• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Earth, Food, and Fire
  • Recipes
  • In The Garden
  • About
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • In The Garden
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • In The Garden
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    The Best Grilled Beef Kofta Kebab Recipe

    Published on June 29, 2016 ᛫ Updated on November 13, 2024 by Chef Markus

    A simple, yet flavorful Beef Kofta Kebab, perfect for grilling outdoors and sharing with family and friends. A healthy and filling meal when served with some rice pilaf, and fresh salad.

    Jump to Recipe

    I was first introduced to Middle Eastern food by my father who would take us to a small local Turkish restaurant in downtown Halifax. It was only wide enough to accommodate one isle down its length with tables on either side, of which there couldn't have been more than fifteen. The kitchen was located at the back, so every time a waitress would come out of the kitchen with plates piled high with rice, house salads, kofta kebabs and other delicious smelling meats, you couldn't help but stare eagerly at the food hoping it was destined for your table.

    Homemade Grilled Beef Kofta Kebab

    Of all these flavors and dishes, Beef Kofta is probably my favorite. Aromatic, and full of flavor, kofta kebabs always packs a mouthful of delicious meat. Whether its Lamb, Beef, or Chicken, making a kofta kebab recipe at home is very simple. This recipe can easily be thrown together and cooked for a quick filling supper, served with pita bread tzatziki and homemade hummus.

    Related:  Homemade Hummus Without Tahini

    Ingredients

    To begin you will need your Mise en Place (Prep) first:

    • 2 lb of ground beef or lamb
    • 5 cloves of minced garlic
    • 2 small onions finely minced
    • ½ bunch of chives finely chopped
    • 3 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
    • 2 tablespoon ground corriander
    • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 2.5 teaspoons of salt
    • ¾ teaspoon chilli flakes or ground pepper flakes
    • 1 whole egg
    • 24 bamboo or wood skewers

    As you can see most of these ingredients are spices, and you could easily combine them in a jar labelled "Kofta Kebab Spice" for even faster meal prep.

    Instructions

    Mix all your spices, herbs and egg with the ground meat and mix it together with your hands. Really mix it through and make sure that the spices are evenly distributed. Set the meat aside(covered and in the refrigerator to follow safe food practices of course).

    Ground beef mixed with kofta kebab spices - @earthfoodfire

    Depending on what length your wooden skewers are, cut them into 6 inch lengths. Place them in a bowl of water to absorb some moisture. This will help prevent the skewers from charring and turning to ash if you are cooking the beef kofta skewers over a BBQ or Fire. Preheat your grill or start a fire and let it burn down until the coals are nice and hot, with almost no real "flame"

    These Grilled Beef Kofta Kebab Skewers are perfect for the grill - @earthfoodfire

    Shape the ground spiced meat into 2 ½ - 3 inch cigar-shaped rolls, and then insert a skewer into one end until it goes through the length of the "cigar". Don't poke it out the other side though!

    Brush these skewered kebabs with a little bit of olive or canola oil to prevent the meat from sticking to the cooking grill. As soon as the grill is nice and hot, you can place the Beef Kofta Kebab right on the grate. You should hear a nice sizzling sound.

    If the meat starts to drip a little, turn down the heat (over a fire, spread out the coals to cool them down) to prevent the fire or BBQ from flaring up and charring the skewers. Even though you soaked the wooden skewers to prevent them from burning, you can take a sheet of tinfoil and lay it over a section of grill that is not as hot. Over this strip of tinfoil, place the wooden end of the kebab, to help ensure char free handles!

    Turn the skewers until they are a nice golden brown on both sides. You can use a food thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 165F for a fully cooked skewer. You can also keep a close eye on the meat, and once you see the juices starting to run out clear, the meat is cooked through.

    All that's left is enjoying the delicious Kebabs! They make great finger food and are easily stacked on a plate and garnished with some cucumber and parsley!

    Grilled Beef Kofta Kebab Skewers -

    Made the recipe? Comment & Rate it below, then take a picture and tag me on Facebook. For more from scratch recipes, follow me on Facebook & Pinterest.

    Recipe

    a white plate with frilled beef kofta kebabs stacked on it

    Grilled Beef Kofta Kebabs

    Chef Markus
    Aromatic, and full of flavour, beef kofta always packs a mouthful of delicious meat. Whether its Lamb, Beef, or Chicken, making kofta at home is very simple. 
    4.60 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Kebab
    Cuisine Middle Eastern
    Servings 24 kebabs
    Calories 2644.1 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 lb of ground beef or lamb
    • 5 cloves of minced garlic
    • 2 small onions finely minced
    • ½ bunch of chives finely chopped
    • 1 whole egg
    • 24 bamboo or wood skewers

    Kofta Spice Mix

    • 3 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
    • 2 tablespoon ground corriander
    • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 2.5 teaspoons of salt
    • ¾ teaspoon chili flakes or ground pepper flakes

