Stop asking 'what's for dinner.' 
Juicy Beef Kofta Kabobs (Grilled Skewers or Patties)
Ground beef, warm Arabic spices, and a hot grill is all it takes to make this staple kofta kabob recipe. This low effort recipe requires chopping the vegetables in a food processor, then mixing everything together to skewer or shape into patties. Grill outdoors (or indoors) until juicy and charred, then enjoy it many ways. This is a must-make reader favourite!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Hungry Paprikas.
5-STAR READER REVIEW
“The köfte were amazing; juicy, full of flavour and easy to shape as a ‘dough’ before grilling on the stove top. I served them with flatbreads, grilled onions and tomatoes, white rice and your yogurt-tahini sauce – also awesome. My family loved them.”
—Tim
Kofta: A Classic Middle Eastern Must-Make
As an Arab, I’ve been perfecting my kofta recipe over the years. It’s a versatile dish because you can eat it as a wrap, over Arabic rice, or in with salad. Grill outdoors in the summer, or keep it indoors in the winters.
Now this recipe has been optimized for grilling which is why it doesn’t use breadcrumbs. Grilling is a quick cooking method that will keep the kofta juicy. Don’t try to bake the kofta from this recipe!
I’m actually obsessed with kofta and have tweaked the base recipe to suit all kinds of cooking methods. So if you want to bake it, use my baked kofta meatballs. If you want a stove top stew recipe with kofta, use my one pot kofta stew. And if you’re looking for a fun twist with leftver kofta, make my kofta smash tacos.
As an Iraqi, I can’t not mention my Iraqi Kabab recipe, which is much simpler and typically delicious when grilled on coal or gas fired BBQs.
Ingredients And Substitutions
For the beef, medium ground beef works well because it has more fat, but I use lean ground beef and add some olive oil and this mix ends up quite juicy!
For the vegetables: they’re essential and best blitzed in a food processor. I do have you add a tablespoon of flour if needed since the veggies release moisture (which adds flavour) and the flour helps keep it together.
Finally, seven spices are used as the main flavour, but if you don’t have it, just substitute allspice.
Let’s Make Grilled Beef Kofta – It’s Easy!
Making Kafta Kabob requires just a few simple steps:
Start with preparing the vegetables. Finely dice the onions, garlic and parsley. I do this in a food processor to make the job much easier, but you can also do it by hand. You want them fairly small so they can mix well with the meat and form a dough.
Mix everything together. Use your hands and mix together the meat, spices, and the vegetables until everything is well combined.
Shape the Kafta. You can make kabob shapes like little logs using skewers, or simply shape them by hand if you don’t have skewers. You can also shape them into flat circular shapes like mini burgers. Just ensure they are all the same size so they cook evenly.
TIP: If you have metal skewers, use those. If not, you can use wooden skewers, but make sure you soak them for 5-10 minutes in cold water. This helps ensure they don’t burn as you grill the kafta.
Time to grill! BBQ the Kafta on lightly oiled grill for a few minutes on each side, or grill them on a lightly oiled cast iron grill pan.
Most of the time, I serve it over rice with a delicious white shawarma sauce and my finely chopped Arabic salad. You can also make them into wraps or stuff in pita bread for Arayes.
Freezer Instructions
If you intend to freeze them, you need to use fresh ground beef as opposed to frozen beef (it is not recommended to thaw and then re-freeze meat). For best results, freeze the kofta raw. Once you shape them, place on a lined baking sheet flash freeze for a few hours. Then transfer them to freezer bags.
You can also freeze them after cooking. Place the amount you intend to use for one recipe in a freezer bag, get rid of all the air, and seal shut. Freeze for 1-2 months, then thaw the whole bag in the fridge overnight. Bake them to re-heat for just a few minutes, or air fry them.
If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page – I’d love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!
