Turkish Köfte Meatballs (Printable View)

Juicy Turkish meatballs with herbs and bulgur, pan-fried or grilled for tender, flavorful bites.

# Needed Ingredients:

→ Meat & Bulgur

01 - 1.1 lb ground beef or lamb (or mixed)
02 - 0.22 lb fine bulgur
03 - 1 small onion, finely grated
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Herbs & Spices

05 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
06 - 1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried mint)
07 - 1 tsp ground cumin
08 - 1 tsp paprika
09 - 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
10 - 0.5 tsp chili flakes (optional)
11 - 1 tsp salt

→ Binding

12 - 1 large egg

→ For Cooking

13 - 2–3 tbsp olive oil (for pan-frying) or oil spray (for grilling)

# Directions:

01 - Combine bulgur with 3 tbsp warm water in a large bowl; let sit for 10 minutes until softened.
02 - Add ground meat, grated onion, minced garlic, parsley, mint, cumin, paprika, black pepper, chili flakes, salt, and egg to the bulgur; mix thoroughly by hand until evenly combined and slightly sticky.
03 - With damp hands, form mixture into small oval or round meatballs approximately walnut-sized.
04 - For pan-frying, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook meatballs in batches 3–4 minutes per side until golden and fully cooked. For grilling, preheat grill to medium-high, lightly oil the grates or apply oil spray, and grill meatballs 3–4 minutes per side until charred and cooked through.
05 - Serve hot alongside rice, flatbread, or a fresh salad.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The bulgur keeps them juicy even after cooking, so every bite has this tender give that won't dry out.
  • Fresh herbs and warm spices make your kitchen smell incredible while they're cooking.
  • They're genuinely easy to pull together and taste like you've been perfecting them for years.
  • They freeze beautifully raw, so you can have homemade köfte ready whenever you need something impressive.
02 -
  • Don't skip the 10-minute rest for the bulgur, because it hydrates the grains so the finished meatballs stay moist instead of becoming dense and heavy.
  • Mix with your hands rather than a spoon, because you can feel when everything is truly incorporated and won't accidentally overwork the meat like you might with tools.
  • Keep your hands damp while shaping but not dripping wet, or the mixture gets too slippery and falls apart as you form it.
03 -
  • If you want extra depth, add a tiny pinch of cinnamon or allspice to the mixture before cooking, because warm spices do something almost magical with ground lamb.
  • Grate your onion directly into the meat instead of chopping it, because the released juices keep everything moist and the onion flavor distributes more evenly.
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