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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.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 267 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean , Turkish

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

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.

  • 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.