When it comes to mouthwatering delicacies from the Middle East, beef kofta kebabs rank high on the list. These succulent meaty treats are bursting with flavors and are popular across various cultures. Originating in the Middle East, kofta kebabs have become a beloved dish enjoyed around the world.
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BEEF KOFTA KEBABS WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE
These aren’t your usual kebabs! My Beef Kofta Kebabs with Tzatziki Sauce are packed with protein and bursting with flavor. Your whole family will love these kebabs and you can make them in 30 minutes! Read on to get the recipe and step-by-step instructions on how to make kofta.
Get ready to fire up your grill because you’re going to love this recipe! These healthy Beef Kofta Kebabs are delicious, easy to make, and packed with flavor.
They’re easy enough to make for a quick weeknight dinner but I also love to serve them at parties. When you present a platter of these mouthwatering ground beef kebabs accompanied by an assortment of fresh vegetables, pita bread, and tzatziki sauce, your guests will think you’re a culinary rockstar!
Grilling is one of my favorite healthy cooking techniques. I make everything from Tandoori Chicken Kebabs to Spice-Rubbed Grilled Salmon to Cuban Mojo Pork Tenderloin on the grill. It’s quick, easy and uses a minimal amount of oil.
If you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can still grill using a stovetop grill pan. My grill pan has one of my most used kitchen items ever since I started cooking years ago in my tiny New York City apartment kitchen.
SEE HOW EASY THEY ARE TO MAKE!
WHAT IS KOFTA VS KOFTA KEBABS?
Kofta (also called kafta or kefta) are basically spiced meatballs that are common in many parts of the Mediterranean, Middle East and Persia. Kofta can be served as meatballs or it can be formed onto skewers as kebabs and cooked over an open flame.
Traditional kebabs are usually made with cubed meat. Kofta kebabs, on the other hand, are made with ground meat.
They’re typically made with beef, lamb or a combination of the two. The meat is mixed with fresh herbs, onion, garlic, and warm spices like coriander and cumin. Then the minced meat kebabs are grilled to perfection.
INGREDIENTS
Keep in mind that there are many different variations of beef kofta that vary from region to region. There’s no one single authentic recipe.
Here’s what I use in my dish:
- Ground beef– I use beef in this recipe but you can use lamb or a mixture of beef and lamb. Although it’s not traditional, you can also use ground turkey.
- Fresh parsley– adds bright flavor. You can also use cilantro.
- Onion and garlic– add great flavor to the kebabs and the onion keeps them moist.
- Dried spices– I use a combination of cumin, coriander, and cayenne pepper. But you can experiment with other spices like allspice, cardamom, sumac, and paprika.
HOW TO MAKE BEEF KOFTA KEBABS STEP-BY-STEP
- Add the onion, garlic, a parsley to a mini food processor and process until very finely chopped. If you don’t have a food processor, you can grate the onion on a box grater (you want to keep all the onion as well as the juice) and finely chop the garlic and parsley with a knife.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the ground beef, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined.
- Divide the mixture into roughly even balls. Mold each ball around the pointed end of a skewer, making an oval kebab that comes to a point just covering the tip of the skewer. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 15 minutes before threading the meat onto them. Place the kebabs on a sheet pan.
- Grill the kebabs on a grill or grill pan over medium high heat. Cook, turning occasionally, until brown all over and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Serve the kofta kebabs with Tzatziki sauce or other desired accompaniments like hummus, cucumber, tomatoes, and onion.
BEEF NUTRITION
I use lean ground beef in my Beef Kofta Kebabs. Ground beef provides plenty of protein, vitamins and minerals like iron.
Incorporating more protein in all of your meals throughout the day, starting with breakfast, helps keep you feeling full and satisfied. This cuts down on mindless eating later. It also helps you build lean muscle mass and reduce body fat.
There are many lean cuts of beef. This means that they have less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3 ounce serving. You can also use ground lamb or turkey in this recipe.
COMPLETE VS. INCOMPLETE PROTEINS
Although there are many food sources of protein, not all proteins are equal. Complete proteins contain all of the essential amino acids that are needed by our bodies. They are found mostly in animal sources of protein like beef, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products.
Plant based protein sources like beans, seeds, vegetables, grains and nuts are usually incomplete proteins, which means that they lack one or more of the amino acids that your body can’t produce. There are a few vegetarian foods like soy, quinoa and chia seeds that are complete proteins.
