Izgara köfte recipe: Turkish grilled meatballs with piyaz
Izgara köfte are Turkish grilled meatballs: small, flat, oblong patties of seasoned minced meat cooked over charcoal until charred on the outside and juicy inside. They are one of the most popular dishes in Turkey, the sort of thing you eat at a roadside köfteci (köfte shop), a weekend barbecue or a family table, usually with a simple bean salad, grilled peppers and plenty of bread.
What makes them different from a burger or an Italian meatball is the texture. The meat is kneaded hard with grated onion, a little bread and spices until it turns smooth and springy, then rested before grilling. Köfte is a big family of dishes across the Middle East and the Balkans, as the Wikipedia entry on kofta shows, and in Turkey it is a favourite for communal gatherings of all kinds.
What is ızgara köfte?
Izgara means grilled, and köfte means a meatball or patty of minced meat. Izgara köfte is the everyday grilled version, usually made from beef or a mix of beef and lamb, seasoned with onion, garlic, parsley, cumin and pepper. It is served with piyaz (a white bean and onion salad), grilled green peppers and tomatoes, and bread or rice. The food magazine olive has its own version of grilled köfte, which shows how well it has travelled.
Regional köfte
Turkey has dozens of regional köfte, and many towns guard their own recipe. İnegöl köfte, from the town of the same name near Bursa, is one of the best known. Beyond the grilled kind there are also şiş köfte on skewers, sulu köfte simmered in a broth, and the meat-free mercimek köftesi made from red lentils and bulgur.
Ingredients
Makes 12 köfte, serving 4.
For the köfte
- 500g beef mince (about 20% fat), or 300g beef and 200g lamb mince
- 1 small onion (about 80g), finely grated
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 40g stale white bread, crusts removed (or 40g dried breadcrumbs)
- 15g flat-leaf parsley, very finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp pul biber (Turkish chilli flakes)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil, for brushing
For the piyaz (white bean salad)
- 400g tin cannellini or haricot beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 tsp sumac
- 1 ripe tomato, diced
- 15g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pul biber
To serve
- 4 long green peppers and 2 tomatoes, for grilling
- Flatbread or crusty bread
How to make ızgara köfte
1. Prepare the onion and bread
Grate the onion on the fine side of a box grater, then squeeze it hard in your hand or a tea towel to remove the juice. Soak the bread in cold water for a minute, then squeeze it dry and crumble it.
2. Knead the köfte mixture
Put the mince, squeezed onion, bread, garlic, parsley, spices, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Knead firmly with your hand for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes smooth and slightly sticky. This develops the proteins in the meat and gives köfte its springy texture.
3. Rest the mixture
Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours. Resting firms the mixture up, makes shaping easier and lets the flavours settle in.
4. Shape the köfte
With damp hands, divide the mixture into 12 pieces of about 50g. Roll each into a ball, then flatten into an oblong patty about 8cm long and 1.5cm thick. Press a light dent along each one with your finger so they cook evenly.
5. Make the piyaz
Rub the onion slices with the sumac and a pinch of salt and leave for 5 minutes to soften. Toss with the beans, tomato and parsley, then dress with the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pul biber.
6. Grill and serve
Heat a charcoal barbecue until the coals are ashed over, or heat a griddle pan until smoking. Brush the köfte lightly with oil and grill for 3–4 minutes on each side, until charred outside and just cooked through. Grill the peppers and tomatoes alongside. Serve hot with the piyaz and bread.
Watch: how to make ızgara köfte
In this video Refika’s Kitchen explains what gives köfte its texture and how it differs from other meatballs.
Tips for the best ızgara köfte
- Use mince with some fat. Around 20% keeps the köfte juicy on a fierce grill; lean mince dries out.
- Always squeeze the grated onion. The juice makes the mixture wet and stops the köfte holding together.
- Knead longer than you would for a burger. Five minutes of firm kneading is what gives köfte its bounce.
- Rest the mixture overnight if you can. The flavour is noticeably better the next day.
- Do not move them too soon on the grill. Let a crust form before turning, or they will stick and break.
- Shape and freeze raw köfte on a tray, then bag them. Defrost overnight in the fridge before grilling so they cook through evenly.
What to serve with ızgara köfte
Piyaz is the classic partner, but köfte also suits a bowl of kısır or a tray of yaprak sarma on the side. For a full meal, start with mercimek çorbası, and if you are firing up the barbecue anyway, grill some Adana kebab alongside for a mixed grill.
Where to eat ızgara köfte in London
Köfte is cooked over charcoal in most of London’s Turkish grill restaurants, often as part of a mixed grill. Browse our ocakbaşı and grill listings, read our guide to the best ocakbaşı in London, or see cheap Turkish food in London for good-value köfte.
- Beyzade Turkish Kitchen – Turkish meze & fine dining in Putney
- Dostlar Ocakbasi – Turkish ocakbaşı & grill in Edmonton
- Dorom Turkish Grill – Turkish ocakbaşı & grill in Colindale
- Ana’more – Turkish ocakbaşı & grill in Lewisham
- Best Mangal 1996 – Turkish ocakbaşı & grill in Fulham
- Diyarbakır Kitchen – Turkish ocakbaşı & grill in Harringay & Green Lanes
See all 199 Ocakbaşı & Grill places in London
Izgara köfte FAQs
Can I cook köfte without a barbecue?
Yes. A ridged griddle pan over a high heat gives good char marks, and a hot overhead grill also works. Cook for 3–4 minutes a side, turning once.
Why do my köfte fall apart?
The mixture is probably too wet or not kneaded enough. Squeeze the onion and bread well, knead until sticky and chill before shaping and grilling.
Can I use lamb only?
Yes. Lamb köfte are richer and slightly gamier. Choose mince with a good amount of fat and add a little extra cumin and pul biber if you like.
Are köfte gluten-free?
Not with bread or breadcrumbs. For a gluten-free version, replace the bread with 40g gluten-free breadcrumbs or 1 tbsp fine polenta.
Photo: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
