Kotlet are delicious meat patties, the Persian version of meat cutlets, and can be made with either ground beef, lamb, or turkey. You'll find variations in the spices used depending on which part of Iran your family is from.
By Candice Walker on February 17, 2021 (Last updated April 24, 2024) This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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Kotlet are delicious meat patties, the Persian version of meat cutlets, and can be made with either ground beef, lamb, or turkey. You’ll find variations in the spices used depending on which part of Iran your family is from.
My grandmother is Esfahani, so these kotlet have a good amount of cumin, which I absolutely love! The traditional shape of kotlet is oval, but you can shape them to your preference.
It is just as delicious cold as it is warm, though this is a debate amongst family members!
🌟Why You’ll Love Kotlet
Crispy exterior, soft interior: A difference in texture is key to a satisfying bite. You know how hash browns are so good because they’re soft and fluffy on the inside but extra crispy on the outside? That’s exactly the magic that is happening with these patties.
Flavorful meat patties that stick together: This recipe is a quick and simple way to make wonderfully flavorful meat patties. Kotlet are made with an easy all-in-one method to make the mixture, and I’ve tested this recipe with different fat contents of meat to ensure that no matter which you use, they stick together when you fry them.
Onion and cumin spice up the meat and potatoes: My version spices the mix with plenty of cumin, which adds an earthy flavor to the more mildly flavored meat and potatoes. I also add a whole onion, grated instead of diced, which integrates into the mixture seamlessly.
🧾 Ingredients in This Recipe
Ground beef, lamb, or turkey – Beef is traditional, but you can substitute it with lamb or turkey if you prefer. I sometimes purchase sirloin and grind it with a meat grinder attachment for my stand mixer.
Egg – I use egg as the binder in this recipe. You can substitute with a few tablespoons of mashed banana but that will change the taste of the final kotlet.
Onion – Use a large yellow, but you can substitute with white onion. When this is grated into the mixture, the enzymes in the onion help make the meat tender and extra flavorful.
Potatoes – Uses Russet potatoes for their texture and starch content. You can also use leftover mashed potatoes as long as they don’t have too many mix-ins.
Cumin – This spice is the star of the recipe. Earthy, spicy, and aromatic. Use dried, ground cumin.
Turmeric – This peppery spice adds another layer of great flavor and is great for color. Use dried turmeric powder.
Canola oil – Substitute with any flavorless oil to fry your kotlet patties.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳How to Make Kotlet
Preheat the oven to 400F. In the meantime, poke holes in the potatoes with a fork, coat them lightly in oil, and season them well with salt. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour.
Once cool enough to handle, peel them and mash or mill the baked potatoes.
⭐️ Pro Tip for Your Potatoes ⭐️
While a potato mill is a specialized pice of equipment, it does a fantastic job at reducing baked potatoes down to an even, consistent mash. It’s well worth considering if you cook with potatoes often.
Mix in the grated onion (make sure to squeeze out the excess liquid after grating), ground meat, egg, cumin, turmeric, and salt by mashing it together with your hand. It should be the texture of meatloaf. In the meantime, heat 1/4 inch of oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
Form the meat and potato mixture into oval-shaped patties approximately 1/2-inch thick and 6 inches long.
⭐️ 🏆 #1 Tip to Keep them Together ⭐️
Grating the onion is essential, but make sure to squeeze out any extra liquid after grating the onion. You don’t want that extra liquid in the kotlet or it will fall apart when frying.
Cook the patties for 7-10 minutes per side until brown.
You can serve kotlet hot, warm, or cold. They are equally good each way!
I love learning about other cultures and seeing the parallels in the dishes. You can find meat and potato patties in cultures around the globe, each made with different spices. This Persian recipe is the version I grew up with, just like these other favorite Persian recipes:
Kotlet are delicious meat patties, the Persian version of meat cutlets, and can be made with either ground beef, lamb, or turkey. You'll find variations in the spices used depending on which part of Iran your family is from.
Preheat the oven to 400F. In the meantime, poke holes in the potatoes with a fork, coat them lightly in oil, and season them well with salt. Bake for 1 hour.
Once cool enough to handle, peel them and mash or mill them. Mix in the grated onion (make sure to squeeze out the extra liquid), ground meat, egg, cumin, turmeric, and salt by mashing it all together with your hand. It should be the texture of meatloaf.
Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
Form the meat and potato mixture into oval-shaped patties approximately 1/2-inch thick and 6-inches long.
Cook them 7-10 minutes per side until brown.
You can serve these hot, warm, or cold. Everyone has their own preference.
Video
Notes
Squeeze out the extra liquid after grating the onion. You don’t want that extra liquid in the kotlet or it will fall apart when frying.You can use leftover mashed potatoes instead of the potato in this recipe.Serving suggestion: with rice or as sandwiches with pita, hummus, and fresh herbs. You can also serve them as hamburgers.