KOFTA KEBAB SAUCE
Serve these Beef Kofta Kebabs with my creamy Tzatziki Sauce and pita and you’ve got a delicious and easy meal that’s perfect for casual summer dining! You can buy tzatziki at the grocery store but it’s easy to make at home.
To make the sauce, simply mix Greek yogurt with grated cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, and mint or dill. Season with salt to taste. It’s a tasty all-purpose sauce that can be used in a wide variety of recipes from zucchini fritters to falafel.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BEEF KOFTA
You can serve these beef kofta kebabs with pita bread and some dips and spreads like tzatziki sauce, hummus, and baba ganoush.
You can also serve rice on the side. If you’re watching your carbs, you can serve them with cauliflower rice.
I also like to put out plenty of crisp, raw veggies like sliced cucumber, red onion slices, and tomatoes. You can also serve them with roasted vegetables or my quinoa with roasted vegetables on the side.
Beef Kofta Kebabs with Tzatziki Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
Kebabs:
- ½ small onion, cut into chunks
- 3 cloves garlic
- ⅓ cup parsley
- 1 ½ pounds grass-fed lean ground beef (I use 90% lean)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Olive oil, for brushing the grill
- Flat bread and sliced vegetables like cucumber, tomato and onion for serving (optional)
Tzatziki sauce:
- 1 cup plain reduced fat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup grated cucumber, squeezed dry
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh mint or dill (or ¼ teaspoon dried)
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Add the onion, garlic, a parsley to a mini food processor and process until finely chopped. If you don’t have a food processor, you can grate the onion on a box grater and finely chop the garlic and parsley with a knife.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the ground beef, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined.
- Divide the mixture into 8 roughly even balls. Mold each ball around the pointed end of a skewer, making an oval kebab that comes to a point just covering the tip of the skewer. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 15 minutes before threading the meat onto them.
- Heat a grill pan over medium high heat or prepare a grill. Brush the pan lightly with olive oil. Grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, until brown all over and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with tzatziki sauce, flat bread and sliced vegetables like cucumber, tomato and onion.
- To make the tzatziki sauce, mix all of ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Beef, lamb or a mixture of beef and lamb is traditional for this dish. However, you can also make these kebabs with ground turkey or chicken.
You can make baked kofta kebabs in the oven if you don’t have a grill or grill pan. Bake them on a sheet pan at 400°F for about 15-18 minutes until cooked through. You can turn on the broiler at the end for 2-3 minutes to brown them a little more. If baking in the oven, skewers are optional.
Serve the kebabs on a platter with tzatziki sauce and pita bread. I also arrange sliced vegetables like cucumber, tomato and red onion on the platter. You can also serve them with additional dips like hummus and baba ganoush (Mediterranean eggplant dip).
Nutrition
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Sonali Ruder
Meet Dr. Sonali Ruder aka The Foodie Physician– ER doctor, chef, culinary creator & mom.
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READER INTERACTIONS
COMMENTS
LEAVE A REPLY
Honey says
Delicious. This recipe is spot on. I just made a triple batch. Stuck to recipe which I don’t usually do. Accidentally tipped a bit more salt in. Which was still fine. Rolled them into golf ball size. Cooked some up in ghee and dipped in tzatziki and homemade tomatillo hit salsa verde. So incredibly delish. They taste like all the good flavours of falafel. I’m longtime keto and really miss falafels (I don’t eat chickpeas). Not anymore. This hit the spot. I frozen the rest af batch raw. Will cook them Xmas day for our Greek themed lunch. This will go into my regular rotation now too. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes 🌻
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the dish! I hope you get to try out many more recipes on my site. Thanks for your review!
Kasheena says
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Thanks for your review, Kasheena! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Taylor says
Easy and well liked by the family. Felt like the spices were going to be too strong but not the case. Served with rice and sautéed spinach. Thanks!
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
That’s great! So happy you and your family enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
Lea Banks says
Delicious, both recipes, Dr. Ruder! Followed the recipes exactly as written, something I never do, for some reason, and they were SO tasty, they’re going to be on rotation for those nights of “ not chili, hamburgers, or a casserole *again!* oh, I lied….I put around 1 full teaspoon of red pepper flakes in the koftas and used Aleppo pepper in the tzatziki, only because we’re used to a little spice. I’m off to make theEasy Skillet Blueberry Peach Cobbler ( only I’ll right up front admit to using fresh plums instead of BB, as I need to eat them!)
