Kofta Kebab Juicy Beef And Lamb Skewers

The smell of sizzling skewers, warm spices, and a little smoke from the grill… that’s exactly what comes to mind when I think about a good kofta kebab recipe. These are the Middle Eastern ground meat kebabs you see on skewers: a mix of beef and lamb, onion, parsley, and a bold spice blend that hits you with flavor in every bite.

In this post I walk you through my go-to kofta kebab recipe based on a classic beef-and-lamb mix, shaped onto skewers and grilled or baked. The meat mix is inspired by traditional Middle Eastern kofta kebabs that use a mix of ground beef, ground lamb, fresh herbs, and warm spices like allspice, cardamom, nutmeg, and sumac.

Once you master this kofta kebab mix, you can spin it into all kinds of kofta kebabs recipes: baked kofta, kofta meatballs, kofta in pita wraps, or even a kofta kebab bowl with rice and salad. That’s where your internal links to other kebab and kofta dishes can shine.

What Is A Kofta Kebab?

Kofta (also written kefta, kufta, kofte) usually means ground meat mixed with onion, herbs, and spices, then shaped into logs, patties, or balls. When that same mixture gets wrapped around skewers and grilled, you get kofta kebabs.

Most middle eastern kofta kebab recipe versions use:

• A mix of ground beef and ground lamb
• Grated onion and garlic
• Fresh parsley
• Warm spices like allspice, cumin, coriander, cardamom, paprika, sumac, and nutmeg.

A kebab in general is any skewered grilled meat, while kofta is more about the spiced ground meat mixture itself. One explainer puts it simply: kebabs are seasoned meat cooked on a skewer, kofta is minced meat with spices that can be grilled, fried, or simmered in sauce.

So when you see “what is a kofta kebab?” the answer is: a skewer of spiced minced meat (often beef and lamb together) cooked over high heat until juicy inside and slightly charred outside.

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Ingredients For This Kofta Kebab Recipe

For this beef kofta kebab recipe, I stick to a pretty classic combo based on a well-tested Middle Eastern kofta mix made with beef, lamb, herbs, spices, and a small amount of bread for tenderness.

This makes about 10 kofta skewers.

Kofta meat mixture

• 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems removed (about 2 packed cups leaves)
• 1 pound (450 g) ground beef
• ½ pound (225 g) ground lamb
• 1 slice bread, toasted and soaked in water until very soft, then squeezed dry
• 1½ teaspoons ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon ground sumac
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• Salt and black pepper to taste

These amounts follow a classic authentic kofta kebab recipe that blends beef and lamb with parsley, onion, garlic, and a warm spice mix.

To cook and serve

• Metal or wooden skewers (if wooden, you’ll soak them)
• Neutral oil for grill grates or baking rack
• Warm pita or flatbread
• Tahini sauce or yogurt sauce
• Tomato wedges, onion slices, extra parsley

A quick word on meat choice

Many kofta kebab recipes use a mix of ground beef and ground lamb for flavor and fat balance. Several traditional recipes describe kofta kebab as “usually a mixture of beef and lamb” shaped onto skewers.

If you want:

• Beef kofta kebab recipe: use 1½ pounds ground beef and skip the lamb.
• Lamb kofta kebab recipe: use 1½ pounds ground lamb instead of the mix.

A lot of guides agree that meat with about 15–20 percent fat gives the juiciest ground meat kebabs.

Gluten-free option

The toasted bread in this kofta meat recipe helps bind and soften the mix. The original recipe notes that for a gluten-free kofta kebab, you can simply leave the bread out.

Step-By-Step: How To Make Kofta Kebabs

I keep this easy kofta kebab recipe as straightforward as possible. You’ll chop the aromatics, blend everything into a paste-like mix, shape it onto skewers, and grill or bake.

These steps follow the same order as a classic Middle Eastern kofta kebab recipe, written in my own words.

1. Soak skewers and heat the grill

1. If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30–60 minutes so they don’t burn.
2. Oil your grill grates lightly and preheat the grill to medium-high. Many recipes suggest about 7–8 minutes total grill time at this heat, so you want it hot but not scorching.

2. Chop onion, garlic, and parsley

3. Add the onion, garlic, and parsley to a food processor.
4. Pulse until everything is finely chopped; scrape the sides if needed. You’re aiming for very small pieces, almost a paste, so they blend into the meat and don’t burn on the grill.

3. Mix the kofta meat

5. Add the ground beef, ground lamb, squeezed bread, allspice, cayenne, cardamom, sumac, nutmeg, paprika, salt, and pepper to the processor.
6. Run the processor until the mixture looks uniform, thick, and a bit sticky. Authentic guides describe kofta kebab meat as a “pasty” mixture that holds together on the skewer.
7. Transfer the meat mixture to a bowl. If it feels very soft, you can chill it 20–30 minutes to firm it up, a trick repeated in oven and grill guides for kofta.

