Turkish Beef Meatballs in Tomato and Pepper Sauce Recipe
These small beef meatballs braised in a tomato and pepper sauce are a dish that often appears at Turkish family lunches. The flavors are bold but not overly spicy, and the sauce just begs to be wiped up with a piece of bread. You can compare them to Polish meatballs in sauce, only with more herbs and spices.
These Turkish-style meatballs combine the comfort of classic home-cooked meatballs with the aromatic spices of Middle Eastern cuisine. The rich tomato and pepper sauce makes them perfect for serving with bread, rice or potatoes, and they taste even better the next day.
Chef's tips
Take your time kneading the meat mixture so it becomes slightly sticky—this helps the meatballs hold their shape and stay tender. Don’t overcrowd the pan when browning; good browning adds a lot of flavor to the final sauce. If the sauce reduces too much while simmering, simply add a little water and adjust the seasoning again.
How to serve
Serve the meatballs with fluffy white rice, bulgur or mashed potatoes, plus a fresh salad of cucumber, tomato and onion. A side of natural yogurt or garlic yogurt sauce works beautifully, and warm flatbread or crusty bread is ideal for mopping up the sauce.
Ingredients
- ground beef preferably from shoulder or round - 500 g
- onion small, grated - 1 piece
- garlic pressed - 3 cloves
- breadcrumbs - 3 tablespoons
- egg - 1 piece
- parsley finely chopped - 2 tablespoons
- sweet paprika powder for the meat - 1 teaspoon
- ground cumin for the meat - 0.5 teaspoons
- salt for the meat and the sauce
- black pepper for the meat and the sauce
- canned chopped tomatoes 1 can, for the sauce - 400 g
- red bell pepper cut into strips, for the sauce - 1 piece
- tomato paste for the sauce - 1 tablespoon
- hot paprika powder for the sauce, optional - 0.5 teaspoons
- vegetable oil for frying the meatballs - 3 tablespoons
- water for the sauce - 150 ml
Preparation
- Put the ground beef, grated onion, 2 pressed garlic cloves, breadcrumbs, egg, chopped parsley, sweet paprika, cumin, a pinch of salt and pepper into a large bowl.
- Knead the mixture with your hand for 3–4 minutes, until the ingredients are well combined and the meat becomes slightly sticky. If the mixture is too loose, add 1 more tablespoon of breadcrumbs.
- Form small meatballs the size of a walnut, flattening them slightly. Arrange them on a plate.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the meatballs in batches for 3–4 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. They do not need to be fully cooked inside yet, as they will continue to braise in the sauce. Transfer the fried meatballs to a plate.
- Cut the red bell pepper into strips. In the same pan where you fried the meatballs, leave about 1–2 tablespoons of fat. Add the pepper strips and fry for 3–4 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Add 1 pressed garlic clove, the hot paprika (if using) and fry for about 30 seconds, stirring.
- Add the tomato paste and fry for 1 more minute, then pour in the canned tomatoes and water. Season the sauce with a pinch of salt and pepper, stir and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Carefully place the fried meatballs into the sauce so they are partially submerged. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the meat is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened.
- Taste the sauce at the end and adjust the seasoning with salt or pepper if needed. Serve the hot meatballs generously topped with the sauce.
Storage
Pulpeciki w sosie dobrze znoszą mrożenie, najlepiej w porcjach obiadowych. Przy odgrzewaniu na patelni dodaj odrobinę wody, aby sos się nie przypalił.
