İzmir köfte (Turkish meatballs baked with potatoes) — ingredients and method
A classic Aegean tray bake: spiced meatballs, potatoes, green peppers and tomato sauce all cooked together in one dish. Copy the ingredients to your room, tick off what's missing at the shop, and keep the steps open on your phone.
Serves 4 · 1 hr
In short
İzmir köfte for 4 takes 500 g of ground beef, 4 potatoes, 4 long green peppers, 3 tomatoes, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, stale bread, parsley and cumin, and about 1 hour. Knead and rest the meatball mixture, arrange it among sliced potatoes and bake for 15 minutes; then add the tomato sauce and peppers and bake another 25–30 minutes at 200 °C.
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Ingredients
- Ground beef500 g
- Potatoes4 medium
- Long green peppers4
- Tomatoes3 medium
- Onion1 medium
- Garlic2 cloves
- Stale bread2 slices
- Parsley½ bunch
- Tomato paste1 tbsp
- Vegetable oil4 tbsp
- Cumin½ tsp
- Salt2 tsp
- Black pepper½ tsp
- Water1 cup, hot
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Soak the bread in water and squeeze it out well. Knead the mince, grated onion, crushed garlic, bread, finely chopped parsley, cumin, 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper for 5 minutes; rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 cm slices; toss with ½ teaspoon of the salt and 2 tablespoons of the oil and spread over a large baking tray.
With wet hands, shape the meat mixture into walnut-sized, slightly elongated ovals and arrange them among and on top of the potatoes.
Bake for 15 minutes, until the meatballs just colour on top.
Meanwhile make the sauce: stir the grated tomatoes together with the tomato paste, remaining oil, ½ teaspoon of salt and the hot water. Halve the peppers.
Take the tray out, pour over the sauce, tuck in the peppers and bake for another 25–30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the meatballs are cooked through with no pink in the middle.
Rest for 5 minutes and serve hot with rice or bread.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does my İzmir köfte sauce dry out or stay too watery?
In a very wide tray or a very hot oven the sauce reduces fast; 1 cup of hot water is enough here, and if it dries, cover the tray with foil. If it stays watery, uncover for the last 5 minutes so the sauce reduces.
Why do my meatballs fall apart?
The bread may not have been squeezed enough, or the mince may be very lean and under-kneaded. Knead the mixture for 5 minutes, rest it in the fridge for 15 minutes and shape the meatballs with wet hands.
Can I prepare İzmir köfte ahead, and how long does it keep?
Yes, you can assemble the tray, cover it and keep it in the fridge for up to a day before baking. Cooked köfte keeps 2–3 days in the fridge; reheat until piping hot in the middle.
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Of course. The ready-made list is just a starting point: delete, add, move items between categories.
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