Chef John's Kofta Kebabs

Chef John's easy grilled kofta kebabs feature a savory blend of ground beef, lamb, and spices for tons of flavor.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Calories: 288 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons water
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 1 slice whole grain bread, toasted
• 4 ounces ground lamb
• 4 bamboo skewers, soaked for at least 1 hour
• 0.5 teaspoon paprika
• 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 0.125 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 0.5 teaspoon ground allspice
• 0.5 medium yellow onion, diced
• 0.25 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1.25 teaspoons kosher salt
• 0.33 cup chopped Italian parsley

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Cut toasted bread slice into thin strips on a cutting board; cut strips across into a small dice.

Step 2

Place onion, parsley, and garlic on top of diced bread on the cutting board; chop until mixture resembles tabbouleh.

Step 3

Remove meat from the refrigerator and roll ¼ of the mixture into a ball using wet hands. Pierce in the middle with a bamboo skewer. Shape meat into a uniform log, about 6 inches long and 2 inches wide.

Step 4

Meanwhile, preheat a charcoal grill until coals are very hot.

Step 5

Gather all ingredients.

Step 6

Serve and enjoy.

Step 7

Season beef and lamb with kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, paprika, cardamom, nutmeg, and cayenne. Add onion mixture and water. Mix and mash with your hands until well combined. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour, up to overnight.

Step 8

Place kebabs on the hot grill until browned and cooked through, about 12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes or so. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a kebab should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).