Turkish meatballs and potato bake in tomato sauce 🇹🇷

What is Turkish Meatballs Bake?
– Spiced beef and lamb meatballs (kofte) baked with potatoes and peppers in an aromatic tomato sauce.

Turkish Kofte Introduction

Köfte, from the Turkish word for “pounded meat,” is a traditional dish with origins in the Middle East, reflecting a long history of meatball variations across the region. In Turkey, köfte refers to seasoned minced meat formed into balls or patties, with countless regional styles. This version of köfte baked in tomato sauce is popular in Central and Southeastern Turkey.

Turkish Meatballs Bake Ingredients

• potatoes – Use waxy potatoes to ensure they hold their shape and don’t fall apart during cooking.
• green peppers – Use sweet bell peppers; green ones are best for a vibrant visual contrast.
• red onions – Use red onions for their sweeter taste, especially as they are baked with the peppers and meatballs in the sauce.

Meatballs (kofte):

• lamb and beef minced meat – Use a mix of lamb and beef mince for the best flavour and texture. This combination provides a rich taste and ensures the meatballs stay juicy and tender.
• breadcrumbs or bread – Traditionally, old bread that is 2-3 days old is used, preferably plain white. Plain breadcrumbs are a good substitute.
• onion – Yellow variety
• garlic – Use fresh
• parsley – Use fresh leaves only
• mint – Use dry or fresh mint
• paprika – Use plain sweet or smoked paprika
• cumin – Adds a warm, earthy flavour to the meatballs, essential for an authentic taste.
• black pepper – For the best taste, use freshly ground black pepper.

Tomato Sauce:

• tomatoes – Use ripe fresh tomatoes for the best flavour, or for convenience, canned chopped tomatoes work well.
• oregano – Dry or fresh.
• chicken or vegetable broth – Use homemade for the best flavour, or simply dissolve stock powder or cubes in hot water.
• chilli – Powdered chilli or chilli flakes for this recipe, and avoid using fresh chilli
• cinnamon – Essential for the traditional taste, adding warmth and depth to the sauce.
• sugar – Use white or brown sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
• olive oil

If you like meatballs, check out this delicious Chinese dish:

Sweet and Sour Chicken meatballs

How to make Turkish Kofte?

POTATOES:
Peel the potatoes and slice them into pieces just under 1cm thick. Season with salt.
Fry each side until golden, for about 2 minutes; they don’t need to be fully cooked as they will finish cooking in the oven. Drain the potatoes from the oil and keep them warm.

MEATBALLS (KOFTE):
Blend the onion and garlic in a food processor until they form a paste. This step is crucial as it ensures a smooth texture for the köfte, avoiding pieces that could disrupt the consistency.

In a large bowl, combine the minced meat with the onion and garlic mixture. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly by hand for about 5 minutes.

Shape the mixture into meatballs by gently rolling them between your palms to compact them, then form into balls. Cover the shaped meatballs with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to meld together.

THE SAUCE:
Heat oil in a deep pan and fry chopped tomatoes for 3 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.

ASSEMBLING THE DISH
Grease a large baking dish with oil. Arrange the fried potatoes in an even layer at the bottom of the dish.
Place the meatballs on top of the potatoes.
Cut the bell pepper and onion into smaller pieces and scatter them around the meatballs.
Pour the tomato sauce evenly over the meatballs.

Place the dish, uncovered, in the preheated oven at 200°C and bake for 35 minutes.
Once baked, let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

What to serve with Turkish Meatballs Bake?

This Turkish Köfte Bake is a complete meal on its own, featuring meat, vegetables, and potatoes, making it satisfying and well-rounded. It is best enjoyed with a refreshing Mediterranean salad or bread.

I served it with Mediterranean fried bread ( recipe soon). The meatball leftovers are also perfect for serving over any bread, whether as a sandwich or in a bun, making it a great snack.

Recipe Card

Turkish Meatballs Potato Bake

Spiced beef and lamb meatballs (kofte) baked with potatoes and peppers in an aromatic tomato sauce.

Servings 4 people

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Resting 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 3 potatoes - medium-sized
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red onion
• salt - to taste

MEATBALLS (KOFTE)

• 250 g minced lamb
• 400 g minced beef
• 2/3 cup breadcrumbs - or 1-2 slices of white bread
• 2 onions
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 4-5 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp mint - fresh or dried
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp cumin - Cuminum cyminum
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1.5 tsp salt - or to taste

THE SAUCE

• 800 g chopped tomatoes - 2 x 400g can
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 500-700 ml chicken broth - or water + stock ppowder/cube
• 1 tsp chilli powder or flakes
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt - or to taste
• olive oil

Instructions

POTATOES

• Peel and slice the potatoes into pieces just under 1cm thick. Season with salt.
• Fry each side until golden, about 2 minutes per side. They don’t need to be fully cooked as they will finish cooking in the oven. Drain from the oil and keep warm.

MEATBALLS (KOFTE)

• Blend onion and garlic in a food processor until they form a paste.
• In a large bowl, mix minced meat with the onion and garlic paste. Add all remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly by hand for about 5 minutes.
• Shape the mixture into small, uniform meatballs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

THE SAUCE

• Heat oil in a deep pan. Add chopped tomatoes and fry for 3 minutes. Add all other sauce ingredients and simmer for aditional 10 minutes.

ASSEMBLE THE DISH

• Grease a large baking dish with oil. Arrange the fried potato slices in an even layer at the bottom. Place the meatballs on top of the potatoes.
• Cut bell pepper and red onion into small pieces and scatter around the meatballs.
• Pour the tomato sauce evenly over the meatballs.
• Place the dish, uncovered, in the preheated oven at 200°C and bake for 35 minutes. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

The total calories for the whole dish are approx. 2624 calories. This estimate may vary depending on the specific types and brands of products used. This is an estimate and can vary based on the specific brands and types of ingredients used.
This recipe makes 12 meatballs and serves 4 people, with 3 meatballs per portion. Each portion is approximately 656 calories.

Calories: 656kcal

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Turkish

Diet: Low Fat

What’s your favourite minced meat dish?
Let me know in the comments below! And if you try this Turkish Meatballs Köfte Bake recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you!