İzgara Köfte (Turkish Grilled Meatballs)
ازگارا کوفتے (ترکی گرل کیے کوفتے)
Turkish köfte are not the saucy koftay of a Pakistani salan. They're small, flat, finger-shaped patties of minced beef and lamb, seasoned simply with grated onion, parsley, cumin and pepper, bound with a little soaked bread, and cooked on a hot grill or until charred outside and juicy inside. Köfte restaurants in Istanbul have served them this way for more than a century, with a white bean salad, grilled green peppers and bread.
- ⏱ Total: 32 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 12 min
- Easy
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Put the mince in a bowl with the squeezed onion, bread, garlic, parsley, cumin, black pepper, pul biber and salt.
Knead with your hand for 4–5 minutes, until the mixture turns sticky and holds together. This kneading is what gives köfte their springy texture.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight. Cold mince holds its shape on the grill.
With wet hands, shape walnut-sized pieces into small oval patties about 1.5 cm thick, pressing a dent into each with a finger.
Heat a , grill pan or charcoal grill until very hot and brush with oil. Cook the köfte for 3–4 minutes on each side without moving them, until charred and just cooked through. Grill the peppers and tomatoes alongside.
Serve hot with the grilled peppers and tomatoes, bread, sliced onion with sumac, and a white bean or shepherd's salad.
Kitchen notes
Use mince with some fat. Lean mince makes dry, crumbly köfte. Ask the butcher to mince it twice for a smooth texture.
Squeeze the grated onion hard. Its juice makes the mixture wet and the köfte fall apart.
The dent in the middle stops the patties puffing up into balls as they cook.
The köfte of Istanbul
Next to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, köfte restaurants have been serving almost the same plate for generations: a row of small charred meatballs, a white bean salad called piyaz, grilled green peppers and bread. Every Turkish city has its own köfte. These grilled ones, ızgara köfte, are the everyday kind made at home.
Simple seasoning, careful handling
The seasoning is deliberately simple compared with Pakistani kebabs: onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, black pepper and a little . What matters more is technique:
- Fat. About 20% fat keeps them juicy.
- Squeezed onion. Grate it, then squeeze out the juice.
- Bread. A slice of soaked, squeezed stale bread keeps them tender.
- Kneading. Five minutes of kneading makes the mixture sticky and springy.
- Chilling. At least an hour, so they hold together on high heat.
Cooking
A hot or grill pan works perfectly at home; charcoal adds smoke. Don’t move them for the first three minutes, so a crust forms. For a smokier taste on the stove, give them a with a hot coal at the end.
Serving
Serve with bread, çoban salatası, sliced onions sprinkled with , grilled peppers and a cold glass of ayran.
Questions people ask
Can I use chicken mince?
Yes, but add 1 tablespoon of oil to the mixture and don't overcook them; chicken köfte dry out faster.
How is it different from seekh kebab?
Seekh kebab is spicier, with green chili, garam masala and often papaya, and shaped long on a skewer. Köfte are mildly seasoned with cumin, pepper and parsley and shaped into small patties.
Can I freeze them?
Yes. Freeze the shaped raw köfte on a tray, then in a bag, for up to 2 months. Cook from frozen over medium heat.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 360
- Protein
- 26 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
