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My easy Beef Kofta Recipe is a delicious Mediterranean ground beef dish that's ready in 30 minutes and perfect for feeding your family or a party! Kofta kebabs use simple ingredients for a flavor-packed, inexpensive meal you will want to make again and again.
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Best Beef Kofta
I love ground beef dinners! They're budget-friendly and so simple to make. One of my favorite ground beef recipes is my recipe for Beef Kofta Kebabs. This is a Mediterranean-style dish that has a flavor like you wouldn't believe.
Packed with spices, this easy beef kofta recipe is a must-try. You can make it for a family dinner or to serve a crowd. The leftovers are just as delicious - if you even have any! My family always comes back for seconds when I make these kebabs.
Give them a try with creamy garlic sauce and a salad on the side, and I guarantee you'll come back for more, too! Another family favorite recipe is my birria tacos recipe. It is an amazing combination of flavors and perfect for a family get together.
Kofta Recipe FAQs
Kofta is a Middle Eastern meatball or loaf made using ground meat mixed with herbs and onions. It's also known as kafta, kofte, or kefta, all names that come from the Persian word kufta. Kufta means a rissole, or rolled meat patty.
Ground beef kebabs can be made in the oven or on the stove. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and bake on a greased baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through to at least 160ºF. Or, use a grill pan over medium-high heat, and grill on each side until browned and cooked through. If you don't own a grill pan, cook the kofta without skewers in a pan.
Soak bamboo skewers for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour before grilling, but do not let them soak for more than 3 hours. This prevents the skewers from burning on the grill.
Kofta seasoning uses ground white pepper, sea salt, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, chopped white onion, and fresh parsley and mint.
Beef kofta is full of strong Mediterranean flavors and has a spiced, earthy taste.
Beef Kofta Recipe Ingredients
- ground beef
- 1sea salt
- white pepper
- red pepper flakes
- cinnamon
- ground ginger
- allspice
- onion chopped
- fresh parsley finely chopped
- fresh mint finely chopped
How to Make Kofta
- In a small bowl, combine sea salt, white pepper, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, ground ginger, and allspice.
- In a large bowl, add ground beef, parsley, mint, white onion, and the spice mix.
- Form ground beef mixture into about 8 logs. Skewer each log, packing the mixture evenly and tightly around each skewer. Pull the ground beef lengthwise from the tip of the skewer toward the handle, leaving four inches of the skewer to hold kebabs.
- Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight before grilling.
- Grill skewers over medium-high heat until cooked through, approximately 2 minutes for each side. The internal temperature should reach 160°F on a meat thermometer.
Beef Kofta Recipe Tips
- Use 80 to 85% lean ground beef. A little fat keeps the beef kofta juicy and moist.
- Size each kofta log evenly so they take the same amount of time to cook.
- This recipe is keto-friendly.
Ground Beef Temperature Chart
The USDA recommends ground beef be cooked to a minimum of 160°F.
| Doneness | Temperature | Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 120-125°F | Bright reddish pink throughout |
| Medium-rare | 130-135°F | Pink throughout |
| Medium | 140-145°F | Slightly pink at the center |
| Medium-well | 150-155°F | Mostly brown throughout, with some pink |
| Well-done | 150-155°F | Brown throughout |
Kofta Kebab Recipe Substitutions
- White pepper is best for beef kofta kebabs, but if you have none on hand you can use black pepper.
- For more or less spice, you can add more or take out the red pepper flakes.
- You can use dried herbs instead of fresh if you prefer. Use 4 teaspoons dried parsley and 1 teaspoon dried mint.
Sauce for Kofta Kebabs
- My favorite is White Garlic Sauce. It is literally made for this dish!
- Lebanese toum is a Lebanese garlic sauce perfect for serving with kebabs.
- Aioli is amazing with ground beef kebabs.
- Tahini also works well.
- Tzatziki is delicious with kofta kebabs.
Best Ground Beef Recipes
Try more of my favorite ground beef recipes:
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📋 Recipe
Amazing Beef Kofta Recipe
Equipment
- 8 metal skewers or wooden skewers (soak for 30 minutes)
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds ground beef 80 or 85% lean
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. ground white pepper
- ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground ginger
- ½ tsp. allspice
- ½ white onion chopped
- 4 Tbsp. fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp. fresh mint finely chopped
See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine sea salt, white pepper, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, ground ginger, and allspice. In a large bowl, add ground beef, parsley, mint, white onion, and the spice mix.
- Form ground beef mixture into about 8 logs. Skewer each log, packing the mixture evenly and tightly around each skewer. Pull the ground beef lengthwise from the tip of the skewer toward the handle, leaving four inches of skewer to hold the kebabs.
- Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight before grilling.
- Grill skewers over medium-high heat until cooked through and browned on all sides, approximately 2 minutes for each side. The internal temperature should reach 160°F on a meat thermometer.
Notes
- Use 80 to 85% lean ground beef. A little fat keeps the beef kofta juicy and moist.
- Size each kofta log evenly so they take the same amount of time to cook.
Kela says
Delicious. Adjusted the spice level a bit to reduce the heat. Will make this again.
Em Beitel says
Thank you so much for sharing, Kela! We're so glad you enjoyed it!