Juicy Beef Kafta Kabobs (Skewers or Patties)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb extra lean ground beef
- 1 onion
- 1 bunch parsley, approx. 2 cups packed
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1.5 tsp seven spice, middle eastern spice mix
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 4 tbsp olive oil, plus more for grilling
- 1 tbsp flour, see notes
Instructions
- Using a food processor, add the garlic, onions and parsley and process for a few seconds until finely chopped
- Add the mixture to the ground beef in a bowl, and add all the seasoning and olive oil. Mix well using your hands, then add the flour (see notes) and continue to mix until you form a dough (if dough does not feel firm, add slightly more flour)
- Form the Kafta into approximately 3-4 inch long pieces about 1 inch in thickness
- Heat up your BBQ or a grill pan on the stove and add a dash of olive oil (I recommend cast iron)
- Grill each Kafta for 2-3 minutes on each side (test a piece to ensure it is cooked to your liking) for a total of 6-8 minutes (see notes for baking)
- Serve with a yogurt tahini sauce (see Eggplant Fatteh for sauce recipe) over rice, salad, or in a wrap
Notes
- I typically use 1 tablespoon of flour to help the kafta bind together and be easier to skewer and BBQ. There are situations where there may be too much moisture which could cause the Kafta to fall apart (such as using thawed meat that may have some extra moisture in it). However if you have a mixture that is firm, no need to use it! Adding a lot of flour can make the Kafta taste tough so use it sparingly.
- You can also bake the Kafta the oven at 400F for 15 to 20 mins until fully cooked through as a faster cooking method. Baking works, but grilling yields a juicier result.
- If you’re using regular ground beef (not extra lean), you can reduce the olive oil to 1 tbsp since the meat will release fat
What settings should I use if I’m using an air fryer? Thanks!
I love your recipes and the instructions are so clear.
plus you always mention different methods of cooking, which is amazing, because it allows for all circumstances. well done young lady!
Thank you so much Samira, your support and comments mean so much to me.
Amazing and so easy !!!
Thanks so much for the feedback Hania!
Brilliant receipe and it tastes divine, Amina ! Thanks very much. When I go to Saudi Arabia for work there, I always eat lots of Kofta beef/lamb kebabs. I just love it very much! Deon from Johannesbrug, South Africa.
Hi Deon! So glad you enjoyed this recipe and thanks so much for the feedback!
My kids loved this! Even my super picky one who refuses to eat beef. She loved it!
That is wonderful news!! So glad.
Fantastic flavor and easy to make- even my 10 month old devoured his! I probably could have used a little extra flour to make them stick together a bit more but I was nervous about adding too much. Didn’t matter though, they were still delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!
Delicious addition to my mezze table!!
Very good! Fixed it up and grilled it and it was a very good supper. Thank you!
Love this recipe! I’ve made it so many times and it is full proof. I’ve made it with a side of rice and the Batata Harra recipe on this blog, and I’ve also made it into a hamburger patty, serving it with a bun, home-made garlic aioli, and some chopped tomatoes and parsley inside the hamburger.
Quick question – are the nutrition facts per 1 piece out of the 15 pieces?
So easy and Delicious!!!!
Glad you enjoyed them Yasmine! 🙂
Amina reminds of a home that was no longer safe for us because we are jewish, though still precious after 60 years
Samira – I am so happy that I was able to remind you of home. This makes me happy. I relate to you a lot – I also left my home because of safety. I pray that one day everyone can live safely.
What about adding cracked wheat to the beef?
Delicious!
A fantastic recipe for an all around kebob. I have made hundreds of these at this point and have given them to friends and family and stashed many in the freezer. They hold up really well when vac sealed. So many ways you can pair it: rice, salads, naan, pita, etc.
Yum! I know this will be packed full of flavor and I also love how versatile it is…I can’t wait. I am going to use this recipe with a plant based ground meat. Maybe I’ll freeze some or eat it all!! LOL
I will keep you posted!
This is such a flavourful kafta recipe! I used to regularly order kafta kabab from restaurants but since I started making Amina’s recipe I haven’t felt the need to order from anywhere. My kids can be picky about meat but even they love this so it should get 6 stars just for that!
My family and esp kids love this!
One of the most amazing recipes I’ve tried recently, quick, easy, soft bursting with flavor kebabs. My kids love them so much I keep a stash ready in the freezer for snacks, wraps, quick dinner. Thanks for sharing this!
Love this authentic, easy and delicious recipe. Taste just like my mum’s and hubby loves them so much that they are on the menu every week! Thank you so much!
I stumbled across this food wizard a couple of months back and since then tried atleast 4 of her recipes!! All.of them are SO true the middle eastern palette. Having lived in Abu Dhabi for several.years I became what would be called an arabic food snob but THESE kababs transport me right back! So flavorful so succulent. I’m a fan!
Wow! I’m so flattered. Thank you so much for your lovely review, I’m glad I can help bring back some memories for you Amna 🙂