Baked Beef Kofta Kebab Recipe | El Mundo Eats (2024)

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Baked Beef Kofta Kebab Recipe | El Mundo Eats (1)

My take on the classic kofta kebab and I’m baking them in the oven! Yep. In this recipe, I’m using minced beef and other wonderful herbs and spices. They’re extremely easy and delish to make.

Kofta’s recipes vary throughout the world and originated in the Middle East. You should also try my beef Turkish pide, it's delicious!

This kofta recipe is not by all means the authentic way of making it. This is how I make it in my house for my family. Just thought I’d share it so that few people out there who are like us, loving food from other countries, could make it too in the convenience of their own kitchen.

Baked Beef Kofta Kebab Recipe | El Mundo Eats (2)

I use all common ingredients that I have in my kitchen. I’m using smoked paprika instead of normal paprika to help with that smokey taste, since I’m baking these kofta in the oven. I’m also using zest of 1 lemon in replace of summac because it’s not a common thing to find at my place.

Summac has acidic taste that can be replaced with lemon zest. Also instead of chopped onion, I opted to blend it into a paste. I feel this adds moisture to the kofta kebab mixture and helps keeping them moist.

Well and there you go. Homemade baked beef kofta kebab.

We love to have this kofta with some flatbreads, rice or pasta. With some salad to go with it, mint yogurt and we’re satisfied.

More Beef Recipes

  • Korean style bbq beef (bulgogi)
  • Quick beef pho
  • Malaysian beef rendang curry
  • Basil stir fry
  • Argentine empanadas

Recipe Video

📖 Recipe

Baked Beef Kofta Kebab Recipe | El Mundo Eats (3)

Baked Beef Kofta Kebabs

My take on the classic kofta kebab and I’m baking them in the oven! Yep. In this recipe I’m using minced beef and other wonderful herbs and spices.

Author:

4.5 from 2 votes

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Servings: 10 kebabs

Ingredients

  • 1 red onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 chili , chopped
  • 2 tablespoon chopped coriander
  • 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 1 lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt , or to your taste
  • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1.1 lb minced beef (500 gr)
  • some cooking oil spray , for spraying before baking
  • 10 skewer sticks , soaked in water for 30 minutes

Instructions

  • In a chopper, add in chopped red onion and garlic cloves. Blend into a fine paste. Pour into a bowl. Add in the rest of the ingredients except the minced meat. Mix everything well.

  • Add in minced beef and mix everything together. Don't over work the meat to avoid the kofta kebabs turning tough.

  • Grab some meat mixture and wrap it around 2 skewer sticks, making around 4 inches (10 cm) length of kofta kebab. Do the same with the rest of the meat to get total of 10 kofta kebab. You can wrap the exposed part of the skewers with aluminium foil to avoid them getting too burnt.

  • Place kofta kebab in a baking tray narrow enough so that the skewers are sitting on the rim of the tray and the meat doesn't touch anything (refer to the video) and spray with a bit of cooking oil.

  • Preheat your oven to 480ºF (250ºC) with the broiler on (heat from the top) and put the tray on the upper third rack. Bake until nicely charred and fully cooked, around 4 minutes depending on your oven temperature.

  • Serve with some flatbreads or rice, and some mint yogurt. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 137.5kcal, Carbohydrates: 2.2g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 10.2g, Saturated Fat: 3.9g, Cholesterol: 35.4mg, Sodium: 271.8mg, Potassium: 191.4mg, Fiber: 0.6g, Sugar: 0.8g, Calcium: 20.8mg, Iron: 1.5mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @elmundoeats and tag #elmundoeats!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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  1. Rita says

    These sound yummy! I happen to have sumac, love it. How much would I use in place of the lemon zest?

    Reply

  2. Chris wheeler says

    Baked Beef Kofta Kebab Recipe | El Mundo Eats (8)
    Lovely lovely flavours and easy to make. Ours were very wet though and wouldn't stick to skewers so turned them into meatballs. Delicious. Served it with a bulgar wheat salad. Def make again.

    Reply

    • Bea says

      Sorry to hear that, Chris! If that happens again, try adding some breadcrumbs so that the mixture is not that wet. Glad that you liked it anyways. Thank you!

      Reply

  3. J.W. Jansen - van den Broek says

    Baked Beef Kofta Kebab Recipe | El Mundo Eats (9)
    Delicious!!
    One of my favorites now. Easy to make and full of flavor.
    Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

    • Bea says

      That's great, I'm happy to know that. Thank you for your feedback! 🙂

      Reply

  4. George says

    Do you have a favourite recipe for minted yoghurt?

