Turkish kofte are tender, warmly spiced meatballs shaped by hand and grilled until lightly charred, then served with bread, vegetables, and cool yogurt cacik.
Mix the meat gently, let the seasoned mixture rest, and shape the kofte with damp hands so they stay tender and hold together over the heat.
Do not pack the meat too tightly. A loose mixture gives kofte a lighter texture and lets the grilled edges brown evenly.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with warm flatbread, cacik, grilled tomatoes and peppers, red onion, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon.
Recipe Notes
Shape the kofte up to one day ahead and refrigerate covered. Cooked leftovers keep for three days and reheat well in a skillet.
Turkish Kofte with Cacik
Juicy Turkish grilled meatballs with herbs and spices, served with cool cucumber-yogurt cacik.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Grill or grill pan
- Box grater
- Tongs
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
Kofte
- 1 1/2 lb ground beef or lamb or a mixture
- 1 medium yellow onion grated and squeezed dry
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Cacik
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 medium cucumber grated and squeezed dry
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
To Serve
- 4 warm flatbreads
- 2 medium tomatoes halved
- 2 medium green peppers
- 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
Instructions
Mix and Rest:
- Combine the ground meat, onion, garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, egg, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Mix with your hands just until combined. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Shape the mixture into 12 oval kofte with damp hands.
Grill:
- Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat and brush lightly with oil.
- Grill the kofte for 4 to 5 minutes per side, turning as needed, until browned and cooked through to 160°F (71°C). Grill the tomatoes and peppers alongside.
Make Cacik and Serve:
- Stir the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon, dill, and salt together. Chill until serving.
- Serve the kofte with warm flatbread, grilled vegetables, red onion, and cacik.
Notes
- Squeezing excess liquid from the grated onion and cucumber keeps the kofte mixture and cacik from becoming loose.
- For a lighter version, use ground turkey and add one tablespoon of olive oil to the mixture.
Nutrition
Calories: 570kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 39gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 920mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8g