Beef Kafta

This Lebanese Style Beef Kafta is one of our favorite dishes! They are so flavorful, juicy, easy to make, and takes just about 20 minutes to get it on your dinner table.

Authentic Lebanese or middle eastern beef kabob recipe made with ground beef, minced onions, chopped parsley, and seasoned with some middle eastern spices. They are then made into an oblong shape and placed in skewers for grilling. Don’t like beef? You can simply use ground chicken! It is just as delicious using ground chicken instead of beef. Kafta is very versatile in terms of what you choose to serve it with. Most middle eastern love to serve it with some pita bread, hummus, baba ganoush, and salad. Served with rice and grilled veggies.

Why we love this kafta recipe so much

• Scrumptious: So juicy and full of flavor. Takes your beef grilling to a whole other level.
• Healthy: Use lean ground beef or lamb. Made with no added sugars or unhealthy ingredients. Made simply with ground beef and spices.
• Easy: they are so easy to make! It takes just about 10 minutes to mix the beef with spices and then another 10 minutes of grilling.

Ingredients you will need

For the beef kafta:
Lean ground beef
Onion, grated
Garlic cloves and chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
Spices: cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and sumac
olive oil, for cooking
Optional sides for serving:
Curly parsley
Fresh feta
Cucumbers
Cherry Tomatoes
Red onions
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar

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How to make the kafta

• First, prepare the beef: In a mixing bowl place the ground beef, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, sumac, and cinnamon.
• Next, add in the grated onion, chopped parsley, and garlic.
• Then, using your clean hands shape the kafta on the skewers: Form the meat mixture into an oblong shape of about 1 inch in thickness. Use a skewer to form this shape onto 2/3 of it, keeping the skewer stick right into the middle of the meat. Repeat with remaining meat, then let the kafta sit in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes, or until you prepare the grill.
• Grill the kafta: Grease the grill grates with some olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
  Place the kafta onto the preheated grill and cook for about 8-10 minutes until browned, turning a couple of times with a tong, to ensure even browning.
• Prepare the veggies to serve with kafta: Meanwhile slice the cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion. Place the veggies into a bowl, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season
  with salt and pepper; mix well.
• Once the kafta is cooked through, remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish. Finally, garnish with parsley and crumbled feta cheese, if desired. Serve with the optional sides and enjoy!

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Faq’s and tips

• Beef: use the leanest beef possible. You may use ground chicken or ground turkey
• Oil: use olive oil, avocado oil, or any other bland oil.
• Refrigerating the beef kafta after you season it will allow everything to hold together nicely. This is optional if you are running out of time.
• Do not cook it too fast. It will cause the beef to burn too quickly on the outside and still pink on the inside. 
• We prefer serving kafta well done. You may serve it medium-medium well.
• Serve with white Lebanese rice, quinoa, hummus, salads, and so on. They are very versatile.

What is kafta kabob

Kafta (or kefta) is a traditional middle eastern dish made with ground beef or lamb, minced onions, chopped parsley, and seasoned with middle eastern spices. They are made into patties or as kabobs and typically grilled. They are widely known in the middle east and now all around the world. Kafta is also made using ground chicken and very versatile in terms of what you serve it with.

What is the difference between kafta and kofta

They are pretty much the same thing. Kafta is a middle eastern dish and it is simply pronounced differently in every culture and country. In Lebanon is called Kafta, and essentially made the same way throughout the middle east.

what country did kafta originate from

We would just like to say that this dish is authentic to the middle east. The argument over where it originated from is a never-ending story. As a Lebanese myself I would like to say Kafta originated from Lebanon. Wikipedia says Lebanon and India.

other simple and healthy recipes

• Pepper Steak Kabobs
• Grilled Chicken Mango Salad
• Pineapple Shrimp Skewers with Coconut Dip
• Baked Honey Mustard Salmon
• Easy Avocado Hummus
• Crab Corn Tomato Salad
• Homemade Vegetable Soup

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