several years and this recipe comes as close to the best koftes I ever had there. They are very good grilled and served with other meats (chicken kebabs, lamb chops) as part of a "mixed grill" along with the yogurt/cucumber/garlic sauces, a shepherd's salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives with lemon/olive oil dressing) and some raki (like ouzo) for good measure. These are always a huge hit in my house! -
We just got back from England where we had these meatballs in a Turkish restaurant. I loved them and couldn't wait to get back home so I could try to make them myself. These are every bit as good as the ones we ate while we were away. I cooked mine on a charcoal grill and that added another flavor dimension. -
Lovely recipe, will make again, I placed the Köfte on a skewer like the picture with less meat. Great flavours. My Father who is a Türk said they were great! So points for me!! -
These are incredible. I have been using this recipe since I found it on Recipezaar in 2004. The recipe works with all lamb, a combo of lamb and beef, and I have even used ground bison! The balance of flavors is absolutely perfect - please try them as written without subs at least once. I occasionally sub 1/2 cup panko for the fresh breadcrumbs if I don't have bread on hand. I get raves every time I serve these. We grill them when possible and usually serve them with cucumber yogurt sauce and greek style roasted potatoes, or Turkish bread. Add a greek salad and you have a Mediterranean feast!
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Tweaks
-
I use beef, I personally don't like lamb. So I used beef.
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It works really well as is, but I do prefer tweaking it in a couple ways. I use fresh mint instead of dried mint, and also use a lot of fresh coriander (cilantro) and extra garlic. For spices, I also tend to be much more liberal--I use allspice, cumin, and also ground coriander, a bit of cinnamon, and just a pinch of cayenne to give it that extra kick. I also prefer to fry the patties on low heat until the exterior is almost blackened, so that the exterior is really crunchy without being burned while the interior is tender and soft, but still well cooked. Btw if issues come up with balling up the mixture, I recommend breaking in another egg (and adding more breadcrumbs if it feels too moist). Usually this means I need 2 eggs, not 1.
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Delicious! I used fresh dill instead of dried mint as one of the other reviewers suggested. I didn't put in allspice. After I browned the kefta, I minced some garlic and onions, sauteed them with hot sauce, salt, pepper, chili flakes and tomatos and boiled and then simmered with a bit of water. Delish! My husband finished the whole plate (a sure sign that it's a winner!!) -
Excellent I used beef instead of lamb. The taste is terrific and the mixture holds on so well. The idea of putting the meat in a food processor is genius!!!! -
These were outstanding. I couldn't find lamb in our grocery so I used beef instead. Subsituted fresh dill for mint (again not available at the store). Also had no allspice, so I combined ground cloves and cinnamon to equal 1/2 tsp. Shaped mine into 12 finger shaped patties. Grilled them on the BBQ over medium heat. Served with greek salad, pita, hummus, tzatziki, and grilled eggplant. It was a meal to die for!!
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Jenny Sanders
Cambridge, Ontario
I love to garden, both perennials and vegetables. I am always looking for recipes to fiddle with, especially good simple vegetable dishes. I try to use organic ingredients as much as possible.
