Description
This Kofta Kebab recipe features a flavorful blend of ground lamb and beef mixed with aromatic spices, shaped onto skewers, and grilled to perfection. A classic Eastern Mediterranean dish, these kebabs are juicy, spiced just right, and perfect for a savory main course.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh ground lamb
- 1 pound fresh 80/20 ground beef
- 1 small onion, grated or finely minced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
Spices
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt (or 1 tablespoon kosher salt)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix Ingredients: Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and knead until completely mixed to evenly distribute flavors and ensure a cohesive mixture.
- Preheat Grill: Set the grill for direct medium heat at about 350°F. Clean the grates thoroughly using a grill brush. For gas grills, preheat all burners on high for 15 minutes before turning to medium. For charcoal grills, wait for charcoal to be covered with white ash and spread it evenly.
- Form Kebabs on Skewers: While the grill is heating, shape the meat mixture. Take one portion and wrap it around the bottom of a skewer, squeezing and spreading the meat upward into a tube about 1 ½ inches thick. Create dimples with your fingers about every inch to add texture.
- Grill Kebabs: Place the kebabs on the grill over direct medium heat. Cook until browned and firm on the bottom, approximately five minutes. Flip and cook the other side for about five more minutes until evenly browned and cooked through.
- Rest and Serve: Carefully remove the kebabs from the grill as skewers will be hot. Let them rest for ten minutes to retain juices, then serve and enjoy.
Notes
- This recipe uses a blend of lamb and beef for authentic flavor and juiciness—ground meats with some fat content work best for moist kebabs.
- Grating the onion ensures it blends smoothly into the meat without large chunks.
- Dimpling the kebabs while shaping helps create texture and prevents them from shrinking too much during grilling.
- Allowing the kebabs to rest after grilling helps redistribute juices for a tender bite.
- If you do not have a grill, these can be cooked on a stovetop grill pan or broiled in the oven at high heat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 skewer
- Calories: 311 kcal
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 537 mg
- Fat: 24.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 10.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.5 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 19.4 g
- Cholesterol: 82 mg
