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