Beef Kofta Kebabs with Tzatziki Sauce
Beef Kofta Kebabs with Tzatziki Sauce are bursting with flavor and protein, making them a hearty Middle Eastern dish.
Equipment
- Grill Pan
Ingredients
Kebabs
- 0.5 small onion, cut into chunks
- 3 cloves garlic
- 0.33 cup parsley
- 1.5 pounds grass-fed lean ground beef I use 90% lean
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 pinch allspice or cinnamon optional
- 1.25 teaspoons salt
- 0.5 teaspoon pepper
- Olive oil for brushing the grill
- Flat bread and sliced vegetables like cucumber, tomato and onion for serving (optional)
Tzatziki sauce
- 1 cup plain reduced fat Greek yogurt
- 0.5 cup grated cucumber squeezed dry
- 1 clove garlic grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh mint or dill or ¼ teaspoon dried
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Add the onion, garlic, and parsley to a mini food processor and process until finely chopped. If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the onion on a box grater and finely chop the garlic and parsley with a knife.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the ground beef, cumin, coriander, allspice (or cinnamon), salt, and pepper. Mix until combined.
- Divide the mixture into 8 roughly even balls. Mold each ball around the pointed end of a skewer, making an oval kebab that comes to a point just covering the tip of the skewer. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 15 minutes before threading the meat onto them.
- Heat a grill pan over medium high heat or prepare a grill. Brush the pan lightly with olive oil. Grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, until brown all over and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with tzatziki sauce, flat bread and sliced vegetables like cucumber, tomato and onion.
- To make the tzatziki sauce, mix all of ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Beef, lamb or a mixture of beef and lamb is traditional for this dish. However, you can also make these kebabs with ground turkey or chicken. You can make baked kofta kebabs in the oven if you don't have a grill or grill pan. Bake them on a sheet pan at 400°F for about 15-18 minutes until cooked through. You can turn on the broiler at the end for 2-3 minutes to brown them a little more. If baking in the oven, skewers are optional. Serve the kebabs on a platter with tzatziki sauce and pita bread. I also arrange sliced vegetables like cucumber, tomato and red onion on the platter. You can also serve them with additional dips like hummus and baba ganoush (Mediterranean eggplant dip).
Nutrition
Serving: 2kebabs + sauceCalories: 241kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 27gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 579mgPotassium: 435mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 324IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 3mg
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