Kofta Kebab Recipe - Give Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Authentic Kofta Kebab has everything to bring the Middle Eastern cuisine into your kitchen. Combine ground lamb and beef with amazing spices and shape kebabs on wooden skewers. Roast them either in the oven or on the grill and enjoy with various mezes.

Kofta Kebab Recipe - Give Recipe (1)

Just like chicken kebabs, ground lamb Adana kebabs and classic doner kebab, this delicious grilled kefta kebab or kefta kabob is yet another Middle East street food. It is mostly served on lavash with Turkish yogurt sauce, tahini, sumac onion salad and piyaz salad.

Kofta kebabs are quite a popular dish in the Middle East and can be found in many other countries, including Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey and more.

Today, we will be sharing a lamb kofta kebab recipe that has been in the family for years. We hope you enjoy it just as much as we do.

Jump to:
  • What Is Kofta Kebab?
  • Kofta Kebab or Kofta?
  • Ingredients
  • How To Make
  • Tips
  • What To Eat With
  • Calories
  • More Turkish Recipes
  • More Kebab Recipes

What Is Kofta Kebab?

Kofta kebab is a grilled kofta served on skewers. Any food that is cooked on skewers or shish and on the grill is called kebab in Turkey. And that's why these are called kofta kebabs. They are one of the tastiest Turkish dishes.

What is it made of? These kofta kebabs contain ground lamb or beef mixed with spices and onion. You can also find chicken kefta, mutton kofta kebab, lamb kofta kebab or beef kofta kebab in other Middle Eastern cusines. But in Turkey the combination of beef and lamb is the most popular one.

The skewers with a spicy ground lamb and beef mixture around them are roasted on the grill. Then they are served as a sandwich in breads like Turkish flatbread bazlama, as a wrap in lavash bread or on a plate accompanied by rice pilaf with orzo. And it is almost a must to order a large cup of fresh yogurt drink to pair with your kefta kabob.

Kofta Kebab Recipe - Give Recipe (2)

Kofta Kebab or Kofta?

Now that you know what kofta kebab is made of, let's tell you the difference between kofta and kofta kebab.

The main difference between two is about their shapes. Usually a kofta recipe will require the meatballs to be made into small balls by hand, whereas kefta kebabs are usually shaped larger and longer on skewers.

Also, you can use kofta or kofte in several other dishes like pasta, stews or even soups. Go check out our izmir kofte to see an example. However, kofta kebab is only served in the form of fast food accompanied by condiments.

If you are interested in cooking kofte, you might want to see our kadinbudu kofte recipe too!

Ingredients

For kofta kebabs to turn out well, it is essential that you start out with quality ingredients. Go the extra mile, search for the right quality beef and lamb that will do the recipe justice.

You will need both ground lamb and ground beef for making this Turkish kofta kebab recipe. Additionally, you would need 1 large onion and 3 cloves garlic. The garlic should be finely grated.

To achieve that Turkish Kofta Kebab flavour we all love and cherish so much, you would need several different kinds of spices and fresh herbs including parsley, fresh mint leaves, salt, ground black pepper, cumin and paprika.

Kofta Kebab Recipe - Give Recipe (3)
Kofta Kebab Recipe - Give Recipe (4)
Kofta Kebab Recipe - Give Recipe (5)
Kofta Kebab Recipe - Give Recipe (6)

How To Make

  • Start off by soaking your wooden skewers in the water for at least 30 minutes. If you don’t have wooden skewers, don’t worry. You can use stainless steel ones too. For those of you who don’t have either, use your hands and go for a more burger or meatball shape for the kofte instead. On a side note, if you are unsure how to use wooden skewer inside an oven safely, be sure to read up on how properly soaking your skewers can make the whole process super safe and easy.
  • Mix all the ingredients together using a food-processor. Make sure you properly mix everything so that the flavour of the spices is evenly spread out throughout the mixture. Take a large bowl and transfer your mixture into this bowl before moulding it on to your skewer.
  • Shape the kefta kabob. Be sure to take a handful of the portion of mixture when moulding it into kebab. To prevent the meat from sticking to your hands is to wet the palms of your hands lightly. This way the meat won’t keep sticking to your palms.
  • Once you have all your skewers ready, roast them on your oven grill. Alternatively, you can line a baking sheet with foil, place an oven wire rack on it and put the kebabs on it. 20 minutes in the oven is fine. Once done, take the skewers out of the oven and serve the juicy kebabs alongside yogurt mint sauce or tahini sauce and onion salad or bean salad on the side.
Kofta Kebab Recipe - Give Recipe (7)