    Reply

    • Bea says

      Unfortunately no, I don't. Sorry George!

      Reply

  5. Deni Mar says

    Hello! Can I use minced chicken?

    Reply

    • Bea says

      Yes you can Deni 🙂

      Reply

  6. Lindsay says

    At what temperature do you bake it? There are no notes for that ... it just says “grill” but I thought This was a bake recipe?

    Reply

    • Bea says

      Hi Lindsay, it is a bake recipe, I used the word "grill" in the context of an oven/bake recipe to refer to the top heat. I have re-worded the instructions to make it more clear and included oven temperature.

      Reply

  7. Khadija says

    Can’t wait to make this, looks delicious 😋. Can this be made in the oven? If I don’t have a grill

    Reply

    • Bea says

      Yes, I used oven for this. Thanks Khadija!

      Reply

Baked Beef Kofta Kebab Recipe | El Mundo Eats (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between beef kebab and kofta? ›

Traditional kebabs are usually made with cubed meat. Kofta kebabs, on the other hand, are made with ground meat. They're typically made with beef, lamb or a combination of the two. The meat is mixed with fresh herbs, onion, garlic, and warm spices like coriander and cumin.

How do you keep koftas from drying out? ›

Covering the pan with foil brushed with some olive oil and letting them cook in the oven helps kofta stays tender and juicy and not to dry so fast also it prevents sticking to the grill racks. Then you just put them on the grill to get those grilling marks and to brown a little more.

What culture is kofta from? ›

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 beef is best for kebabs? ›

Choose the Best Beef Cut for Kabobs

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.

What cut of meat is best for kebabs? ›

Tri tips and sirloin steak tips are the pointy ends of rump and sirloin respectively. They are ideal for kebabs because they have great beef flavour, hold up well in a cube shape, are juicy cuts and are more economical than expensive steak cuts that I reserve for cooking as steaks.

How do you know when kofta is cooked? ›

Cook the koftas, turning every 5 minutes. You want to colour them but not dry them out. They're cooked once they reach 63°C but you might like to take them to 70°C.

Why are my beef kebabs dry? ›

Meats release moisture as they cook. If you cook them too long, most of the moisture will be gone and they'll be dry. It's called “overcooking your food”. So don't overcook your food and it won't be dry.

Can you reheat cooked koftas? ›

How do you reheat Beef Kofta Kebabs? From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot. From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir.

Why do you put baking soda in kebabs? ›

Without the help of baking soda, proteins in meat are attracted to one another and squeeze out juices as the meat cooks. Baking soda transforms the meat, making it more tender and more moist.

What is kofta seasoning made of? ›

How to Make Kofta. Follow along with these simple procedures to make this amazing Kofta Recipe: In a large bowl mix together the ground meat, onions, garlic, parsley, mint, sumac, allspice, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper, until combined and then refrigerate.

What to eat with beef koftas? ›

We love to serve beef kofta with:

Lots of Hummus. Make it yourself or buy it. A simple salad of onion, tomatoes, cucumbers and olive oil.

What is the difference between kofta and kafta? ›

Both kafta and kofta are the same thing: a meatball made with ground meat and mixed with herbs, Middle Eastern spices and onions. In Lebanon it is known as kafta and in other Middle Eastern countries and India it is widely known as Kofta.

Are koftas Greek or Turkish? ›

No one country can declare themselves to be the creator of lamb koftas! But they're typically associated with the Middle East and Mediterranean countries like Turkey, especially because they're made with lamb which is a common protein associated with the food of that region.

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 kebab? ›

Kebab is usually served as a snack or appetiser. It is usually cooked with meat but today different kinds of vegetarian varieties are also prepared. Kofta is usually made with vegetables and paneer and used in a gravy dish. It may or may not be deep fried.

What is the difference between kofta and kabob? ›

Kofta is a type of kebab with ground meat instead of chunks. The direct translation of shish kebab is “shish,” which means sword, and “kebab,” which means meat. So meat cooked on a sword.

What is the difference between a kabob and a kafta? ›

The main difference between typical beef kabobs and a kafta kabob is the style in which the meat is prepared. Kabobs tend to be made with slow-roasted, gyro-like meat sliced into thin pieces. On the other hand, kafta is prepared by wrapping a meatball-like patty of meat around a skewer.

What is the difference between shish kebab and kofta? ›

Shish kebabs—that's chunks of marinated meat (or vegetables) grilled on a skewer—are really tough to get right, and when not right, they're really tough. Kofte kebabs, on the other hand, are made with minced meat, and thus don't have that problem.

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