These sheet pan beef kebabs are an Iraqi classic called Aroog. Ground beef is mixed with onions, parsley, red pepper, garlic and tomato paste. The mixture is shaped into small patties and typically pan fried – but my method skips the pan frying and uses an easy sheet pan method on a pre-heated and pre-oiled sheet pan. They’re baked at high heat which means they get caramelized and crispy, while staying extra juicy on the inside. They come together in under an hour and they’re perfect stuffed into buns for an easy weeknight meal.

A green plate with grilled meat patties, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions sprinkled with spices, and fresh parsley. Two glasses with light yellow drinks are in the background.
These sheet pan kebab patties become crispy and caramelized on the outside, but stay juicy and tender on the inside. Perfect for a weeknight meal!

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The Viral Sheet Pan Kebabs That Failed.

A few weeks ago, I tried the viral sheet pan kebabs you’ve probably seen everywhere – where you spread the kebab mixture into a slab, make indents, and bake. Complete failure! The juices poured out, the beef steamed instead of crisped, and I ended up with grey, dry meat. When I asked my Instagram community, hundreds of them reported the same thing.

So I went back to what I know works: these Iraqi-style sheet pan kebabs that never fail me. I shape the meat mixture into small patties on a pre-oil, pre-heated sheet pan so they sear the second they hit the oven. They’re spaced apart, no steaming, all the juices stay inside. Perfect every time!

If you’re looking for a beef kebab recipe perfectly suited for grilling – my kofta kebabs will fit the bill.

Three sandwiches filled with grilled meat patties, tomato slices, and parsley on flatbread sit on a board next to a plate of extra meat patties and a small bowl of coarse salt.

How To Make My Sheet Pan Kebabs (My Mom’s Recipe!)

Here are the steps – the mixture comes together in 10 minutes, especially if you use a food processor. Also, because I introduce a lot of liquid with the vegetables and tomato passata, we need flour. Just the right amount to hold the mixture together, but still stay soft and juicy. The baking powder does wonders as well – making the kebabs puff up and helps retain moisture. This is all my mom’s genius recipe (which is part of my cookbook Souk to Table).

Before you start on the meat mixture, place 2 tablespoons of oil on two parchment lined sheet pans and place in the oven. Start preheating the oven to 400F, which will also pre-heat the sheet pans.

A metal mixing bowl containing a colorful chopped vegetable mixture, including green leafy herbs, orange carrots, red bell peppers, and white cabbage, set on a light-colored countertop.
Pulse the vegetables in a food processor, just until chopped.
A hand holds a metal measuring cup over a mixing bowl containing ground meat, flour, and a red ingredient, possibly tomato sauce or ketchup, on a white countertop.
Add the ground beef, tomato paste and passata, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
A stainless steel bowl filled with a mixture of raw ground meat, herbs, and seasonings, ready to be prepared for cooking.
Mix well using gloved hands and scrape the bottom of the bowl.
Raw, seasoned meat patties arranged in rows on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzled with oil, ready to be cooked.
Shape into small even sized patties and place them 1 inch apart on the sheet pans.
Several browned sausage patties are baking on a parchment-lined baking sheet in an oven. A fork is lifting one of the patties, showing their crispy, cooked texture with some oil around them.
Bake for 20 minutes until the bottoms are caramelized, then flip and bake another 15 minutes.
Twelve browned, crispy beef patties are arranged on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, with visible bits of herbs and small oil spots around them.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

My favourite way to serve them is with sliced tomatoes, sliced onions with sumac, and parsley. I also bring out ketchup and mayonnaise, and then we make sandwiches! They’re great with a side of yellow rice too, along with Arabic salad.

Two pita sandwiches filled with falafel patties, fresh tomato slices, and parsley are placed on a wooden board. More falafel and greens are visible in the background.
A green plate with grilled meat patties, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions sprinkled with spices, and fresh parsley. Two glasses with light yellow drinks are in the background.
5 from 1 rating

Juicy Sheet Pan Kebabs (Ground Beef)

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
These sheet-pan Iraqi beef patties called Aroog are made with onions, garlic, parsley, and sometimes peppers or tomatoes. They are lightly seasoned and flavoured mostly with tomato sauce. These crispy patties are often served as a light dinner or stuffed in some buns with sliced vegetables.
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 yellow onions, medium, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup parsley, roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 bell pepper, any colour, roughly chopped
  • 1 3/4 lb medium ground beef, or lean
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup tomato passata
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

For Serving

  • 6 fresh samoon buns, or pita bread
  • 2 tomatoes, sliced
  • 3 green onion, sliced
  • 1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 450F and position a rack on the bottom.
  • Add the onions, parsley, garlic, and bell pepper to a food processor and pulse until chopped very fine. (If you do not have a food processor, you can chop very finely with a knife.)
  • Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, then add the ground beef, salt, pepper, flour, passata, tomato paste, and baking powder. Mix well with your hands until the mixture is cohesive and forms a soft dough.
  • Line two large, rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper, then pour 2 tablespoons of oil on each lined pan and spread the oil with your hands. Preheat the sheet pans for 10 minutes in the oven.
  • Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture, form into a circular patty, roughly 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick, and place on the sheet pan. Continue doing this, leaving 1 inch (25 cm) of space between each patty.
  • Place the sheet pans on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. If your oven does not fit both pans, bake one pan at the bottom, one in the middle, but ensure you move the middle pan to the bottom to caramelize in the last 10 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes, check if the bottoms of the patties are cooked, they should look brown and crispy, if not, bake for another 5 minutes longer, until sizzling and golden. Flip the kebabs using a spatula and bake for another 15 minutes until both sides are golden. Broil the tops for a few minutes to brown them further if required.
  • Serve as sandwiches in the samoon buns with the sliced tomatoes, green onions and parsley.

Notes

I love serving these with some mayonnaise, hot sauce and/or ketchup but feel free to add whatever sauces you like.
You may also shallow-fry these beef patties in a nonstick skillet using roughly 1/2 inch (13 mm) of oil, working in batches.
Serving: 1Serving, Calories: 714kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Sodium: 1266mg, Potassium: 857mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 2165IU, Vitamin C: 55mg, Calcium: 148mg, Iron: 6mg
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