Çiğ köfte recipe: spicy bulgur köfte, the meat-free way

• November 9, 2026
• Meze & Salads, Recipes

In Turkish neighbourhoods in Turkey and in London you will find çiğ köfte counters, where staff squeeze spicy red bulgur paste into little ridged fingers and wrap them in lettuce or lavaş (thin flatbread) with lemon and pomegranate molasses. It is cheap, filling, vegan and surprisingly addictive.

The name means “raw köfte”, and the dish began in south-eastern Turkey as a mixture of raw meat and bulgur. The version sold in shops in Turkey and London today contains no meat: the bulgur softens as it is kneaded with pepper pastes, onion and spices. Wikipedia’s çiğ köfte page explains the background. This recipe is for the modern meat-free kind, which needs no cooking, only a good 15 minutes of kneading.

What is çiğ köfte?

Çiğ köfte (pronounced “chee kuf-teh”) is a speciality of south-eastern Turkey and is especially associated with Şanlıurfa (Urfa). The essential ingredients are extra-fine bulgur and isot, the dark, smoky, raisin-like chilli flakes from Urfa, also sold as Urfa biber.

The traditional version

The original was made by kneading very lean raw meat with bulgur and spices by hand for a long time. Because of the health risks of raw meat, Turkey banned the public sale of the raw-meat version (Wikipedia dates the ban to 2008), and shops switched to a plant-based recipe. We do not give a method for the raw-meat version here.

Today’s meat-free çiğ köfte

The meat-free recipe relies on long kneading so the bulgur absorbs the oils and pastes and turns into a smooth, cohesive dough. Some shops add ground walnuts for richness. It is usually served on lettuce leaves with lemon, often rolled into a dürüm (wrap), and eaten with ayran. Atlas Obscura has a short entry on the dish too.

Ingredients

Makes about 30 pieces; serves 4–6 as a snack or 4 as a light meal in wraps.

For the çiğ köfte

• 250g extra-fine bulgur (köftelik bulgur; dark esmer bulgur if you can find it)
• 150ml hot water
• 1 small onion (about 80g), very finely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tbsp isot pepper (Urfa biber)
• 1–2 tsp pul biber (Turkish chilli flakes), to taste
• 2 tbsp hot red pepper paste (acı biber salçası)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (nar ekşisi)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 30g walnuts, very finely ground (optional)
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
• Small bunch flat-leaf parsley (about 20g), finely chopped

To serve

• 1 Romaine or Little Gem lettuce, leaves separated
• Lemon wedges
• Extra pomegranate molasses
• Lavaş or tortilla wraps (optional)
• Fresh mint leaves and ayran

How to make çiğ köfte

1. Soak the bulgur

Put the bulgur in a wide bowl, pour over the hot water, mix and cover with a plate. Leave for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed. It will still feel a little firm, which is what you want.

2. Add the pastes and spices

Add the grated onion, garlic, isot, pul biber, both pastes, cumin, black pepper and salt. Wear disposable gloves if you have sensitive skin; the chilli is strong.

3. Knead hard

Knead the mixture firmly with your knuckles and palms, as you would bread dough, for 15–20 minutes. Add the olive oil, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice gradually as you go, plus a spoonful of water if it feels dry. It is ready when the bulgur no longer feels gritty and the mixture holds together in a smooth, dark red mass.

4. Fold in the greens

Add the walnuts, if using, then knead in the spring onions and parsley for another 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt, chilli and sourness.

5. Shape

Take a walnut-sized piece (about 25g), close your fist around it and squeeze so it takes the shape of your fingers, the classic ridged çiğ köfte shape. Repeat with the rest.

6. Serve

Arrange on a platter with lettuce leaves, lemon wedges and pomegranate molasses. To eat, put a piece on a lettuce leaf with a mint leaf, squeeze over lemon, roll and eat. For a dürüm, spread several pieces on a lavaş with lettuce and molasses and roll tightly.

Watch: how to make çiğ köfte

Kubra Çiçek shows the meat-free kneading method in English in this video.

Tips for the best çiğ köfte

• Use the finest bulgur you can find. Coarse bulgur will never go smooth, however long you knead.
• Do not rush the kneading. The texture changes completely after 10–15 minutes.
• Isot is mild but smoky; the heat comes mostly from the pul biber and hot pepper paste, so adjust those.
• Grate the onion and squeeze off its juice into the mix rather than leaving chunks.
• Çiğ köfte keeps for 2 days in the fridge, wrapped tightly. Let it come to room temperature and give it a quick knead before serving.

What to serve with çiğ köfte

Çiğ köfte is usually a meal on its own with ayran, but it fits beautifully into a meze spread. Serve it with mercimek köftesi, its gentler cooked cousin, a bowl of acılı ezme and some kısır. Make your own ayran to cool things down.

Where to eat çiğ köfte in London

In London you will find çiğ köfte at dedicated takeaway counters as well as Turkish cafés and grills that serve it as a starter. Browse our Turkish street food places in London, and see our Green Lanes food guide for the busiest stretch of Turkish food in the city.

• Nilly’s Turkish Kitchen – Turkish street food in Shoreditch & Hoxton
• Neco Tantuni ve Künefe – Turkish desserts & baklava in Enfield
• Gokoreç Enfield – Turkish regional anatolian in Enfield
• Istanbul Gözleme – Turkish gözleme & mantı in Walthamstow
• Gokoreç Edmonton – Turkish regional anatolian in Edmonton
• Checkpoint Berlin Döner Soho – Turkish kebab & döner in Soho & West End

See all 23 Street Food places in London

Çiğ köfte FAQs

Is çiğ köfte raw meat?

Not the kind sold in Turkey and London today. Shop and home versions are made from bulgur, pastes and spices, with no meat. The original raw-meat version is no longer sold in ordinary shops and street stalls in Turkey.

Is çiğ köfte vegan?

Yes, the modern version is vegan as long as no butter or yoghurt is added. Check pastes and molasses for any unusual additives if you are strict.

What can I use instead of isot?

Isot gives the dark colour and smoky flavour, so it is worth buying from a Turkish grocer. At a pinch, mix sweet smoked paprika with a little chilli flakes.

How spicy is çiğ köfte?

It ranges from mild to very hot. Shops usually ask how hot you want it. At home, start with 1 tsp pul biber and mild pepper paste and add more to taste.

Photo: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.