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Three plates of Turkish Meatballs and one close up fork holding a meatballs

Juicy Spicy Turkish Meatballs

Turkish Meatballs are slightly spicy and bathed in a tangy yogurt sauce with fresh herbs. These juicy meatballs are classically served with white rice or bread, but you can go bold and serve it with pasta too.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean, Turkish
Keyword Kofte, meatballs recipe, spicy meatballs, Turkish meatballs
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 267 kcal
Author Mahy

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef (lean or extra lean to your preference, lean is a tad better :) )
  • 1 small red onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1-2 fresh green chilli (or jalapeños) to your taste—or skip altogether if you don’t like a strong spice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves
  • 2 or more tablespoons of fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons ground rice flour ( or grind 1/4 cup of any type of rice till it’s a fine powder)
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

Sauce

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion minced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 green chilli thinly sliced ( or use jalapeños) or skip altogether for a milder sauce
  • 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup cold plain yogurt (Green yogurt works fine)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
  • 2 more Tablespoons of fresh parsley
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill

Instructions

  1. To make the meatballs, place all the ingredients (except the beef) in a food processor and process until smooth. Then take this mixture and place it in a large bowl, add the beef to it and mix well. Then shape the mixture into 1 inch size balls and place them on a baking sheet.
  2. In a large saute pan, add the olive oil and heat for a few minutes on medium high until it’s hot. Then add the meatballs and start searing them.
  3. Don’t move the meatballs at all for the first 2 minutes so they can sear and get a nice crust. Then try swirling and shaking the pan slightly back n forth and to the sides to swirl the meatballs all around. Then use a wooden spoon or spatula, try to toss the meatballs evenly so they’re seared on all sides. This takes about 7 minutes.
  4. Remove the meatballs to a clean plate and to the same pan, add the olive oil, onion, garlic and green chilli to make the sauce.
  5. Saute these over medium heat until soft and fragrant, then add the tomatoes, spice and bay leaves. Cover the pan and let the sauce cook for 5 minutes.
  6. In a small cup, add the cold yogurt and cornstarch and use a spoon to dissolve the starch in to the yogurt.
  7. Add the yogurt mixture to the tout sauce and once it starts boiling, add the meatballs ack to the sauce.
  8. Cover the pan and let the meatballs cook all the way through in the tomato sauce for nearly 10 minutes over medium low heat.
  9. Add in the fresh herbs, toss the meatballs and serve right away. Enjoy :)

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • TURKISH MEATBALLS/KOFTE TIPS

    • Pick your blend of beef and lamb or all beef, or all lamb.
    • Make sure you use ground rice powder--this adds an incredible chewy texture to meatballs versus a crumbly texture!
    • When frying, don’t move the Turkish meatballs at all for the first 2 minutes so they can sear and get a nice crust.
    • If you’re out of yogurt, then you can use light cream or half n half.
    • The trick to a nice thick and creamy yogurt sauce without having the sauce separate is to add a teaspoon of cornstarch to the yogurt before cooking it. This trick is magic!
    • Leftovers can be frozen or stored in the fridge and reheated before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Juicy Spicy Turkish Meatballs
Amount Per Serving (1 small bowl)
Calories 267 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 56mg19%
Sodium 431mg19%
Potassium 407mg12%
Carbohydrates 12g4%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 115IU2%
Vitamin C 7.9mg10%
Calcium 66mg7%
Iron 2.1mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.