Description
This Turkish Izmir-style baked meatballs recipe features flavorful oval-shaped meatballs made with ground beef or lamb, spices, and fresh herbs, paired with tender potato wedges, tomatoes, and green peppers. The dish is finished by baking in a rich tomato sauce until perfectly cooked and served hot, making it a comforting and satisfying meal inspired by traditional Turkish home cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef or lamb
- 1 small onion, grated
- 2 slices white bread, crusts removed, soaked in water and squeezed dry
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Vegetables and Sauce
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into wedges
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking your dish after initial frying steps.
- Prepare Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef or lamb with grated onion, soaked and drained bread, egg, chopped parsley, cumin, salt, black pepper, and paprika. Mix everything thoroughly until well combined to form a uniform mixture.
- Shape Meatballs: Form the meat mixture into oval-shaped meatballs approximately 2 inches long, ensuring they are compact but not too tightly packed.
- Brown Meatballs: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the meatballs, turning carefully, until they are lightly browned on all sides. Once browned, remove the meatballs from the skillet and set them aside.
- Fry Potato Wedges: Using the same skillet, lightly fry the potato wedges until they turn golden and slightly crispy. Remove them from the skillet and drain any excess oil to prevent greasiness in the baked dish.
- Assemble Baking Dish: In a baking dish, arrange the browned meatballs, fried potato wedges, sliced tomatoes, and green bell pepper strips evenly to create a balanced layering.
- Prepare Sauce and Pour: Mix the tomato paste with 1 1/2 cups of hot water until smooth, then pour this tomato sauce evenly over the assembled ingredients in the baking dish.
- Bake Covered: Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the ingredients to cook through.
- Finish Baking Uncovered: Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the tomato sauce has slightly thickened.
- Serve: Serve the Izmir-style baked meatballs hot, ideally accompanied by rice or crusty bread for a complete and delicious meal.
Notes
- Soaking the bread in water and squeezing it dry helps keep the meatballs moist and tender.
- You can substitute ground lamb with ground beef or a mix of both according to preference.
- If desired, add a pinch of chili flakes for extra heat.
- Allow the dish to rest for a few minutes after baking to let the sauce settle before serving.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Turkish
Keywords: Turkish meatballs, Izmir köfte, baked meatballs recipe, ground beef recipe, potato and tomato bake
