Turkish · Lunch · Dinner
Turkish Grilled Meatballs (Izgara Köfte) with Shepherd's Salad
Izgara Köfte
Juicy, oval beef köfte seasoned with cumin, paprika and parsley, charred on a hot grill and served with a crisp tomato, cucumber and sumac salad. It's made with lean beef and just a touch of oil, so it stays light without losing its smoky flavour.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 20% · Fat 48% · Protein 32%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 500 gLean ground beef (90% lean)
- 1 medium110 gOnion, grated
- 1/3 cup35 gDry plain breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves6 gGarlic, finely minced
- 3/4 cup25 gFresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tspGround cumin
- 1 tspSweet paprika
- 1 tspRed pepper flakes (pul biber)
- 1/2 tspGround black pepper
- 1 tsp plus a pinch7 gSalt
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp18 gOlive oil
- 2 medium250 gTomatoes, diced
- 1 medium200 gCucumber, diced
- 1/2 small50 gRed onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tspGround sumac
- 2 tbsp30 gLemon juice
- 4180 gLong green peppers, for grilling (optional)
Steps
- 1
Grate the onion, then squeeze it firmly in your hands or a clean cloth to remove excess juice.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the beef, squeezed onion, breadcrumbs, garlic, two-thirds of the parsley, cumin, paprika, pepper flakes, black pepper and 1 tsp salt.
- 3
Knead the mixture with your hands for 3–4 minutes until it feels sticky and holds together.
- 4
Cover and chill the mixture for 15 minutes to firm up.
- 5
With damp hands, shape the mixture into 16 small oval patties about 1.5 cm thick.
- 6
Heat a grill, grill pan or barbecue over medium-high heat and brush the grates with 1 tsp olive oil.
- 7
If using, grill the green peppers for 6–8 minutes, turning, until blistered and soft; set aside.
- 8
Grill the köfte for 4–5 minutes per side until well charred and cooked through to 71 °C / 160 °F in the centre.
- 9
While the köfte cook, toss the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and remaining parsley in a bowl.
- 10
Dress the salad with the lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, sumac and a pinch of salt.
- 11
Serve the köfte hot with the salad and grilled peppers.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a gluten-free version, replace the breadcrumbs with fine gluten-free breadcrumbs or the same amount of ground almonds, and choose spices labelled gluten-free.
- Use ground lamb or a beef and lamb mix instead of beef for a richer, more traditional flavour.
- Swap the beef for lean ground turkey or chicken, chilling the mixture a little longer since it is softer to shape, and grill until the centre reaches 74 °C / 165 °F.
- If you can't find sumac, add a little finely grated lemon zest to the salad dressing instead.
Storage
Refrigerate leftover köfte in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot; they can also be frozen for up to 3 months. The dressed salad is best eaten fresh and should not be frozen, as the cucumber and tomato turn watery.
Make ahead
Mix and shape the raw köfte up to 1 day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge, or freeze the shaped patties on a tray and then bag them. Chop the salad vegetables a few hours ahead and dress them just before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Gluten
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (310 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 341 kcal | 110 kcal |
| Protein | 28 g | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 16.6 g | 5.4 g |
| of which sugars | 5.1 g | 1.6 g |
| Fiber | 2.8 g | 0.9 g |
| Fat | 18 g | 5.8 g |
| of which saturated | 5.7 g | 1.8 g |
| Sodium | 849 mg | 274 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