Tips

Here are some tips you should follow when making the kofta skewers recipe to make sure the kofta kebab stick on skewers:

  • Make sure the meat mixture is cold, as this way it won’t be slippery while you skewer them.
  • Similarly, keep a bowl of cold water near you, and occasionally dip your hands in the cold water if your palms get sweaty or hot.
  • Before you start skewering the kefta kebab, make sure the mixture doesn’t contain any air bubbles, by smashing the mixture with your hands to make sure.
  • Adding salt before you knead or mix the meat will make sure that your skewers will remain intact.
  • And lastly, make sure that you are sealing the opening and closing of the kofta kebabs properly so they don’t slip.
Kofta Kebab Recipe - Give Recipe (8)

What To Eat With

They literally go with anything. You can serve them with grilled vegetables of your choice, or a fresh garden salad like Turkish shepherd salad or ezme. Similarly, you can add in a yogurt mint sauce or tahini, and serve pita bread or pide bread and or rice as a side dish.

It can become the perfect meal with any kebab side dish you want, including fries, tomatoes or more. Our favorite sides to pair with any kebab are eggplant salad, roasted onions and creamy cucumber salad.

Calories

Although the calories may vary from the amount of meat you use, kofta kebab is a low-calorie dish as it is usually grilled and requires very little oil. You can expect anywhere between 180-300 calories per serving.

More Turkish Recipes

  • Turkish Lamb Guvec
  • Turkish Lahmacun Recipe
  • Kusbasili Pide
  • Turkish Manti Recipe
  • Karniyarik

More Kebab Recipes

  • Patlican Kebabi
  • Iskender Kebap
  • Shish Lamb Kebab
  • Chicken Doner Kebab
  • What Is Doner Kebab?

As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see!

Sign up for the FREE GiveRecipe Newsletter to get the new recipes into your inbox! And stay in touch with us on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram for all the latest updates.

Print

Kofta Kebab Recipe

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star

5 from 1 review

Kofta kebab made with ground lamb and beef, onion, garlic and spices.

  • Author:
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Roasting
  • Cuisine: Turkish

Ingredients

Scale

  • 500g ground lamb (lamb mince)
  • 500g ground beef (beef mince)
  • 1 large onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 bunch of parsley (about 1 cup chopped)
  • ½ bunch of fresh mint, leaves only (¼ cup)
  • 1 and ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

  1. Soak 14 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven at 200C.
  3. Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse it until everything is combined.
  4. Transfer the mixture in a large bowl.
  5. Take a handful portion of the meat mixture and mould it on a wooden skewer. Repeat until you finish the mixture.
  6. Roast them on the oven grill in two batches for 20 minutes.
  7. Serve with yogurt mint sauce or tahini sauce and onion salad or bean salad on the side.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 182
  • Sugar: 1.5 g
  • Sodium: 491.8 mg
  • Fat: 2.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 23.5 g
  • Protein: 18.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 37.5 mg

You might also like:

  • Patlican Kebab - Eggplant Kebab
  • Lamb Shish Kebab Recipe
  • Iskender Kebab Recipe
  • Turkish Chicken Kebab Recipe (Tavuk Şiş)

« Vegan Spinach Soup Recipe

Chocolate Orange Cookies »

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply

  1. Phil says

    Made this for our anniversary and it was a hit!

