Spiced Bulgur Meatballs

Spiced bulgur meatballs are finger-shaped kofte of fine bulgur, ground beef and semolina, boiled and tossed in a buttery tomato sauce, ready in about 1 hour. They make 4 servings and sit on a bed of cool garlic yogurt.

Why This Recipe Works

Fine bulgur soaks in boiling water for a full 20 minutes before anything else happens. That makes it soft enough to knead into a smooth dough. If you skip the rest, the meatballs feel grainy and crack at the edges.

Semolina and a little flour bind the mixture, so the meatballs hold their shape in boiling water. Wetting your hands while you shape them keeps the dough from sticking and gives each one a smooth, even surface.

The sauce uses 2 ladles of the water the meatballs boiled in. That water carries a little starch and spice. It turns the butter and pastes into a glossy sauce that clings to each meatball instead of sliding off.

Spiced Bulgur Meatballs Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 1 cup (about 170 g) fine bulgur
• 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
• 1/3 cup (about 80 ml) semolina
• 7 ounces (200 g) ground beef
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika (ground red pepper)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 heaping teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 heaping teaspoon pepper paste (or extra tomato paste)
• 2 ladles of the meatball cooking water

To serve

• Garlic yogurt (plain yogurt, crushed garlic, pinch of salt)
• Butter melted with paprika (optional)
• Fresh parsley, for garnish

How To Make Spiced Bulgur Meatballs

Soak the bulgur and shape the meatballs

1. Soak the bulgur: Stir the bulgur into the boiling water, cover the bowl, and leave it for 20 minutes. Fluff it with a fork so the grains separate and cool a little.
2. Mix the dough: Add the semolina, ground beef, flour, egg, tomato paste, salt, black pepper, cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes if you want heat. Knead well until the mixture feels like one dough. Wet your hands now and then so it doesn’t stick.
3. Shape the meatballs: Form the mixture into finger-shaped meatballs. Keep them about the same size so they cook through at the same time.

Boil the meatballs and make the sauce

4. Boil: Drop the meatballs into a pot of lightly salted boiling water and cook for 15 minutes. Don’t crowd the pot, or they stick together and cook unevenly.
5. Start the sauce: While the meatballs boil, melt the butter in a pan and fry the tomato paste and pepper paste in it. Stir in 2 ladles of the meatball cooking water to loosen the sauce.
6. Toss: Lift the meatballs out of the pot with a slotted spoon. Toss them in the sauce until every meatball is coated.

Serve

7. Plate: Spread the garlic yogurt on a plate and set the meatballs on top. Drizzle with the leftover sauce or the paprika butter, then scatter parsley over everything.

Recipe Tips

• Rest the bulgur fully: Give it the whole 20 minutes. Bulgur that is still firm makes a crumbly dough that falls apart in the water.
• Keep your hands wet: A little water on your palms stops the dough from sticking. It also smooths the surface of each meatball.
• Save the cooking water: Scoop out the 2 ladles for the sauce before you drain anything. It adds flavor and gives the sauce some body.
• Boil in batches: Too many meatballs in the pot lowers the water temperature and makes them stick. Cook in two rounds if your pot is small.

What To Serve With Spiced Bulgur Meatballs

Spoon cool garlic yogurt under and over the meatballs, as in the recipe, so the tangy yogurt balances the warm spices. A tomato and cucumber salad or warm flatbread fits well on the side.

How To Store

• Fridge: Keep the meatballs and sauce in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store the garlic yogurt separately.
• Freezer: Freeze the boiled meatballs without the sauce for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight.
• Reheat: Warm the meatballs in a pan with a splash of water and the sauce until hot all the way through.

FAQs

Can I use coarse bulgur instead of fine bulgur?

Fine bulgur is what makes the dough smooth, so it works best here. Coarse bulgur stays chewy and the meatballs hold together less well. If it is all you have, soak it longer and chop it finer in a food processor.

Can I make these meatballs without meat?

Yes, the beef is the only meat in the recipe. Leave it out and add a little extra flour and semolina so the dough still holds together. The meatballs will be softer, so handle them gently in the boiling water.

Can I make the meatballs ahead of time?

You can shape them a few hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge until you boil them. You can also boil them, chill them, and toss them in fresh sauce just before serving. Both ways save time on a busy night.

Why do my bulgur meatballs fall apart in the water?

The usual cause is bulgur that did not soak long enough or a dough that is too wet. Rest the bulgur the full 20 minutes and knead until the dough is cohesive. Also keep the water at a gentle boil and don’t crowd the pot.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.

• Calories: about 390 kcal
• Total Fat: 14g
• Total Carbohydrate: 47g
• Dietary Fiber: 9g
• Protein: 19g

Spiced Bulgur Meatballs

Recipe by Paula

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

40

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Total time

60

minutes

Finger-shaped bulgur and beef meatballs, boiled and tossed in a buttery tomato and pepper paste sauce, then served over garlic yogurt. A filling dinner for 4 with a smooth, spiced bite.

Ingredients

• For the meatballs

• 1 cup (about 170 g) fine bulgur

• 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water

• 1/3 cup (about 80 ml) semolina

• 7 ounces (200 g) ground beef

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 egg

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon paprika (ground red pepper)

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

• For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 heaping teaspoon tomato paste

• 1 heaping teaspoon pepper paste (or extra tomato paste)

• 2 ladles of the meatball cooking water

• To serve

• Garlic yogurt (plain yogurt, crushed garlic, pinch of salt)

• Butter melted with paprika (optional)

• Fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

• Soak the bulgur: Stir the bulgur into the boiling water, cover the bowl, and leave it for 20 minutes. Fluff it with a fork so the grains separate and cool a little.
• Mix the dough: Add the semolina, ground beef, flour, egg, tomato paste, salt, black pepper, cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes if you want heat. Knead well until the mixture feels like one dough. Wet your hands now and then so it doesn’t stick.
• Shape the meatballs: Form the mixture into finger-shaped meatballs. Keep them about the same size so they cook through at the same time.
• Boil: Drop the meatballs into a pot of lightly salted boiling water and cook for 15 minutes. Don’t crowd the pot, or they stick together and cook unevenly.
• Start the sauce: While the meatballs boil, melt the butter in a pan and fry the tomato paste and pepper paste in it. Stir in 2 ladles of the meatball cooking water to loosen the sauce.
• Toss: Lift the meatballs out of the pot with a slotted spoon. Toss them in the sauce until every meatball is coated.
• Plate: Spread the garlic yogurt on a plate and set the meatballs on top. Drizzle with the leftover sauce or the paprika butter, then scatter parsley over everything.