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Easy Turkish-Style Meatballs Recipe (Köfte)

Easy Turkish-Style Meatballs (Köfte)

Tender pan-fried Turkish-style meatballs made with ground beef, grated onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, and paprika. This home-style recipe yields about 18–22 small köfte and serves 4.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 500 g (1 lb) Ground beef, preferably 15–20% fat
  • 1 small Small onion, finely grated and squeezed
  • 2 cloves Garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed
  • 35 g, about ⅓ cup Fine breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup, about 15–20 g Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 large Large egg
Seasonings
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Sweet paprika or Aleppo pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Fine salt
  • ½ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
For Cooking
  • 1–2 tablespoons Olive oil

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Grate the onion and press or squeeze out excess liquid. Add the ground beef, squeezed onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, parsley, egg, cumin, paprika or Aleppo pepper, salt, and black pepper to a large bowl.
  2. Mix the ingredients with your hands for 2–3 minutes, just until the mixture is cohesive and slightly tacky. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes if possible.
  3. Wet or lightly oil your hands, then shape the mixture into 18–22 small oval meatballs weighing approximately 30–35 g each. Flatten each one slightly for even cooking.
  4. Heat 1–2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook the köfte in batches for about 4–6 minutes per side, turning once or twice, until well browned and cooked through.
  5. Check that the center reaches 71°C/160°F for ground beef or lamb. Rest the meatballs for 3–5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Squeezing the grated onion prevents a loose mixture. Avoid overcrowding the skillet because the meatballs may steam instead of brown. Stale bread soaked in water and squeezed dry can replace the breadcrumbs, and traditional versions may omit the egg.