Bulgaria's everyday fried meatballs — pork-and-beef mince loosened with water-soaked bread, seasoned with cumin and savory, and kneaded until sticky so the patties stay juicy and hold together in the pan.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 300 g minced pork
- 200 g minced beef
- 80 g stale white bread, crusts removed
- 100 ml water
- 1 medium onion, finely grated
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried savory
- 0.5 tsp black pepper, ground
- 1 tsp salt
- 50 g plain flour, for dredging
- 200 ml sunflower oil, for frying
Nutrition (estimated)
high confidenceRecipe total: 3544 kcal · P 154.1g · C 92.1g · F 285.9g
Estimated from 12 of 12 ingredients
Approximate estimate, calculated from the ingredients.
Steps
Steps
- 1Soak the bread in the water for 5 minutes, then squeeze it out lightly and crumble it into a large bowl.
- 2Add both minces, the grated onion with its juice, the egg, cumin, savory, pepper and salt.
- 3Knead with your hand for 5–7 minutes until the mixture turns sticky and pale and comes away from the bowl in one mass — this kneading is what stops the kyufteta crumbling.
- 4Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes so the bread hydrates and the fat firms up.
- 5With wet hands, shape 12 flattened oval patties about 1.5 cm thick and roll each lightly in flour, shaking off the excess.
- 6Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat to about 170°C — a pinch of flour should sizzle at once.
- 7Fry the kyufteta in batches without crowding, 4–5 minutes per side, until deep brown and the juices run clear when one is pierced.
- 8Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with potato salad, chips or a shopska salad.
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Questions and answers
How long does Kyufteta take to make?
About 70 minutes: 45 min prep and 25 min cooking.
What ingredients do you need for Kyufteta?
12 ingredients: minced pork, minced beef, stale white bread, water, onion, egg, ground cumin, dried savory, black pepper, salt, plain flour, sunflower oil.
How many servings does this Kyufteta recipe make?
4 servings. The servings buttons above the ingredients rescale every amount.
How many calories are in a serving of Kyufteta?
About 886 kcal, with 38.5 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate and 71.5 g fat. This is an estimate from the ingredients, not a lab analysis.
What cuisine is Kyufteta?
Kyufteta comes from Bulgarian cuisine.
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