4. Shape the kofta kebabs

8. Divide the meat into about 10 equal portions.
9. With damp hands, press each portion around a skewer, shaping it into a long, slightly flattened log about 1 inch thick. The original recipe stresses that this thickness helps the kofta kebab cook evenly without drying out.
10. Lay the skewers on a tray lined with parchment and keep them in the fridge while the grill finishes heating.

5. Grill the kofta kebabs

11. Place the skewers on the hot, oiled grill.
12. Grill for about 4 minutes on the first side, then turn and grill 3–4 minutes on the second side, until nicely browned and cooked through. That 7–8 minute total grilling window matches several beef and lamb kofta kebab recipes.
13. If you use a thermometer, aim for at least 160°F (71°C) in the center for beef and lamb, a temperature often cited for ground meat kebabs.

6. Serve

14. Slide the kofta skewers off onto a platter.
15. Serve right away with warm pita, tahini or yogurt sauce, tomato, onion, and parsley. Many traditional recipes plate kofta with pita, tahini, salad, and rice as a full Middle Eastern kofta kebab spread.

Tips, Variations, And Oven Method

I want this to be your best kofta kebab recipe, so here are the tweaks that make a big difference.

Keep the mixture juicy and stable

• Use meat with some fat. Guides for beef kofta kebab and turkish kofta kebab emphasize 15–20 percent fat to keep kebabs from drying out.
• Process until tacky. That “pasty” texture helps the mixture cling to the skewers.
• Chill the skewers before cooking if they feel loose; oven-focused tutorials repeat this tip for baked kofta kebab too.

Easy kofta kebab recipe in the oven

If you want a kofta kebab recipe oven version (no grill), you can bake these:

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Place a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and oil the rack.
3. Arrange the shaped kofta kabobs on the rack.
4. Bake 20–25 minutes, turning once halfway, until the centers reach about 160°F (71°C).
5. For a little char, switch to broil for 1–2 minutes at the end and watch closely.

Multiple oven guides give that 20–25 minute window at 375–400°F for kofta kebabs, with a quick broil for color.

You can turn this into a beef kofta kebab recipe oven or lamb kofta kebab recipe oven by using all beef or all lamb in the same method.

Other meats: chicken, turkey, lamb-only

• Chicken kofta kebab recipe: you can swap in ground chicken or turkey, but oven guides remind cooks that lean meat needs extra fat or oil to stay moist.
• Turkey kofta kebab recipe: mix ground turkey with a little olive oil and watch the cooking time so it doesn’t dry out.
• Ground lamb kofta kebab recipe: if you go all lamb, keep the same spices and amounts; several lamb kofta recipes follow a similar pattern with lamb + onion + parsley + cumin/allspice.

Two quick notes

• Many authentic Turkish kofta kebab recipes use a similar beef-and-lamb base with grated onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, and paprika, so this mix sits right in that tradition.
• Oven-focused guides repeatedly recommend shaping kofta about 1–1½ inches thick and turning once halfway through baking at 400°F for around 20–25 minutes, which is why I give those numbers for this kofta kebab recipe oven option.

What To Serve With Kofta Kebab + Nutrition

Serving ideas

Traditional kebab and kofta spreads usually include:

• Pita or flatbread
• Tahini sauce or yogurt-garlic sauce
• Tomato, onion, cucumber salads
• Rice, bulgur, or couscous
• Grilled vegetables

A lot of kofta guides point out that this is a classic Mediterranean kofta kebab recipe style plate: juicy ground meat kebabs, carbs, sauce, and fresh salad.

Approximate nutritional values

Exact nutrition for this exact kofta kebab recipe depends on your meat blend, fat content, and serving size. Different databases give slightly different numbers:

• One database lists about 237 calories per beef kofta skewer, with roughly 12–13 g protein and 5–6 g fat per 100 g.
• Another analysis for Lebanese-style spicy beef kofta kabobs gives about 249 calories per serving, with around 45–50 percent of calories from protein.
• A separate article estimates many kofta kebabs at around 170 calories per serving, depending on size and fat content.

If I average those ideas for a medium beef kofta kebab on a skewer, one piece will usually land somewhere in the 200–250 calorie range, with good protein and moderate fat. That range matches what you see across multiple nutrition databases for kofta and ground meat kebabs.

Nutritional disclaimer: All nutrition numbers here are estimates gathered from general kofta kebab entries in food databases and may not match your exact results. This information is for general guidance only and is not medical or dietary advice.

FAQs About Kofta Kebab Recipe

Ready To Grill This Kofta Kebab Recipe?

You now have a full kofta kebab recipe that:

• Uses a proven mix of ground beef and lamb, parsley, onion, and classic Middle Eastern spices
• Works on the grill or in the oven
• Adapts easily into beef kofta kebab recipe, lamb kofta kebab recipe, or even chicken or turkey kofta

If you love kebabs, keep this as your base kebab recipe kofta and play with the spices, the meat blend, and the sides.

I’d love to hear how your kofta kebabs recipe turns out:
Tell me in the comments what meat combo you used, whether you grilled or baked, and what you served on the side. Share your twists on this authentic kofta kebab recipe so other readers can try your version too.