Turkish Köfte Meatballs (Printer-friendly)

Juicy Turkish köfte with herbed meat and bulgur, grilled or pan-fried for a crisp outside and tender inside.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meat & Bulgur

01 - 1.1 lb ground beef or lamb (or a mix)
02 - ½ cup 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 - ½ tsp ground black pepper
10 - ½ 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 - In a large bowl, combine bulgur with 3 tbsp warm water. Let stand 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 softened bulgur.
03 - Mix all ingredients thoroughly with clean hands until well incorporated and slightly sticky.
04 - With damp hands, form mixture into small oval or round meatballs roughly the size of a walnut.
05 - For pan-frying: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry meatballs in batches for 3–4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. For grilling: Preheat grill to medium-high, oil grates lightly or use oil spray. Grill meatballs 3–4 minutes per side until charred and cooked through.
06 - Serve hot alongside rice, flatbread, or fresh salad.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They cook in 15 minutes but taste like you've been simmering flavors all day.
  • Bulgur keeps them impossibly tender inside while the outside gets this gorgeous golden crust.
  • You can grill them, pan-fry them, or even bake them—they're forgiving and always turn out right.
02 -
  • Don't skip the bulgur soaking step—dry bulgur makes dense, heavy meatballs that taste like sawdust.
  • Wet your hands before shaping; it's the difference between smooth meatballs and ones that crack and fall apart while cooking.
  • Cook in batches if your pan is crowded; they won't brown if they're touching, and browning is where the magic lives.
03 -
  • Toast your spices in the warm water before adding bulgur—it wakes them up and deepens their flavor before anything else happens.
  • If your mixture feels too wet after mixing, let it rest for 5 minutes; sometimes the bulgur continues absorbing moisture and firms things up naturally.
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