    Instructions
     

    • Mix the ground beef with the spices, herb and egg.
    • Let the mix stand covered to marinade and develop a stronger more robust flavor.(optional)
    • Shape little 3 inch long cigar shaped rolls with the meat, and skewer them with a wooden skewer.
    • Grill the kebabs over a BBQ or Fire until golden brown and cooked all the way through, about 10 minutes.
    • Serve the skewers with tzatziki, fresh parsley and cucmbers

    Nutrition

    Calories: 2644.1kcal

    Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

    Keyword BBQ, grilled, Kebab, Kofta, Turkish
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Meal Ideas: From The Land

    • Easter Dinner Ideas (with a German twist)
      Easter Dinner Ideas (With a German Twist)
    • Square closeup image of broccoli and cauliflower soup served in black stoneware bowls and garnished with chopped chives and chopped almonds.
      Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup
    • A meatball pizza fully cook and displayed on a perforated steel pizza peel in front of an ooni pizza oven.
      Wood Fired Meatball Pizza
    • jägerschnitzel served with mashed potatoes and parsely on a barnboard tabletop
      Jägerschnitzel (Hunter's Schnitzel)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Yummly

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. ashok

      July 01, 2021 at 2:06 am

      5 stars
      Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.

      Reply
    2. Jeanine

      July 01, 2020 at 6:00 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I was searching for a beef kofta recipe to match those from restaurants. And this is it. I ommited the cinnamon, not a big fan. They came out excellent. Thank you chef!

      Reply
      • Chef Markus Mueller

        July 02, 2020 at 5:22 am

        Hi Jeanine, I am so glad you loved the recipe! It's a simple go to on weeknight for me. If you have any pictures feel free to share them on social media @earthfoodandfire

        Reply
    3. Sharon

      June 21, 2018 at 8:13 pm

      5 stars
      What a great meal for grilling! A great main dish to pair with summer side dishes.

      Reply
      • Markus Mueller

        June 29, 2018 at 10:15 pm

        It is! The beef kofta are easy to make ahead of time as well, and freeze great!

        Reply
    4. Tisha

      June 21, 2018 at 7:57 pm

      5 stars
      Love the flavors! And perfect for grilling season!!

      Reply
    5. Cindy Gordon

      June 21, 2018 at 7:57 pm

      5 stars
      Grilling out is the best. Sharing this with my mother in law! She was just asking me to search for kabob recipes!

      Reply
      • Markus Mueller

        June 29, 2018 at 10:16 pm

        Perfect! These are so delicious, I'm sure she will love the recipe!

        Reply
    6. Sandhya Hariharan

      June 21, 2018 at 6:46 pm

      We love middleeastern flavors.. and all the spices that goes in a kofta.

      Reply
    7. Dana

      June 21, 2018 at 5:48 pm

      5 stars
      I love this, Markus! And I love that you got to be exposed to Turkish food at such a young age. I come from a small town with very little culture, so I didn't get to experience Turkish food until I moved here to Raleigh, NC.
      These look awesome.

      Reply
      • Markus Mueller

        June 29, 2018 at 10:17 pm

        Thanks Dana, Looking back I guess it was lucky that I was exposed to all these different cultures early on. Maybe it's why I love all food so much!? Hahah

        Reply
    8. Sean

      August 05, 2016 at 9:48 pm

      These look SUPER TASTY. Personally I think I'd love to try the lamb version, especially with all those amazing spices in the mix. I adore a good spiced lamb, and I really like the combination you brought to the table (or the grill, in this case). Keep up the good work 🙂

      Reply
    9. Redawna

      August 05, 2016 at 2:52 pm

      Very nice! My husband and I were just talking about trying this at home. I am super excited to give this a try, fingers crossed for this weekend.
      I have been looking for a nice soft fresh pita recipe to go along with it.

      So hungry now!!!

      Thank Markus!

      Have a spectacular weekend.

      Reply
    10. Marisa

      July 02, 2016 at 5:50 pm

      They look mouthwatering!!

      Reply
    11. Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy

      July 01, 2016 at 4:36 pm

      I love middle eastern flavours, and we certainly like lamb. With grilling season in full swing, these look and sound totally delicious!

      Reply
    4.60 from 10 votes (3 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Red Seal Chef Markus Mueller. Owner of Earth, Food, and Fire

    Chef Markus Mueller

    Hey there! Welcome to Earth, Food, and Fire where you'll find delicious and easy to follow recipes, backyard gardening info, and everything you want to know about cooking from scratch at home.

    More about me →

    Popular Posts

    • a jar of homemade wild plum jam surrounded by the wild foraged fruits on a wooden surface
      Wild Plum Jam
    • canadian green tomato chow chow in labeled mason jars on a rustic wooden surface
      Homemade Green Tomato Chow Chow
    • east coast hodge-podge cooked and served in a cast iron pan
      East Coast Hodge-Podge
    • A square image of three jars of fully processed, and labeled mustard pickles displayed on rustic wooden barn boards.
      PEI Mustard Pickles

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    As Seen In...

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Affiliate Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy
    • Contact Info

    Connect With Us

    • Catering Services
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Web Stories

    Please note: We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2024 Earth, Food, and Fire

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.