Lebanese Kafta Easy (Print Version)

Juicy spiced meat kebabs with parsley, onion, and traditional Lebanese spices grilled to perfection.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1.1 lbs ground lamb or beef, or a combination

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 0.5 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped

→ Spices & Seasoning

04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 tsp ground allspice
06 - 1 tsp ground cumin
07 - 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
08 - 1 tsp salt
09 - 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
10 - 0.25 tsp ground cayenne or chili flakes

→ To Serve

11 - Lemon wedges
12 - Chopped fresh parsley
13 - Pita bread
14 - Tahini sauce

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, combine ground meat, onion, parsley, garlic, allspice, cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
02 - Mix thoroughly with hands until fully combined and sticky texture develops.
03 - Divide mixture into 8–10 portions. Shape each into oval patty or mold around skewers for traditional kebabs.
04 - Preheat grill, grill pan, or oven broiler to medium-high heat.
05 - Grill or broil kofta for 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally until browned and cooked through.
06 - Serve hot with pita bread, lemon wedges, fresh parsley, and tahini sauce.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The spice blend hits that perfect sweet-savory balance that makes people pause and ask what's in it
  • Everything comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like you spent all day planning it
  • Leftovers actually taste better tucked into pita the next day, if there are any
02 -
  • Mixing the meat thoroughly until it develops that sticky texture is what keeps your kafta from falling apart on the grill
  • If using wooden skewers, soaking them for 30 minutes prevents the ends from burning to ash while the meat cooks
03 -
  • Mix a tiny amount of the spice blend into some yogurt and let people drizzle it over their portions
  • Make extra meat mixture and freeze it shaped but uncooked for future emergency dinners

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