    Reply

Kofta Kebab Recipe - Give Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is kofta kebab made of? ›

Grilled kofta (or kefta) are skewers of ground beef and lamb mixed with fresh parsley, onions, garlic and warm Middle Eastern spices! These kabobs will feed a crowd and there are many sides and salads you can serve alongside (lots of ideas at the bottom of this post).

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 the difference between koftas and kebabs? ›

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. Kofta kebabs, on the other hand, are made with ground meat.

How do you make kofta kebab stick together? ›

Flatten the meat, spreading it along the skewer until it covers all but the tips. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Once you have finished all your skewers, place the skewers back in the refrigerator until ready to cook. This will help them set and stop them falling off the skewers.

Is kofta Indian or Turkish? ›

Meatball or meatloaf dishes are prevalent in the Middle East, South Caucasians, South Asian, Balkan, and Central Asian Cuisines. Koftas belong to this family of Meatballs and Meatloaves. Koftas are an Indian Cuisine that mainly consists of balls of minced meat.

Is kofta Turkish or Arabic? ›

Köfte is the Turkish variant of meatballs made from minced meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, onions and a variety of spices. Of course, each establishment and even each family has their own take, but the main ingredients usually don't differ greatly.

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 kofta and Kafta? ›

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.

What do you serve with koftas? ›

Hummus, feta, tzatziki , pickled red onions, couscous or tabouleh are all great serving suggestions for koftas. Fresh herbs and salad ingredients, like rocket and tomatoes, balance out the other rich flavours.

Are kofta kebab healthy? ›

Healthy Lamb Kofta Kebab

Lamb kofta dishes are especially popular and are cooked in gravy and spices to your taste. Despite being known in Europe as a more unhealthy, fast food dish, they can very much be made to make a decent hearty meal. They are as healthy as ever when you use Lo-dough as your bread alternative.

What nationality are koftas? ›

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 cut of meat is best for kebabs? ›

Relatively tender, without a need for extensive marinating, Sirloin (from top to tip) is lean and fits into a balanced diet — plus, it's budget-friendly . Other good beef choices for kabobs are Flat Iron or Strip Steak and even Tenderloin.

Why do you put baking soda in kebabs? ›

Here's where it gets science-y: The baking soda raises the pH on the outside of the meat as it marinates, in a process known as velveting (which can also be done with a cornstarch slurry). This makes it so the proteins have a harder time bonding to each other when it's time to cook the meat.

How do I stop my koftas from falling apart? ›

Chances are there's too much fat in the meat and that's why they are not sticking together. It could also be that it is too fine of a grind, a coarser grind for the meat usually results in it sticking a bit better. You could try adding breadcrumbs or flour along with some egg or egg white and see if that works.

How do you keep koftas from drying out? ›

It's important not to overcook koftas as they will be dry and crumbly, so take your time cooking them in an oiled pan over medium heat. Cover the pan with the lid or finish them in the oven (brush with olive oil and cover the pan with foil) to help retain moisture.

Are kofta kebabs healthy? ›

There are 93 calories per portion in these Beef Kofta Kebabs, which means they fall into our Everyday Light category. These Beef Kofta Kebabs are perfect if you're following a calorie controlled diet and fit well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.

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.

Are koftas healthy? ›

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.

What part of meat is kebab? ›

There are many kinds of kebab. Kofta kebab is made of ground meat, Doner kebab or gyro is sliced from a wheel of mixed meats, and there are chicken kebabs. But if you want the best, cut cubes from beef tenderloin, sirloin steak, or leg of lamb.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Reed Wilderman

Last Updated:

Views: 6148

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (52 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Reed Wilderman

Birthday: 1992-06-14

Address: 998 Estell Village, Lake Oscarberg, SD 48713-6877

Phone: +21813267449721

Job: Technology Engineer

Hobby: Swimming, Do it yourself, Beekeeping, Lapidary, Cosplaying, Hiking, Graffiti

Introduction: My name is Reed Wilderman, I am a faithful, bright, lucky, adventurous, lively, rich, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.