This traditional beef kofta recipe is a must eat. Sweet and spiced kabab paired with bone broth rice or a chickpea stew is a wonderful way to change it up if you don’t know what to make with your ground beef beside meatballs and tacos. Read on to learn how to make Middle Eastern Kofta.
As an American married to a Middle Eastern, there was much to learn about the food that made him feel “at home.” New spices and parings in ways I was unfamiliar with. Cinnamon was for desert not meat, right? Wrong. Soon after watching my mother in law, tasting as much as I could, and exploring the spice blends of the Middle East, my palate was completely opened up and so was my cooking.
Why we love Middle Eastern Kofta
As mentioned in the opening my husband is from the Middle East, born and raised into his adolescence in Iraq. Having been raised in a little farm town in the midwest this style of cooking was brand new to me.
Mesmerized by what my future MIL was always doing over the stove I knew that I needed to learn. Having lived at home until just a year before we married, her food was all my husband ever knew and he loved it. So has his new wife I wanted to be able to share in that.
My mother in law at the time was still learning english, therefore it was a learning curve for the both of us. Regardless, she was just as pleased to teach me as I was to learn. This is my favorite pass time at their house. Mom, if you read this… we need another kuba rolling date soon.
We love this Middle Eastern kofta recipe for lots of reasons. One, it is so simple to make. It uses spices that most of us (if we have spent any time in the kitchen) are familiar with. Two, it’s simple enough to mix into your weekly dinner rotation. And three, to my husband it tastes like home.
Ingredients needed for Middle Easter Kofta:
- ground beef or lamb
- yellow onion
- fresh garlic
- ground cumin
- ground paprika
- ground cinnamon
- salt and pepper
- fresh or dried parsley for topping (optional)
A quick note on sourcing ingredients. We currently love and regularly buy the bulk of our spices from Thrive Market. Get 40% your first order with a membership here!
With that said, I encourage you to venture into your local spice market whether it be Indian, Asian or anything of the sort and just explore. Your senses will thank you.
How to make Middle Easter Kofta:
This is my favorite part because I get to tell you just how easy it is to make this recipe! It is likely you already have much of the spices needed in your cupboard which makes for a stress free new meal to try in your weekly rotation.
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then chop one yellow onion and 3-6 cloves of fresh garlic. If using minced, I would add 2-4 heaping tablespoons depending on your taste. Then, add that into a bowl with 2 pounds of ground meat (beef or lamb.) Next add in your spices: 2 tsp of cumin, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp sweet paprika, and 1 tsp of cinnamon.
After everything is in the bowl and thoroughly mixed, take a handful of the mixture and shape into a round log like portion. Place meat log onto a parchment lined baking sheet. After the mixture is shaped and on the pan, use one finger to press down on the logs to create wave like patterns in each piece.
Lastly, bake for 20-25 minutes or until thoroughly cooked through. If necessary check with a meat thermometer that the center has reach 160 for medium plus as this is not a recipe you want to over cook.
Once to tempeture, remove from the oven and top with fresh or dried parsley.
This recipe pairs well with a traditional yellow rice. I love to keep it simple and make our rice with oil, salt. tumeric, and bone broth. However, there are other traditional recipes that pair just as well.
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Middle Eastern Kofta
This traditional beef kofta recipe is a must eat. Sweet and spiced kabab paired with bone broth rice or a chickpea stew is a wonderful to change it up if you're tired of eating meatballs and tacos with your ground beef.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef or lamb
- 1 yellow onion
- 3-6 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- fresh or dried parsley for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Chop one yellow onion and 3-6 cloves of fresh garlic. (If using minced I would add 2-4 heaping tablespoons depending on your taste.)
- Add chopped onion and garlic to a bowl with 2 pounds of ground meat (beef or lamb.)
- Add in your spices: 2 tsp of cumin, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp sweet paprika, and 1 tsp of cinnamon and mix.
- After everything is in the bowl and thoroughly mixed, take a handful of the mixture and shape into a round log like portion.
- Place meat log onto a parchment lined baking sheet. After the mixture is shaped and on the pan, use one finger to press down on the logs to create wave like patterns in each piece.
- Lastly, bake for 20-25 minutes or until thoroughly cooked through. If necessary check with a meat thermometer that the center has reach 160 for medium plus as this is not a recipe you want to over cook.
- Once to temperature, remove from the oven and top with fresh or dried parsley.
Notes
Serves well with yellow rice and salad.
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Spending my Highschool years babysitting for a sweet middle eastern family, they always had kofta and meat pies for me. But I’ve never made it! Excited to make this recipe. Do you ever mix beef and lamb or is it typical to do one or the other. Trying to think how the flavors would pair.
I use whatever we have! Sometimes a combo sometimes just one it doesnt matter it turns out wonderful every stinkin’ time!