Lebanese Kafta Kabobs

Kafta, or kofta, is grilled ground meat, skewered and cooked over a hot grill. Here we're using beef, but you can swap in lamb or pork. Serve with khyar bi laban, a cucumber yogurt sauce, and pearl couscous or whole grain pita.

Lebanese Kafta Kabobs
Photo: Jason Donnelly
Hands On Time:
25 mins
Bake Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:
4
Yield:
12 kabobs + about 1 cup sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean (93%) ground beef

  • 1 medium yellow onion, shredded and drained in a strainer

  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

  • 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper or 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin

  • ½ teaspoon paprika

  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • ½ cup plain low-fat yogurt

  • ¼ cup shredded cucumber, drained and patted dry

  • 2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint

  • 2 teaspoon lemon juice

  • 1 small clove garlic, minced

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 15x10-inch baking pan with parchment paper and place a wire rack in pan.

  2. In a large bowl combine first eight ingredients (through allspice), 1/4 tsp. of the salt, and 1/4 tsp. of the pepper. Divide mixture into 12 portions.

  3. Using twelve 8- to 10-inch skewers, form an oblong portion (3 1/2x1 1/4 inches) of meat mixture around each skewer. Place skewers on rack in prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until meat mixture is done (160°F).

  4. Meanwhile, for yogurt sauce, in a small bowl combine yogurt, cucumber, mint, lemon juice, small clove garlic, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper. Serve kabobs with yogurt sauce.

Tip

If using wooden skewers, soak in water 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

222 Calories
9g Fat
8g Carbs
26g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 222
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 73mg 24%
Sodium 392mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 26g
Vitamin C 10.4mg 52%
Calcium 93mg 7%
Iron 3.4mg 19%
Potassium 572mg 12%
Folate, total 24.8mcg
Vitamin B-12 2.7mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.5mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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