Kofta Kebab Recipe
A must-try authenitc Kofta kebab recipe: ground beef and lamb mixed with fresh parsley, onions, garlic and Middle Eastern spices! Grilled to perfection. Comes together in less than 30 minutes! Be sure to see the step-by-step tutorial below.
The Middle East boasts a few signature pita sandwiches: the vegan-friendly falafel; the shredded shawarma; and of course, kebabs of all sorts. Today is specifically about kofta kebab. The word kofta (or kefta) has its origins in Persian, and it means grounded or pounded. You can have meat kofta, seafood kofta or even a vegetarian kofta. But today’s kofta kebab recipe is one of the more popular dishes in Egypt: a mixture of ground beef and lamb blended with onions, garlic, parsley and a few of my favorite Middle Eastern spices.
My earliest memory of kofta kebab goes back to my elementary school days and a place called Tamimi, a family-owned restaurant near my hometown’s boardwalk. Tamimi was no fancy place, it was more of a “hut” with a couple of large grills lined with kebabs of all kinds. The word “busy” does not quite describe how wonderfully chaotic Tamimi was. For a good reason, though. Tamimi served the best kofta kebabs, and that’s where everyone wanted to be.
There are more than a dozen ways to prepare kofta kebab. This kofta kabab recipe is easy and fairly authentic. It is my best rendition of Tamimi’s; and a tribute to the wonderful Mediterranean city I grew up in, Port Said, Egypt.
There are many sides I like to serve along with kofta kebab. Here are a few: fattoush salad; chickpea salad with eggplant; or this easy fried eggplant dish. You can simply serve it on pita bread with tahini and some fresh tomatoes like the recipe suggests.
Here is the recipe for kofta kebab. Be sure to scroll down for the step-by-step tutorial with photos:
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Kofta Kebab Recipe
Prep time 20 mins
Cook time 8 mins
Total time 28 mins
Author: The Mediterranean Dish Recipe type: Entree Cuisine: Mediterranean Food Serves: 10 skewers
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 whole bunch parsley, stems removed (about 2 packed cups parsley leaves)
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground lamb
- 1 slice of bread, toasted until browned and soaked in water until fully tender
- Salt and pepper
- 1½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
- ½ tsp ground sumac
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp paprika
- Pita bread to serve
- 1 cayenne tahini sauce recipe
- Tomato wedges
- Onion wedges
- More parsley
Instructions
- Soak 10 wooden skewers in water for about 1 hour; remove from the water when you are ready to begin. Lightly oil the grates of a gas grill and preheat it to medium high for about 20 minutes.
- Prepare the pita bread and the fixings. If you plan to, make the tahini sauce from this recipe.
- In a food processor, chop the onion, garlic, and parsley.
- Add the beef, lamb, bread (be sure to squeeze out the water completely), and the spices. Run the processor until all is well combined forming a pasty meat mixture.
- Remove the meat mixture from the food processor and place in a large bowl. Take a fistful portion of the meat mixture and mold it on a wooden skewer. Repeat the process until you have run out of meat. For best results, make sure each kofta kebab is about 1 inch in thickness.
- Lay the skewered kofta kebabs on a tray lined with parchment paper
- Place the kofta kebabs on the lightly oiled, heated gas grill. Grill on medium-high heat for 4 minutes on one side, turn over and grill for another 3-4 minutes.
- Serve the kofta kebabs immediately with pita bread, tahini and the fixings you prepared. See suggestions for sides and related recipes.
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Step-by-Step Tutorial for Kofta Kebab:
Soak 10 wooden skewers in water for about 1 hour; remove from the water when you are ready to begin. Lightly oil the grates of a gas grill and preheat it to medium high for about 20 minutes. Prepare the pita bread and the fixings. If you plan to, make the tahini sauce from this recipe (optional)
In a food processor, chop the onion, garlic, and parsley.
Add the beef, lamb, bread (be sure to squeeze out the water completely), and the spices. Run the processor until all is well combined forming a pasty meat mixture.
Remove the meat mixture from the food processor and place in a large bowl. Take a fistful portion of the meat mixture and mold it on a wooden skewer. Repeat the process until you have run out of meat. For best results, make sure each kofta kebab is about 1 inch in thickness. Lay the skewered kofta kebabs on a tray lined with parchment paper.
Place the kofta kebabs on the lightly oiled, heated gas grill. Grill on medium-high heat for 4 minutes on one side, turn over and grill for another 3-4 minutes (total of 7-8 minutes)
Serve the kofta kebabs immediately with pita bread, tahini and the fixings you prepared. I’ve mentioned some sides to serve with it up in the post, below are a few more with some related recipes you might like to try. Enjoy!
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