Description
Turkish Meatballs in Yogurt Sauce are tender, spiced meatballs simmered in a rich and creamy yogurt-based sauce, finished with a drizzle of Aleppo-spiced olive oil and optional pickled onions for a delicious Middle Eastern twist.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 slice bread
- 1 pound lean ground beef (or a mixture of beef and lamb)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon Urfa Biber
- 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (plus more for later)
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Pickled red onions (optional, to serve)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 egg (for sauce)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (for spicy oil)
Instructions
- Tear the bread into small pieces and soak it in a little water. Squeeze out excess water and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, diced onion, minced garlic, parsley, egg, cumin, coriander, Urfa Biber, Aleppo pepper, salt, and pepper. Add the soaked bread and mix until well combined.
- Form the mixture into small meatballs, about 1–2 inches in diameter.
- Heat a little oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides, about 6–8 minutes, then transfer them to a plate and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Add the egg, Greek yogurt, chicken broth, salt, and pepper, and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the yogurt sauce into the skillet and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs back to the skillet, and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are fully cooked and the sauce thickens.
- For the spicy olive oil, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a small pan over low heat. Add the Aleppo pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute, then remove from heat.
- Serve the meatballs with the yogurt sauce, drizzling the spicy olive oil over the top and garnishing with pickled red onions, if desired.
Notes
- Urfa Biber adds a smoky depth to the meatballs but can be substituted with more Aleppo pepper if unavailable.
- Be sure to whisk the yogurt sauce constantly to avoid curdling.
- For extra richness, use lamb or a beef-lamb mixture.
- These meatballs are great served with warm pita or over rice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 540mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 135mg