A recipe for Kayseri Mantısı (Kayseri-Style Dumplings)! These tiny Turkish dumplings are filled with a ground meat mixture and served with garlic yogurt and tomato butter.
Manti are types of dumplings found across Central Asia with a wide range of variations depending on the region and family.
The Kayseri Mantısı recipe I am sharing today is inspired by the dumplings from Kayseri in Central Anatolia, Türkiye. These tiny little bites are filled with a seasoned ground beef mixture with the corners folded up to close.
After boiling in water until tender, they are paired with garlic yogurt and tomato butter, along with a sprinkling of sumac and dried mint for quite the comforting meal.
Forming the Dough
Do not pack in the flour when measuring or you may end up with too much. To measure flour, gently spoon it into the measuring cup and level with a knife without pressing down. The most accurate way to measure is by weight.
The exact amount of water needed may differ based on the moisture content of your egg and how you measured the flour. Slowly add the water until the dough comes together.
If the dough is too sticky to handle, slowly add a little more flour. If it is too dry and crumbly, slowly add a little more water.
I rolled the dough out by hand. It needs to be a thin sheet, about 1/16-1/8 inch (1.5-3 millimeters) thick. If unable roll by hand, you can also use a pasta machine to the thinnest setting.
I cut the rolled out dough using a 5-Wheel Stainless Steel Cutter. This has been helpful to get more uniform squares (I am not the best at cutting straight lines) in a shorter amount of time.
If the dough continues to shrink back as you roll it out, cover and set aside at room temperature for another 15 minutes before trying again.
If making these Mantı extra small, work with only small pieces of dough at a time. The corners will start to dry out if exposed to air too long and have difficulty sealing together. If you find the edges starting to dry, dampen them with just a little touch of water.
If not using the dough within a couple of hours, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a day. Bring back to room temperature before rolling out and using.
Filling the Kayseri Mantısı
I read that a goal in forming the Kayseri Mantısı is to make them small enough to fit 40 pieces onto a spoon. I did manage to do that. It just took a while to form them all!
To get this small shape, cut the thin sheet of dough into 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeter) squares and place a small piece of the prepared filling in the center of each square.
It is easier to separate the filling into small pieces when cold. If working slowly, refrigerate the ground meat mixture in batches as needed.
The smaller the dumpling, the more difficult they will be to fold. It takes a bit of practice to keep from overfilling them and being able to pinch the seams together.
If this is your first time with this type of dumpling and fold, start with around 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) squares and work your way smaller from there.
If you want a bit of heat, you can mix in about 1/2 teaspoon or so of red pepper flakes into the meat mixture.
Make sure the onion and the parsley are very finely chopped. Otherwise, you won’t be able to fit them onto the squares.
Arrange the formed Mantı on a parchment-lined baking sheet lightly dusted with flour.
Serving Ideas
I have seen these Kayseri Mantısı served a couple of different ways. Both are paired with a generous amount of garlic yogurt and tomato butter.
For the tomato butter, I heated together unsalted butter and tomato paste until melted and blended. Some recipes use a combination of butter and oil or even add a spoonful of red pepper paste to the butter.
One option is to simmer the Mantı in water until tender, then drain and divide among bowls. Top with the garlic yogurt, then the tomato butter, and finally the sprinkling of dried mint and sumac.
Another option is to mix the tomato butter into the water with the simmering dumplings (drain off some of the water first if there is a lot) and ladle into individual bowls. Top with a generous dollop of the garlic yogurt before sprinkling with the dried mint and sumac.
You could also sprinkle red pepper flakes over the top for an extra hint of heat if desired.
Either way, the Kayseri Mantısı are best immediately after cooking. If not using right away, assemble uncooked dumplings in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer for up to two months.
They can be boiled straight from the freezer. You may need to add a minute or two to the cooking time.
If cooking in a smaller pot, add the Mantı in batches. Take care to not overcrowd or they may stick together and develop a gummy texture.
This recipe can easily be doubled to serve more people, but it will definitely take a while- especially if you are working alone. Store excess meat filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Looking for more dumpling recipes?
Try my:
This recipe was originally posted in January 2015 and updated in March 2025.
Kayseri Mantısı (Kayseri-Style Dumplings) Recipe
Adapted from Turkey: More than 100 Recipes with Tales from the Road
Kayseri Mantısı (Kayseri-Style Dumplings)
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) water
Filling:
- 8 ounces (227 grams) ground beef
- 1 small onion peeled and very finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup (6 grams) fresh parsley very finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, Pul Biber if available
Garlic Yogurt:
- 2 cups (480 grams) Turkish or Greek-style yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic crushed or grated
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Tomato Butter:
- 1/4 cup (58 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons (32 grams) tomato paste
To serve:
- dried mint
- sumac
Instructions
To make the dough:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.
- Add the egg, then slowly add just enough water to bring together a dough while mixing.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until soft and smooth.
- If too crumbly to come together, slowly add a little more water. If too sticky to handle, slowly add a little more flour.
- Wrap the dough in plastic or cover and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
To make the filling:
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion, salt, pepper, parsley, and optionally red pepper flakes until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
To assemble:
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with flour. Set aside.
- Break off a small piece of the rested dough, keeping the remainder covered, and place on a lightly floured work surface.
- Roll the dough into a thin sheet.
- Cut the thin sheet into 1/2-1 inch (1.25-2.5 centimeter) squares.
- Place small dots of the filling in the center of each square.
- Bring up two opposite corners of the square over the filling and pinch together at the top.
- Bring up the other two opposite corners of the square over the top and pinch together to enclose the filling.
- Place the dumpling on the parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining pieces, then remaining dough and filling.
- If not cooking immediately, place the baking sheet in the freezer. Once the dumplings are frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
To cook:
- Place the yogurt in a medium bowl. Fold in the garlic and salt until combined and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook the formed dumplings, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- While the dumplings are simmering, place the butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat.
- Once melted, whisk in the tomato paste and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, until evenly combined and heated through.
To serve:
- One way to serve the Mantı is to drain the tender dumplings, transfer to individual bowls, then top with the garlic yogurt, a drizzle of the tomato butter, and a sprinkling of dried mint and sumac. Serve immediately.
- Another way to serve the Mantı is to stir the tomato butter into the simmering water with the dumplings. Use a ladle to transfer the dumplings with some of the tomato butter water to a bowl. Top with the garlic yogurt and a sprinkling of dried mint and sumac before serving immediately.
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