Icli Kofte (some call it Bulgur Kofte) is the Turkish version of the famous Middle Eastern dish called "Kibbeh". They are made with a combination of ground meat, fine bulgur wheat, and Middle Eastern spices. These savory treats are usually shaped like a football and can be fried, boiled, or baked.
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You can serve Icli Köfte (or kibbeh) as a side dish, an appetizer, or as a part of a mezze selection along with some Authentic Hummus, Haydari (Turkish Yogurt Dip), and Yaprak Sarma - Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves).
What Is Icli Kofte (Kibbeh)?
Icli Köfte (a.k.a Kibbeh, Kibbi, or Kebbe) is a ball-shaped stuffed meatball made with bulgur, ground meat, walnuts, and spices.
These delicious stuffed Kibbeh balls are from the Southeastern part of Turkey where Middle Eastern influence is present.
However, they are also quite popular in North Africa and Eastern Mediterranean as well as some Latin American countries that have large Middle Eastern populations.
Why This Recipe Works?
- The shell doesn't contain any minced meat which makes it lighter yet still delicious.
- You can bake icli kofte in the oven, air fry, or boil them for a healthier option.
- İçli Köfte freeze beautifully and you can make them ahead too. You can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months, take them out and fry as much as you need.
- This isn't a super easy dish to make and it will require some time to assemble. The detailed step-by-step pictures and video tutorial is perfect for you if you've never tried to make them before.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Bulgur - Use the finest-grade bulgur wheat for this recipe. You can find it in the Middle Eastern / Turkish markets and online from Amazon.
- Mince - For this recipe, I recommend using lean ground beef or lamb.
- Semolina - It is one of the key ingredients and it works as the binding agent in the bulgur shell dough. I use coarse semolina which can be found in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops. You can also buy it online from Amazon.
- Walnuts - They add great texture as well as flavor. Lightly toast them for a richer taste. Pine nuts are also typically used for making Kibbeh.
- Spices - Adjust the amount to your taste. You can use different spices such as allspice, cinnamon, and turmeric.
- Tomato Paste - It is the staple of Turkish cooking. It adds an umami flavor to the dishes as well as a bright red color. You can find it in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops. You can also buy it from Amazon .
- Red pepper paste - Turkish red pepper paste is a rich, delicious paste made with juicy, spicy red peppers and I use it quite often in my Turkish recipes. You can buy it from Turkish or Middle Eastern shops or online from Amazon.
How to Make Icli Kofte?
Making İçli Köfte is a labor-intensive task for sure. However, it is not difficult to make them when you follow my step-by-step instructions, pictures, and the video on the recipe card.
Prepare the Casing
Combine the fine bulgur, semolina, and hot water in a large bowl. Mix well, cover, and let it rest for 30 minutes. You can prepare the meat filling while it is resting.
Add the egg, flour, tomato&red pepper paste, chili flakes, salt, and olive oil to the bulgur mixture.
Mix well with your hands and knead it for 5 to 6 minutes, until the mixture nicely clumps together when you squeeze it into your fist. Add a little bit of water if the casing is too dry so it holds together nicely.
Prepare the Filling
Place a large pan or a wok on medium heat and then add the mince. Cook it until brown, breaking it down into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
Add the butter along with the onions and sauté until soft and translucent without browning them.
Mix in the salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cumin powder and sauté for another minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley and walnuts. Let it cool down before filling the casings.
Shape the Icli Kofte
Divide the casing into 12 or 16 equal pieces, depending on how big you want them, and shape them into balls.
To stuff the Icli Kofte, you need to dampen your hands. Place a small bowl of water next to you. Dampen your hands with some water, take a bulgur ball, and make an indent with your finger in the middle.
Hollow out the inside using your finger into a cup. Keep working with it to thin out the walls of the cup as much as possible without ripping or breaking it.
Add a spoonful of meat filling and close up the casing. The amount of filling may depend on the size of the cup.
Seal the top by pinching in the casing and using both hands, compress well to resemble the shape of a football. Continue wetting your hands as needed.
Gently work the wrapper closed as you turn the kofte in the palm of your hand. For more detailed instructions, check out the video on the recipe card.
Set it aside on a plate and continue with the rest of the balls. Let the Kibbeh Balls rest in the fridge before frying them.
To fry the kibbeh croquettes, heat the oil in a deep frying pan to 175° C (350° F). Deep-fry them in the hot oil, in batches being careful not to crowd them until the kibbeh shells are brown (about 5 minutes or so).
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Serving Suggestions
They are best served with Turkish Shepherd Salad (Coban Salatasi), Cacik (Turkish Yoghurt with Cucumbers), Lebanese Fattoush Salad, and Greek Cucumber Salad.
