Skip to content

İçli Köfte

İçli köfte are stuffed bulgur shells with a spiced meat filling. They are shaped by hand and can be boiled or fried. This classic Turkish dish is often…

Prep45 minutes
Cook20 minutes
Tid1 hour 5 minutes
Servings4 servings
DifficultyAdvanced
RegionSoutheastern Turkey

About this dish

İçli köfte are stuffed bulgur shells with a spiced meat filling. They are shaped by hand and can be boiled or fried. This classic Turkish dish is often…

Ingredients

  • 300 g fine bulgur
  • 150 g semolina
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 250 ml hot water
  • 300 g ground beef
  • 1 onion
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 50 g walnuts
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 handful finely chopped parsley
  • Oil for frying or water for boiling

Instructions

  1. Place the bulgur and semolina in a bowl. Pour over hot water and let it sit for 10 minutes.
  2. Add tomato paste, egg, salt and paprika. Knead well until the dough is firm and smooth.
  3. Finely chop the onion and fry it in butter and olive oil until soft.
  4. Add the ground beef and cook until done.
  5. Add walnuts, chili flakes, black pepper, cumin and parsley. Mix well and let the filling cool.
  6. Take some bulgur dough in your hand and shape it into a hollow oval.
  7. Fill it with the meat mixture and close it carefully.
  8. Repeat until all dough and filling are used.
  9. Fry the içli köfte in hot oil until golden, or boil them in lightly salted water until they float.
  10. Serve warm with lemon and salad.

Tips

  • Wet your hands with a little water when shaping the dough.
  • The filling should be cold before stuffing the köfte.
  • Do not make the shell too thick, or the dish will feel heavy.