Keftedes

Name: Keftedes
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 6 people
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 500 g Beef, minced, about 15% fat; 250 g Pork, minced, or use all beef; 1 medium Onion, grated, with its juice; 100 g Stale bread, crusts off, soaked in water and squeezed dry; 1 piece Egg; 2 clove Garlic, crushed; 1 handful Mint, fresh, chopped, or 1 tbsp dried; 1 handful Parsley, chopped; 1 tsp Oregano, dried; 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar; 1.5 tsp Salt; 0.5 tsp Black pepper; 60 g Wheat flour, for dusting; 200 ml Olive oil, for shallow-frying; 1 piece Lemon, in wedges, to serve

Κεφτέδες

Greek fried meatballs of minced beef and pork with grated onion, soaked bread, mint and oregano, dusted in flour and fried crisp. Meze or main.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Κεφτέδες.

Start cooking

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 25 min
Rest: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 50 min
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: No chilli
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

Image coming soon

About

Keftedes are small, slightly flattened meatballs, fried rather than baked or sauced. Minced beef, often mixed with pork, is kneaded with grated onion, bread soaked in water and squeezed, egg, garlic, a lot of mint and parsley, dried oregano and a splash of red wine vinegar. The mixture rests in the fridge so it firms up, then it is rolled into walnut-sized balls, pressed flat, dusted in flour and shallow-fried in olive oil until brown and crisp outside and juicy inside. Grate the onion; chopped onion makes them fall apart. Serve them hot or at room temperature with lemon, tzatziki and bread.

What you'll need

15 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 15 ready

6 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Beef, minced, about 15% fat500 g
Pork, minced, or use all beef250 g
Onion, grated, with its juice1 medium
Stale bread, crusts off, soaked in water and squeezed dry100 g
Egg1
Garlic, crushed2 clove
Mint, fresh, chopped, or 1 tbsp dried1 handful
Parsley, chopped1 handful
Oregano, dried4.9 ml
Red wine vinegar15 ml
Salt7.4 ml
Black pepper2½ ml
Wheat flour, for dusting60 g
Olive oil, for shallow-frying200 ml
Lemon, in wedges, to serve1

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Squeeze the soaked bread hard. Put it in a bowl with the meat, grated onion, egg, garlic, mint, parsley, oregano, vinegar, salt and pepper. Knead with your hand for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is sticky and holds together.
6 min
Step 2
Cover and chill for at least an hour, or overnight. It firms up and is much easier to shape.
60 min
Step 3
With wet hands, roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls of about 30 g and press each one slightly flat. Roll them in flour and shake off the excess.
12 min
Step 4
Heat the oil, about 5 mm deep, in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the keftedes in batches without crowding, 3 to 4 minutes a side, until deep brown and cooked through with no pink in the middle, 71°C at the centre if you have a probe.
20 min
Tip: Fry one first and taste it. Adjust the salt or mint in the rest of the mixture if needed.
Step 5
Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot or warm with lemon wedges, tzatziki and bread.
2 min

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 570 kcal
Protein: 37.4 g
Carbs: 24.8 g
Fat: 34.7 g
Saturated fat: 9.5 g
Fibre: 2 g
Sugar: 1.5 g
Sodium: 623 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Wheat
Eggs

Dairy-free
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 11 November.

Substitutions

Beef and pork → All beef, or beef and lamb
All beef is a little leaner and firmer. Lamb adds richness and works well with the mint.
Shallow-frying → Baking at 200°C for 20 minutes on an oiled tray
Less crust and less mess. Brush them with oil and turn once.

Tips

Grated onion and soaked bread are what keep them soft. Dry breadcrumbs make them dense.
They are good cold the next day, which is why they go to every picnic.

History & culture

Keftedes are on every taverna meze list and on every family picnic and party table, piled on a plate and eaten with fingers. A birthday, a name day, a beach day with food in a cool box: there will be keftedes. Cooks make a double batch because half disappear before they reach the table.

The name comes through the Turkish köfte from the Persian kofta, pounded meat, and meatballs of this family run from the Balkans to India. The Greek version leans on mint and oregano and is fried in olive oil. Soutzoukakia, the long cumin-spiced meatballs in tomato sauce, are a cousin brought by refugees from Smyrna after 1922.

Traditional — Some cooks use grated potato instead of bread, or add a splash of ouzo. Shallow-frying in olive oil is the home method; many tavernas deep-fry in sunflower oil.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Keftedes take?

1 hr 50 min all in — 25 min prep, 25 min cook, 1 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 6 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

No chilli.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free, Nut-free.

7 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Mixing bowl, Frying pan, Tongs.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 1½ tsp.

What can I use instead?

Beef and pork → All beef, or beef and lamb. All beef is a little leaner and firmer. Lamb adds richness and works well with the mint. Shallow-frying → Baking at 200°C for 20 minutes on an oiled tray. Less crust and less mess. Brush them with oil and turn once.

Any tips from this recipe?

Grated onion and soaked bread are what keep them soft. Dry breadcrumbs make them dense. They are good cold the next day, which is why they go to every picnic.

Can I prepare this ahead?

They are good cold the next day, which is why they go to every picnic. Cover and chill for at least an hour, or overnight. It firms up and is much easier to shape.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.