Beef Kofta Kebabs
These Beef Kofta Kebabs are a mashup of a spiced beef meatball and a kebab. Bake them or grill them, serve them stuffed in a homemade pita or on couscous with a lemon-garlic or sumac sauce, and you’ll be dreaming of desert travel and far off destinations.
So read on for all the detailed tips and tricks for this recipe and to understand the difference between kofta and kebabs – only if you want to! Otherwise grab your ground beef, hit that big purple Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make this beef kofta kebab recipe!
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What’s the difference between kofta and kebabs?
Kofta is a catch-all term that often refers to ground meat mixtures shaped into meatballs or patties – I’ve usually seen them as torpedo-shaped – although there are also vegetarian dishes called kofta. A kebab is typically meat roasted or grilled on a skewer.
I’ve called this a beef kofta kebab recipe because I make them with spiced ground beef cooked on skewers. Drop the skewers (hopefully not with the meat on them), and you are making beef kofta!
Ingredients
I recommend using lean (90-10 or 85-15) ground beef for this recipe. That’s enough fat for flavor and texture without so much that your cooked kofta are dripping with it.
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to riff on this recipe
- Skip the skewers. Scoop about a tablespoon and a half of the meat mixture and roll gently into meatballs or logs.
- Use lamb in place of ground beef.
- Play with the herbs and spices.
Recipe tips and tricks
Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl, and mix gently until just combined. Don’t use a heavy hand, or your kofta may be tough. If you have the time, let the mixture rest in the fridge for 30 minutes or so.
Divide the mixture into six to eight portions and shape into thick cylindrical logs. Insert a skewer into the center of each log, and then press the meat firmly and evenly around the skewers into long, flattened cylinders – having two flattish sides makes the kebabs easier to cook and flip!
You can cook your beef kofta kebabs in a bunch of different ways:
- Heat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the beef kebabs on a grill pan for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway, until the kebabs reach 160 degrees. I have an enameled, cast-iron grill pan that is perfect for this kofta recipe because it lets the fat from the meat drip away. You can also use a flat sheet-pan, lightly oiled or lined with parchment to minimize sticking.
- On a grill over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes total.
What to serve with beef kofta
My big list for what goes with Mediterranean meatballs like my spiced lamb meatballs or lamb meatballs with pine nuts and raisins would work with these kofta kebabs. Some of my favorite go-withs are:
- warm homemade pita
- rice, couscous, or something like my pumpkin couscous salad
- tomato and cucumber salad
- spicy pickled onions
- sumac sauce, tzatziki, my lemon herb tahini sauce, or a drizzle of pomegranate molasses
Recipe FAQs
The beef kofta taste best when the mixture is allowed to rest for at least 30 minutes, and you can make the kofta mixture up to one day in advance. Longer than that, and it’s best to cook them and store the kofta kebabs in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat gently in a skillet or oven.
Yes, you can freeze the kofta kebabs, cooked or uncooked, for up to three months or so. It would be easiest to freeze them as kofta, without the skewers.
Related recipes
Check out other ground meat recipes from the archives, like:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.
Recipe
Beef Kofta Kebabs
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef ideally 90-10 or 85-15
- 1 egg lightly beaten in a small bowl
- 1 to 3 cloves garlic minced or grated
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ¼ cup pine nuts toasted and coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika smoked if available
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl, and mix gently until just combined.1 pound lean ground beef, 1 egg, 1 to 3 cloves garlic, ¼ cup chopped parsley, ¼ cup pine nuts, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- If you have the time, let the mixture rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Divide the mixture into 6 to 8 portions and shape into thick cylindrical logs. Insert a skewer into each log, and then press the meat firmly and evenly around the skewers into long, flattened cylinders.
- Heat your oven to 425℉ and bake on a grill pan for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway, until the kebabs reach 160℉. You can also use a flat sheet-pan, lightly oiled or lined with parchment to minimize sticking.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- Don’t overwork the ground beef mixture.
- Wet your hands if the mixture is sticking during shaping.
- Let the kofta mixture rest in the refrigerator before cooking.
- Shape the beef kofta mixture into about twenty 2-inch torpedos and skip the skewers.
- Cook the beef kebabs on a grill over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes total.
- Pita or over rice or couscous
- Sumac sauce or tzatziki
- Tomato and cucumber salad
- Pickled onions
Nutrition
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