You can also serve Turkish Kibbeh alongside sliced raw vegetables such as red onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
Top Tips From the Chef
- Make sure to use a large enough pan for frying the kibbeh as the oil should cover the whole balls but still not exceed.
- While shaping the icli koftes, have a bowl of water next to you to wet your hands. Water prevents the bulgur from sticking to your hands and also helps you to mend any cracks on the outside of the shell if any.
Recipe FAQs
1 large piece of Icli Kofte-Kibbeh contains 517 kcal.
The leftovers can be put in an airtight container and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days. If you want to keep them longer, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Alternatively, you can make them ahead of time and freeze the uncooked kibbeh to use later. You can fry them right from frozen, without needing to defrost them.
Although the best way to enjoy these delicious treats is to deep fry them, it is not the healthiest. For a healthier option, lightly oil the icli koftes and bake them in the oven at 200° C (400° F) for around 30 minutes until they turn crispy and golden brown, flipping them halfway through.
Related Recipes
For more delicious Middle Eastern Recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Icli Kofte recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
Icli Kofte (Turkish Kibbeh)
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Bulgur Casing
- 200 g finest grade bulgur
- 80 g semolina
- 320 ml hot water
- 1 small egg
- 20 g plain flour
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ tablespoon red pepper paste
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
For the Filling
- 300 g minced lamb or beef
- 50 g butter
- 2 onions (finely diced)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)
- 75 g walnuts (chopped)
- vegetable or sunflower oil for frying
Instructions
Preparing the Casing
- Combine the fine bulgur, semolina and hot water in a large bowl.
- Mix well, cover and let it rest for 30 minutes. You can prepare the meat filling while it is resting.
- Add the egg, flour, tomato&red pepper pastes, chilli flakes, salt and olive oil to the bulgur mixture.
- Mix well with your hands and knead it for 5 to 6 minutes, until the mixture nicely clump together when you squeeze it into your fist.
- If the casing is too dry add a little bit of water so it holds together nicely.
Preparing the Filling
- Place a large pan or a wok on medium heat and then add the mince.
- Cook it until brown, breaking it down into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Add the butter along with the onions and sauté until soft and translucent without browning them.
- Mix in the salt, freshly ground black pepper, cumin powder and saute for another minute.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley and walnuts.
- Let it cool down before filling the casings.
Shaping the Icli Koftes
- Divide the casing into 12 or 16 equal pieces, depending on how big you want them and shape them into balls.
- To stuff the Icli Kofte, you need to dampen your hands. Place a small bowl of water next to you.
- Dampen your hands with some water, take a bulgur ball and make an indent in it with your finger in the middle.
- Hollow out the inside using your finger into a cup. Keep working with it to thin out the walls of the cup as much as possible without ripping or breaking it.
- Add a spoon of meat filling and close up the casing. The amount of filling may depend on the size of the cup.
- Seal the top by pinching in the casing and using both hands, compress well to resemble the shape of a football. Continue wetting your hands as needed. Gently work the wrapper closed as you turn the kofte in the palm of your hand. Check out the video below.
- Set it aside on a plate and continue with the rest of the balls.
- Let the Kibbeh Balls rest in the fridge before frying them.
- To fry, heat the oil in a deep frying pan to 175 °C (350 °F).
- Deep-fry the kibbeh balls in the hot oil, in batches being careful not to crowd them until the kibbeh shells are brown (about 5 minutes or so).
Video
Notes
- Make sure to use a large enough pan for frying the kibbeh as the oil should cover the whole balls but still does not exceed.
- You can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months, take them out and fry as much as you need.
- While shaping the icli koftes, have a bowl of water next to you to wet your hands. Water prevents the bulgur from sticking to your hands and also helps you to mend any cracks on the outside of the shell if any.
- You can bake icli kofte in the oven, air fry or boil them for a healthier option.
- The leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer.
- You can fry frozen kibbeh balls without needing to defrost them. Simply add extra few minutes to the cooking time.
Nutrition
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Sally
Great recipe with clear instructions. I will definitely try it soon.
Fatima
Looks super delicious! Can’t wait to try it.
Mina
This is one of our favourite recipes. So delicious and flavoursome.
Suzy
I tried this recipe last Friday and it was great! I used ground beef and replace walnuts with pine nuts .
Claudia
Made It For Dinner Tonight, Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!!
Melissa S
çok iyi! çok nefis! Absolutely brilliant recipe that tastes better than you imagine. Far easier to prepare than you assume. Made it many times and it is always delicious . teşekkürler!
Ayla Clulee
You are welcome, Melissa S. It is a great dish to prepare for your loved ones and they always go down as a treat.