Köfte in the air fryer is my shortcut to Turkish grill cooking: small, flat and elongated meatballs made from minced lamb, seasoned with cumin, chilli and parsley and cooked until they are golden on the outside and juicy on the inside. In Turkey they are called ızgara köfte and come straight off the charcoal grill. At home, the air fryer does the job without smoke, splatters of fat or a pan that needs watching.
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The secret lies in the mixture. The onion is grated and the juice squeezed out, the meat is kneaded until it is firm and sticky, and then the mixture rests in the fridge before it is shaped. The rest is easy: the vegetables are grilled first, the köfte are cooked afterwards, and finally the pide bread is warmed through. With cool yoghurt and grilled peppers and tomatoes on the side, you have a complete Turkish meal on the table.
Table of Contents
Why I love köfte in the air fryer
Köfte are made for high, dry heat. Because they are flat, the hot air hits a large surface, and you get a golden crust all the way round while the middle stays juicy. The lamb gives a rich flavour that cumin and chilli suit well, and the parsley lifts everything with something fresh and green. I also like that the whole meal comes together in the same basket: first the peppers and tomatoes, then the köfte and finally the bread. It all adds up to big flavour, and there is no greasy frying pan left afterwards.
Flat and elongated – the difference between köfte, bifteki and mititei
The shape is not a detail. Köfte should be flat and elongated, and that is what sets them apart from the round Greek bifteki and the sausage-shaped Romanian mititei. The flat shape gives more crust and a shorter cooking time, which is why you should press them properly flat when you shape them. In the recipe, the mixture makes 16 small köfte of about 8 cm, which are pressed down to about 1.5 cm thick.
My kitchen test of köfte
I tested the köfte in my Cosori Dual Blaze, where the heat comes from both above and below in the same basket. That gives an even browning on both sides, but I still turn them halfway, as the recipe says. I placed them in a single layer with a little space between them and gave them 5 minutes on each side at 200 °C, so 10 minutes in total. The meat thermometer showed 75 °C at the core when I took them out, and after 2 minutes of resting the crust was golden brown and the meat still juicy.
The vegetables got 8 minutes at the same temperature before the köfte went into the basket, and the pide bread was warmed through in 2 minutes at the end. Allow 70 minutes from start to finish: 20 minutes of preparation, 20 minutes in the air fryer and 30 minutes of chilling time for the mixture. While the mixture chills, you get the vegetables ready, and the wait is well worth it, because the cold mixture is far easier to shape and holds together during cooking. If you have a smaller air fryer, cook the köfte in two batches.
Squeeze the grated onion in a clean tea towel until no more juice comes out. Dry onion gives a firm mixture, and a firm mixture gives köfte that brown instead of steaming.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is a wet mixture. If you skip squeezing the onion, the köfte fall apart and steam in the basket, so wring the grated onion completely dry in a tea towel. The second mistake is rushing past the kneading and the chilling time. The mixture should be kneaded for 3-4 minutes until it is firm and sticky, and then rest for 30 minutes in the fridge, otherwise the köfte lose their shape when you turn them. The third mistake is cooking them for too long. They are small and flat and dry out quickly, so use a meat thermometer and take them out as soon as the core temperature reaches 75 °C.
How to serve köfte
Köfte are traditionally served with pide, yoghurt and grilled peppers and tomatoes, and everything except the yoghurt is made in the air fryer. This is what I put on the table:
- Warm pide bread cut into four pieces, which you can fold around the köfte
- Turkish yoghurt with 10 % fat or Greek yoghurt as a cool counterbalance to the spices
- Grilled pointed peppers and small tomatoes with dark, tender edges
- Thin slices of red onion tossed with sumac and parsley, if you want something tangy and crisp on the side
Storage and reheating
Leftover köfte keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat them in the air fryer at 170 °C for 4-6 minutes, until they are heated through. You can also freeze the köfte for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before you reheat them.
Köfte in the air fryer is Turkish grill food that works in a perfectly ordinary kitchen. Squeeze the onion, give the mixture time to chill and press the köfte flat, and you will get a golden crust and juicy meat every time. Enjoy your meal.
FAQ
Köfte need 10 minutes at 200 °C, split into 5 minutes on each side. They are done when they are golden brown and the core temperature is 75 °C.
Yes, you can use half minced lamb and half minced beef. It gives a milder flavour, and the rest of the recipe is unchanged.
The recipe uses 1 tsp of ordinary chilli flakes instead of pul biber, the Turkish chilli flakes, which are milder and fruitier. If you have pul biber, use 2 tsp.
Recipe
Köfte in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Cost of the dish
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Airfryer size
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Grater
- 1 Kitchen towel
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Plastic wrap
- 1 Brush
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Meat thermometer
- 1 Serving platter
Shopping list
Ingredients
- 500 g minced lamb (Or half lamb and half beef)
- 1 pcs onion (Grated, with the juice squeezed out)
- 4 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (Instead of pul biber)
- 8 sprigs parsley (Flat-leaf)
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper (Freshly ground)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (For brushing the köfte)
Accompaniments
- 2 pcs pointed peppers (Green or red)
- 4 pcs tomatoes (Small)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (For the vegetables)
- 1 pcs pide bread (Turkish flatbread)
- 2 dl Turkish yoghurt (10 % fat, or Greek yoghurt)
How to make it
Preparation
- Peel 1 pcs onion and grate it finely on a grater.
- Finely chop 8 sprigs parsley.
- Mix 500 g minced lamb, the squeezed onion, 4 tbsp breadcrumbs, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp black pepper and the chopped parsley in a large bowl.
- Knead the mixture thoroughly with your hands for 3-4 minutes, until it is firm, uniform and sticks together.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and chill the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes, so it firms up and holds its shape.
- Meanwhile, halve 4 pcs tomatoes, split 2 pcs pointed peppers lengthwise and remove their seeds.
- With dampened hands, shape the cold mixture into 16 small, elongated köfte about 8 cm long, and press them flat until they are about 1.5 cm thick.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Place the pointed peppers and tomatoes in the basket, cut side up, and cook them at 200 °C for 8 minutes, until tender with dark, charred edges. Transfer them to a serving dish.
- Brush the köfte on both sides with 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Place the köfte in the basket in a single layer with a little space between them, and cook them at 200 °C for 5 minutes.
- Turn the köfte with tongs and cook them for another 5 minutes at 200 °C, until golden brown.
- Use a meat thermometer to check that the core temperature is 75 °C. Place the köfte on the dish with the vegetables and let them rest for 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut 1 pcs pide bread into four pieces and warm them in the air fryer at 200 °C for 2 minutes.
Our notes for the recipe
Squeeze all the juice out of the grated onion. A wet mince mixture falls apart and steams instead of browning. Knead the mixture until it is firm and sticky, and give it the full 30 minutes in the fridge so the köfte hold their shape. They are small and flat and dry out quickly, so take them out as soon as the core temperature reaches 75 °C. The shape:
Köfte should be flat and elongated. This gives more of a browned crust and a shorter cooking time than round bifteki or sausage-shaped mititei. Variation:
Use half minced lamb and half minced beef for a milder flavour. The chilli flakes replace pul biber, the Turkish chilli flakes, which are milder and fruitier. If you have pul biber, use 2 tsp instead of 1 tsp chilli flakes. Serving:
Köfte are traditionally served with pide, yoghurt and grilled pointed peppers and tomatoes. Thin slices of red onion tossed with sumac and parsley are a great match if you want something tangy and crisp on the side. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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