Kotleti are delicious and juicy meat patties traditionally made with ground meat and pan seared until golden and are a staple in any Russian household. The key to a good kotleta is adding enough moisture to it so that after pan searing the outside, the inside is very juicy. My mother used to make it with pureed onions added for moisture, my grandmother used to make it with bread slices soaked in milk. Later in life, I managed to experiment with other ingredients to add more moisture to my kotleti ranging from adding pureed raw potatoes to adding semolina grains.

This particular recipe is for the stuffed variety of Kotleti. My mother used to make stuffed Kotleti when I was a little kid because I would beg for them, however not too often because the regular unstuffed ones required far less time and effort, but now that I’m older and can make them myself, the stuffed variety are my go to. Thankfully, my husband is just as much of a fan of these as I am.

If you’d prefer an easier and quicker variety, leave out the stuffing of eggs and scallions and follow the rest of the instructions as is. Whichever way you have them, they will be absolutely divine!

INGREDIENTS :

• 1 lb (pound) ground Pork (can sub in beef instead)
• 1 lb ground Chicken (can sub in turkey instead)
• 1 medium Onion
• 1 medium Potato
• 1/4 c (cup) Breadcrumbs or Bread
• 1/8-1/4 c Milk, Heavy Cream or Half and Half (for soaking the breadcrumbs)
• 1 tsp (teaspoon) ground Pepper
• 2-3 tsp Salt
• 1 c Breadcrumbs or Flour (for coating the patties)
• Oil for pan frying

STUFFING : (optional ; if you want to avoid the stuffing, follow all instructions except step # 2)

• 6 hardboiled Eggs
• 1 bunch Scallions
• Salt and Pepper to taste (roughly 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper)

STEPS :

1. Using a blender, blend together your onion and potato into a puree. Add your blended ingredients to a bowl with your ground meat. Add salt, pepper, breadcrumbs and milk/cream and use your hands to give it a good stir until everything is fully incorporated. Set aside.
2. Dice your hardboiled eggs and scallions into small pieces and add to a separate bowl. Top with salt and pepper and mix. Grab roughly a 2″ ball of your mixed meat, flatten it and make a small well and add a spoonful of stuffing to the middle. Pinch it closed, use your hands to round it out and slightly press it down to form a flatter patty about 1″-1.5″ in thickness.
3. If not making the stuffed variety, simply grab a 2″ ball of your mixed meat, round it into a circle that somewhat resembles and snowball and flatten it out slightly until it is about 1″-1.5″ in thickness. Lay your flattened patties onto a tray or plate with breadcrumbs or flour and coat both sides and edges. Make sure it keeps its form.
4. Preheat oil over medium to medium-high heat and once heated, lay your breaded/floured onto the oil and pan sear each side for roughly 2-4 minutes or until golden brown. During this time, preheat your oven to 385° F and prep a dutch oven. As your kotleti become golden, transfer them from your frying pan to the dutch oven. Repeat until all the meat is used up and you have a few layers of Kotleti in your dutch oven.
5. Add 1/2 cup water to your dutch oven full of meat patties and top with the lid. Bake in your oven for 30-45 minutes.
6. Once cooked, enjoy with sour cream.

LINKS TO PRODUCTS USED DURING THIS RECIPE :

* If you purchase anything through any of the links I provide in my posts, I may receive some compensation, at absolutely NO cost to you! Thank you for helping me do what I love, and that is teaching you all to cook.*

STAUB Dutch Oven – https://amzn.to/4ixNvYo

All Clad Frying Pan – https://amzn.to/3Duzv2D