The best Persian Kotlet you will ever have. Superbly spiced and flavored, these are pan fried to juicy perfection. One of my favorite Persian recipes, you can serve this with a side, as an appetizer or in sandwiches. Make ahead and freezer friendly too.
Celebrate your Persian experience with our popular Dill Rice and Salad Shirazi.
What is Kotlet?
Persian Kotlet's are meat patties made with ground meat, eggs, grated onion, herbs, spices and potatoes or breadcrumbs. The shaped patties are traditionally pan fried, but they can also be broiled to make it healthier.
Versions of kotlet can be found around the world and known by a variety of names - patties, pan kababs, frikadellen and such. It is different than the shami kebabs that are made from meat chunks.
World's Best Persian Kotlet
Persian kotlets are justly famous for their incredible taste. But my father-in-law makes the best kotlet I have ever had, and here I am sharing his recipe.
Most common kotlet recipes use grated potatoes for binding. They are delicious, but the recipe used in our family utilizes a combination of bread crumbs and chickpea flour for binding, along with more aromatics.
Ingredients
- Ground meat: Most commonly made with ground beef or lamb, you can also use veal, goat, turkey and chicken.
- Breadcrumbs and chickpea flour: If you don't have chickpea flour, then use breadcrumbs
- Eggs, Onion, Garlic, Spices, Herbs
How to Make It (full recipe at end of post)
- Combine all the kotlet ingredients and knead well into a smooth mixture for 5 minutes. Let it rest.
- Shape 10 to 12 oval or round patties and set aside.
- Heat oil at medium high, then pan fry the patties at medium, until brown and well done on both sides.
- Alternatively they may also be broiled.
Pro Tips
- Grated onion imparts a nice flavor and also makes them soft and moist.
- Replace the breadcrumbs with chickpea flour to make gluten-free kotlets. Or use two grated cooked potatoes.
- Kotlet in Oven: Broil the patties to make them healthier, as some fat is released and that can be discarded. It should be done quickly and at high temperature to brown the meat well on the exterior and keep them juicy. If it is not done at the right temperature and it takes too long, then they can become dry.
What Type of Meat to Use?
Kotlets are basically pan fried flattened meatballs and so are made with ground meat, most often ground beef or lamb. But beef and lamb can also be combined, which brings together the robust flavor of beef with the tenderness of lamb.
Veal, goat, turkey and chicken thigh meat are other options. If using ground chicken breast, add some oil in the mixture for a moist kotlet. But patties made with ground chicken thigh usually work best, as this chicken kofta.
90 percent lean meat works fine. Just be sure to keep the meat mixture moist enough with sufficient eggs, grated onions and the binding agents such as grated cooked potatoes, breadcrumbs or chickpea flour.
What to Serve with Kotlets?
- Kotlets are typically served with steamed saffron rice or flatbreads, cooked vegetable sides, fresh salads and doogh.
- Use these patties to make sandwiches, filled pitas and wraps with salad vegetables and suitable condiments.
- Small sized cutlets can be served as an appetizer or snack with mini buns.
Make Ahead and Meal Prep
Meat patties can be made ahead and frozen, before or after frying. Thaw and follow with rest of the recipe. The meat mixture can be made ahead and refrigerated.
More Ground Meat Recipes
★ DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE COMMENT AND GIVE IT A STAR RATING BELOW!
Kotlet (Persian Meat Patties)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground lamb or beef
- 1 yellow onion large, grated
- 2 eggs large
- 2½ tablespoons bread crumbs
- 1½ tablespoons fine chickpea flour or bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 3 tablespoons chopped basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint or ½ teaspoon dried mint
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon advieh Persian stew spice
- 1 teaspoon kebab spice mix or 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup peanut oil there will be leftover oil after frying
Equipment
- Basting Brush
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix and knead it well for 5 minutes, like you would knead dough. The consistency should not be too dry nor too wet, must be easy to shape. Let it rest for half hour. Tip: Squeeze the juice from the grated onion and add it back later only as needed.
- Divide the meat mixture into 10 to 12 portions. Roll each portion and flatten into an oval disc. Keep the shaped patties aside.
- The kotlet may be pan fried in two batches in a skillet that has enough room for six patties.
- For each batch, heat 4 tablespoons oil in the skillet at medium high. Once the oil is hot enough, slide six meat patties and lower the heat to medium.