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.
I’ve never tried. Great question! My guess is that you wouldn’t get the same texture, and they will have a hard time sticking together. If you give it a try, please report back… I’d love to know!
Hi Becky, you can bake them at 400F for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. The internal temperature should be at least 160F.
These had so much flavor and were great paired with a salad. Grating the onion is such a great idea, and I think it’s a key step to squeeze out the water of the onion or they could get soggy. Will definitely make again, and maybe be brave enough to grind the meat myself.
Hi Kamil, I’m glad you enjoyed how they taste! Unfortunately with kotlet, you really need to make sure you squeeze out all the liquid in the grated onion until it’s mostly dry or they will fall apart. I hope this helps!
Following up about this, Kamil, it hopes that I could help you figure out what may have gone wrong. I did some additional testing to see if I could help uncover your issue. I made it with wagyu ground beef to see if the additional fat would cause an issue, and I tried it with finely mashed potato as well as chunky smashed potatoes. I had no issues with any of these variations as long as the liquid was squeezed out of the onion. Then, make sure it’s mixed together well. I hope this helps, and that you have success making it again in the future!
I will say that I made a few with an extra half teaspoon of cumin and if you like it cumin-y… you should, too 🙂
I made this with ground turkey, it could have used an upward push on spices.
Also, I used the grater attachment on my food processor and ended up with potato puree, next time I will mash them and maybe use something for more texture (panko crumbs? quinoa?).
But I have been trying for several years to “beef up” potato latkes with protein to become a more complete dinner item, and this was a big step forward. Maybe I will try with fish.
Hi Romanette… thank you so much for taking the time to share! Ground turkey tends to be on the dryer side, and doesn’t have the fat that the ground beef has. In many recipes on the blog I offer the turkey substitution, but not this one because of the flavor difference. You definitely need to up the flavor input if using turkey.
Also, is it possible you used the small side of the grater attachment on your food processor? Either way, mashing them up should work, too. That’s what my mom does sometimes when making this recipe.
To your last point about beefing up the potato latkes with protien, eggs might be a great way to go for that. This recipe isn’t much like a potato latke but does have that protein piece you’re looking for.
I hope this helps you find what you’re looking for. Good luck!
Can you grill them?
I’ve never tried. Great question! My guess is that you wouldn’t get the same texture, and they will have a hard time sticking together. If you give it a try, please report back… I’d love to know!
Hello, you mentioned these could be baked instead of fried. Could you provide tips on how long and what temperature to bake?
Thank you
Hi Becky, you can bake them at 400F for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. The internal temperature should be at least 160F.
These had so much flavor and were great paired with a salad. Grating the onion is such a great idea, and I think it’s a key step to squeeze out the water of the onion or they could get soggy. Will definitely make again, and maybe be brave enough to grind the meat myself.
They taste good but they fall apart . You can’t even flip them over when frying !
Hi Kamil, I’m glad you enjoyed how they taste! Unfortunately with kotlet, you really need to make sure you squeeze out all the liquid in the grated onion until it’s mostly dry or they will fall apart. I hope this helps!
Following up about this, Kamil, it hopes that I could help you figure out what may have gone wrong. I did some additional testing to see if I could help uncover your issue. I made it with wagyu ground beef to see if the additional fat would cause an issue, and I tried it with finely mashed potato as well as chunky smashed potatoes. I had no issues with any of these variations as long as the liquid was squeezed out of the onion. Then, make sure it’s mixed together well. I hope this helps, and that you have success making it again in the future!
I will say that I made a few with an extra half teaspoon of cumin and if you like it cumin-y… you should, too 🙂
I made this with ground turkey, it could have used an upward push on spices.
Also, I used the grater attachment on my food processor and ended up with potato puree, next time I will mash them and maybe use something for more texture (panko crumbs? quinoa?).
But I have been trying for several years to “beef up” potato latkes with protein to become a more complete dinner item, and this was a big step forward. Maybe I will try with fish.
Hi Romanette… thank you so much for taking the time to share! Ground turkey tends to be on the dryer side, and doesn’t have the fat that the ground beef has. In many recipes on the blog I offer the turkey substitution, but not this one because of the flavor difference. You definitely need to up the flavor input if using turkey.
Also, is it possible you used the small side of the grater attachment on your food processor? Either way, mashing them up should work, too. That’s what my mom does sometimes when making this recipe.
To your last point about beefing up the potato latkes with protien, eggs might be a great way to go for that. This recipe isn’t much like a potato latke but does have that protein piece you’re looking for.
I hope this helps you find what you’re looking for. Good luck!
Love your modern approach to Persian cuisine. Delightful
I appreciate the kindness, Leyla… thank you and enjoy!