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Thanks for your comment, Lea! So happy you liked the recipes! I like a little spice in my food too 🙂 I hope the cobbler came out great with the plums!
Brit says
Did anyone else have trouble keeping their kebabs intact? When we tried to move on the grill they just fell off the skewer.
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
I’m sorry to hear that! Try compacting the meat onto the skewers more and using a spatula to help turn the kebabs on the grill. Another option is to make beef kofta rather than kebabs. You can form the meat into small patties and grill them without using skewers.
Val McGrath says
SO Good!!! My picky husband even gave two thumbs up!! Side of rice and naan bread. Delish!
sonaliruder says
I’m so happy you and your husband liked them! 😁😁😁 Thanks for leaving a review!
Linda says
I am not too familiar with this type of food but these look really awesome. I am not a fan of parsley, which I know a lot of middle-eastern and Greek food calls for. Do you think I could sub cilantro (which I love and can find everywhere here in Mexico)? Thanks!
sonaliruder says
Yes, definitely! A lot of kebab recipes use cilantro- it adds so much flavor. I hope you enjoy the dish!
Liyah says
These were really good! Just made them yesterday. I just googled found your recipe…so glad I did!
I usually use a prepackaged mix to make kufta but I’m so glad because these tasted much better and my picky three year old gobbled them up!
The sauce was amazing as well. I made some rice and steamed vegetables to go with it.
sonaliruder says
I’m so happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed the recipe! 3-year-olds can be tough critics 😉 Rice and steamed veggies sound like the perfect accompaniment. Thanks for stopping by!
Ryan Mitchell says
Holy fuck! This might be the best thing I have ever made. I’m so happy. Thank you for this recipe.
I did add toasted pine nuts to the beef…I like a little texture there. Plus doubled the black pepper (my preference). But god damn…A-fuckin-mazing. So perfect. I did knead the beef like bread dough for at least 5 minutes and the texture was great. Grilled at 350 on 4 sides for @ 3-4 minutes per. I am floored.
bluf says
Agree, but would say holy cow
yung@foodyoo.com says
Your Tzatziki sauce sounds great. Chili sauce and mustard sauce are the most common to me for kebab. Sauce with yogurt and spices, sounds yummy… 🙂
sonaliruder says
Thank you! The cooling yogurt sauce goes nicely with the spices in the kabobs 🙂
Marissa says
These look absolutely fantastic, Sonali! I imagine these would be wonderful with lamb too. And can’t wait to try your tzatziki recipe too!
sonaliruder says
Thanks, Marissa! You can make them with lamb or a combination of lamb and beef. Hope you enjoy it!
Selena says
I’ve always wanted to make kafta kebobs! They are SO good at Mediterranean restaurants but I have never had the chance to try them myself. Plus tzatsiki is life…these would be great for an early summer Saturday dinner 🙂 Pinning!
sonaliruder says
Thanks, Selena! I always order them at restaurants! I hope you try the recipe 🙂
athletic avocado says
I love kebabs! These look awesome 🙂 Totally pinning!
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much!
Lisa Lin says
Sonali, these beef kebabs are making my mouth water, and it’s only 8:30am here. Love that you used lean beef here!
sonaliruder says
Haha! Thanks for stopping by, Lisa!
Arpita @ The Gastronomic Bong says
These beef kofta kebabs are lip smacking!! Love them with the tzatziki sauce!! 🙂
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much!
Big Rigs ‘n Lil’ Cookies says
I have never made Kofta, but this sounds and looks delicious. I know my husband and I will both enjoying trying this, so putting it on our menu soon!
sonaliruder says
They’re delicious and really easy to make. I hope you like them!
Derek says
These look awesome. Thanks for the recipe!
sonaliruder says
Thanks for stopping by!
Shashi Charles says
Now, I am not a big beef eater – but your beef flavored with all these spices and dunked in that Tzatziki has me salivating, Sonali! Good Luck in the contest – fingers crossed!
sonaliruder says
Fingers crossed! Thanks, Shashi 🙂
Farrah says
Why hello, one of my favorite things in the world that I’ve never tried making! :O These look so delicious! <3 I can’t wait to try em’ out after I have a kitchen again! <3
sonaliruder says
Thanks, Farrah! They’re actually really easy to make!
Erin says
I love kofta, Sonali! 🙂 Such a great recipe! I can’t wait to try this with all of those delicious spices!
sonaliruder says
Thanks, Erin! I hope you like it 🙂