Turkish grilled meatballs — spiced ground lamb and beef patties chargrilled until juicy and smoky, served with piyaz salad and flatbread.
Izgara köfte are Turkey's most versatile and universally loved grilled meatballs — found at every Turkish restaurant, roadside lokanta, and family barbecue. The mixture of ground lamb and beef is seasoned with onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, and dried oregano, kneaded until sticky, then shaped into oval patties and grilled over charcoal. The result is juicy, slightly smoky, and deeply savoury. Izgara köfte is traditionally served with piyaz (white bean and onion salad dressed with vinegar and parsley), roasted tomatoes and peppers, and thick flatbread. The köfte is simultaneously simple and perfect — a masterclass in seasoned meat cookery.
Serves 4
Combine all ingredients and knead vigorously for 5–8 minutes until sticky. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Wet hands. Shape meat into oval patties about 8 cm long and 1.5 cm thick — classic Turkish köfte shape.
Grill over hot charcoal or in a cast-iron grill pan over high heat, 4–5 minutes per side until charred and cooked through.
Serve over flatbread with grilled tomatoes, peppers, sliced onion, and fresh parsley. A spoonful of yogurt alongside is traditional.
Rest köfte for 2 minutes after grilling — the juices redistribute and the meat stays moist.
Grating and squeezing the onion dry prevents soggy köfte.
Don't handle the mixture too much after shaping — overworked köfte become dense.
A little bicarb soda (¼ tsp) in the mixture makes the köfte extra tender.
İnegöl köfte: onion-free, with baking soda for a specific eastern Turkish style.
Add finely chopped flat-leaf parsley for herbaceous freshness.
Pan-fry in butter for an indoor version.
Uncooked shaped köfte freeze well for 1 month. Cooked köfte keep 2 days refrigerated.
Köfte has been made in Anatolia and the broader Middle East for thousands of years. Turkish köfte culture is extraordinarily diverse — every region and city has its own style, shape, and spice combination. The Ankara, İnegöl, İzmir, and Akçaabat styles are among the most famous, each with protected regional status.
Traditional köfte uses lamb only, but a 2:1 lamb-to-beef ratio is common and produces a slightly milder flavour that many people prefer. Pure beef works too but has less flavour complexity.
Chilling firms the fat and helps the köfte hold its shape on the grill without crumbling.
Per serving · 4 servings total
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