- Shallow fry one side and flip it before it becomes too brown. Then you may flatten the patty slightly, using a flat flip spatula. Let the other side brown a little. Flip it again and fry both sides until dark brown.
- So, you will end up frying both sides twice. It should take at least 5 minutes total cooking time on each side. Some people do cook the kotlets longer on a low medium heat.
- Once done, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
Kotlet in Oven (Broiling Method)
- Arrange the kotlets on a greased broil pan and broil it at high for about 5 minutes on each side, until nicely brown.
- The broiling time may differ with each oven, so make sure to check initial progress.
- For very lean meats, chicken and turkey, brush or spray some oil on both sides of the patties, prior to broiling,
Notes
- If patties are fried at optimum temperature and you don't reuse the same oil, then oil absorption can be kept at minimum.
- Make Ahead: The kotlet mixture or shaping of cutlets can be done a day ahead.
- Frozen Kotlet: These can also be kept frozen for couple months to use later. Freeze the patties before or after frying. Pack in freezer safe bags with parchment paper in between stacked layers. Thaw and use. Reheat pre-cooked kotlets in a toaster oven, conventional oven or on a skillet.
- Roasted fine chickpea flour, dried mint, advieh, kebab spice, turmeric, ground cumin and ground coriander are available at Indian and Middle eastern grocery stores or online.
- Replace the breadcrumbs with chickpea flour to make it gluten free. Or use two grated cooked potatoes.
- Nutrition facts are for broiled kotlet. If the kotlets are fried then it is approximately: 163 kcal, 13 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat. Some oil will be absorbed back by paper towels.
Nutrition
Some Nutrition Facts
Lamb and beef are a great source of protein with all the essential amino acids. And are a good source of some B vitamins (B12, niacin, B6), selenium, zinc and iron.
However, it is recommended that red meats, should be consumed in moderation, because a diet rich in red meats can increase the risk of some chronic diseases.
Grass fed meats are more lean and of relatively superior nutrition quality. Such meats are also a better source of conjugated linoleic acid and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which are associated with several health benefits.
Use lean meat and the broiling method will also help drain some of the fat. And make them with turkey or chicken, those are delicious too.
Maryam says
Thank you but you need to provide more specific information in your recipe. What is the amount for each ingredient? what type of herbs? The final product would be different depending on the proportion of the ingredients and the type of herbs used.
Roxana Begum says
All the ingredients, amounts and detailed instructions are there. Please scroll to the end.
Karina says
This recipe was so easy and my friend's parents loved it. Due to dietary restrictions I had to take out garlic, black pepper, and anything that felt too spicy. Tbh I forgot about the black pepper and added that anyways along with garam masala (1tsp). Also grated two potatoes into the kotlet mixture and fried them with 0 calorie cooking spray (olive oil) to try to keep this as healthy and low in fat as possible lol. Kotlets were amazing (needed a little salt for me but my friend's family thought they were perfect).
Served it with fresh and plain naan, chopped green onion, persian pickles, radish. Will definitely keep this recipe in my back pocket <3
Sara Welch says
What an amazing recipe! Definitely worthy of a restaurant, indeed! Looking forward to enjoying these patties for dinner tonight!
Roxana Begum says
Thanks Sara for your lovely feedback :)
Ines Austern says
I made this recipe and it is delicious! I also prepared advieh by myself according to your recipe. :)
Roxana Begum says
Thanks for your lovely feedback :)
Anita says
These are great, and I love all the spices working together to make this a very flavorful and satisfying meat patties.
Roxana Begum says
Hope you give it a try.
Mindy Fewless says
I had never had these before but they are delicious!! Thank you!
Roxana Begum says
Thanks
Maria says
These sound sooo amazing! ???? But would you have a vegetarian version please? Can we just substitute the ground meat with vegetarian ground meat or do you have an alternate method? Thank you! ????????
Roxana Begum says
You can try with the vegetarian alternative. There is a slightly different vegetarian option on the blog you can search for - Eggplant chickpea patties.
Chris Collins says
I've never actually had Kotlet’s before, but they sound and look so delicious!! Definitely going to give the recipe a go :)
Roxana Begum says
You must try. They are absolutely delicious.
Emily Liao says
I made these patties for dinner last night and it was so delicious and easy to make! Definitely will be putting this on my dinner menu for next week.
Roxana Begum says
So glad you like it Emily :)