What is kofta seasoning made of?

🧄 The Kofta spices Lamb Koftas are considered a Middle Eastern dish and there are many variations out there. Most recipes call for a blend of cumin, coriander and cinnamon , to give that iconic Kofta flavour.

What is kafta meat made of?

We call it Kafta in Lebanon and it's also widely known as Kofta in other Middle Eastern countries. It's basically a meatball using either beef, chicken or lamb, mixed with herbs, Middle Eastern spices and onions. All you really need is 4 ingredients: ground beef, onions, parsley and a spice blend similar to all spice .

What is the difference between beef kebab and kofta?

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.

What is kofta called in English?

Kofta is a family of meatball or meatloaf dishes found in Balkan, Middle Eastern, North African, South Caucasian, South Asian and Central Asian cuisines.

What is the difference between a kabob and a kafta?

The main difference between typical beef kabobs and a kafta kabob is the style in which the meat is prepared. Kabobs tend to be made with slow-roasted, gyro-like meat sliced into thin pieces. On the other hand, kafta is prepared by wrapping a meatball-like patty of meat around a skewer .

What country did kafta originate from?

Kofta is a type of "meatball" that originates from the Middle East and India . The word kofta comes from the Persian word kūfta, which means "to beat or to grind," which references the ground meat typically used to make kofta recipes.

What is the difference between kebab and kofta?

Kofta is a type of kebab with ground meat instead of chunks. The direct translation of shish kebab is “shish,” which means sword, and “kebab,” which means meat. So meat cooked on a sword.

What does kofta taste like?

In a master-level malai kofta dish, you'll find dumplings that are crunchy and crispy on the outside yet creamy and velvety on the inside. After the delicious fried dumplings are dunked in a sweet and lightly spiced curry , they ascend to heavenly status.

What is the herb sumac?

Made from the dried and ground berries of the wild sumac flower, sumac is a tangy spice with a sour, acidic flavor reminiscent of lemon juice . This fragrant spice is used to brighten up dry rubs, spice blends like za'atar, and dressings.

What is the seasoning in Arabic food?

Bahārāt means spices in Arabic and it refers to a combination of spices whose exact blend can differ by country and region (and sometimes even by household). Usually, the blend includes black pepper, cardamom, cumin, cloves, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, and paprika .

Is kofta good for your health?

Malai Kofta is a good source of protein and fats , with the vegetarian ball rich in fibre content. The veggies used also have various nutrients, and therefore, this malai kofta recipe has many health benefits. They are: Paneer malai kofta dish lowers the blood pressure levels in the body.

Beef Kafta Kebabs Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2024)

Home » Dinner » Beef » Beef Kafta Kebabs

Jump to Recipe

Lebanese-inspired Beef Kafta is a household favorite! Onions, fresh parsley, and tons of spices make the Kafta kabob tender and flavorful. Grill them indoors or outdoors and serve them with vermicelli rice and lots of sauce!

Beef Kafta Kebabs Recipe | Little Spice Jar (1)

Kafta kabob!

Tender ground beef (or ground lamb) loaded with minced onions, garlic, fresh parsley, and so many spices that work beautifully together. I love serving this up with a batch of homemade extra smooth hummus or toum and lots of Shirazi salad or fattoush on the side with vermicelli rice! If you’ve never had kafta before, think of it as extra flavorful meatballs just in an oblong shape!

I can’t tell you how afraid I was to make kafta at home before. Putting the ground meat mixture on the wooden skewers terrified me. It stems from my early days of cooking when I attempted making them and I just couldn’t get the meat to stay on the skewers! Well, 10 years in and I’ve done away with the skewers entirely.

We’re freestyling these kabobs and never looking back!

Beef Kafta Kebabs Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2)

Ingredients for homemade kafta:

Ground beef:I like to use 90:10 ground beef for this recipe. It’s just the right amount of fat to help the kafta hold together without the kabobs being greasy. You could also use 95% lean ground beef but I definitely do prefer this recipe with a little more fat than that! Feel free to swap the ground beef or lamb here or use a 50:50 of each of those.
Fresh Parsley:adds both color and flavor to the kebobs.
Onions:I use a roughly cut-up yellow onion that I pulse along with the parsley and garlic in the food processor. You could also use a red onion for this recipe.
Garlic:Fresh garlic, onions, and parsley are the base of the beef kebabs along with the ground meat.
Spice blend:You’ll need ground sumac, kosher salt, allspice, ground cumin, coriander, white or black pepper, cinnamon, ground cloves, cayenne pepper, and ground nutmeg for this recipe!

Beef Kafta Kebabs Recipe | Little Spice Jar (3)

How to make homemade beef kofta kebabs:

Process the aromatics.Start by adding the parsley, onions, and garlic to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Pulse and break down into smaller pieces. Transfer the mixture into a fine-mesh strainer to drain out all the excess liquid. I like to press down with a silicone spatula to help remove any additional liquid.
Pulse the ground beef.Add the ground beef and all the seasonings into the same food processor and pulse a few times until the seasonings evenly disperse into the meat. Add the pulsed onion mixture back into the food processor and continue to pulse until the protein is combined with the onions. You want the meat to be slightly pasty, this will help it bind properly.
Shape the kebabs.Transfer the mixture into a dish and cut into 10 equal pieces. Shape the meat into a sphere or ball between the palm of your hands then gently roll to create that oblong kefta shape. You can shape the kafta a few hours in advance and line them up on a baking sheet. Just be sure to cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to grill.
Cook them p. Heat an indoor grill pan or outdoor grill over medium-high heat. When the grill is hot, spray it with a high heat cooking oil or oil the grates with oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Place the kafta a few inches apart. Grill them in batches if you are doing this on a grill pan. Cook for 8-10 minutes total and flip them around the halfway mark. Serve warm with salad, tahini sauce, toum, or a cucumber and tomato salad.

Beef Kafta Kebabs Recipe | Little Spice Jar (4)

FAQs about this recipe:

Can I make kafta sandwiches or wraps with this?Yes! Use the meat in a kafta wrap with pita bread or Lebanese bread topped with sliced onions, tomatoes, pickles, and lots of garlic sauce.
What are your serving suggestions?We like this with homemade vermicelli rice, with Shirazi salad or fattoush salad, and lots of hummus and toum on the side.
Can I use lamb instead of ground beef? You can use all lamb or a 50:50 combination of the two. Just be sure to use lamb that isn’t completely lean (Ideally you want it to be 90:10 as well)
Do you have instructions on how I can make this kafta recipe in the air fryer to the oven?You can air fry these, however, this isn’t something I’ve had a chance to test yet. I would try around 375ºF for roughly 7-8 minutes as a starting point!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

Lebanese Meat-Stuffed Pitas (Arayes)
Persian Chicken Kebabs (Jujeh Chicken)
Beef Shawarma Bowls
Most Delicious Homemade Shawarma Seasoning
Cheesy Zaatar Bread (Manakish)

Yield: makes 10 kafta