Lebanese Kafta Beef or Lamb (Print)
Ground meat blended with aromatic herbs, spices, and onions, cooked until juicy and served with fresh sides.
# Ingredients:
→ Kafta Mixture
01 -
450 g lean ground beef or ground lamb
02 -
1 cup yellow onion, diced
03 -
120 ml flat leaf parsley, chopped
04 -
2 tsp Lebanese 7 spice blend
05 -
1.5 tsp kosher salt
06 -
0.5 tsp ground black pepper
→ For Cooking
07 -
1 tbsp olive oil (if cooking in skillet)
→ Optional Garnish
08 -
1 large tomato or 2–3 plum or Roma tomatoes, sliced
# Steps:
01 -
Place ground beef or lamb, diced onion, chopped parsley, Lebanese 7 spice, salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly by hand until fully combined.
02 -
Divide the mixture into 6 to 10 portions, shaping each into patties or elongated fingers as preferred. Optionally, form around skewers for grilling.
03 -
If grilling, preheat grill to medium and oil grates. If pan-cooking, add olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high.
04 -
For grilling: place kafta on grill and cook for 10–12 minutes, turning regularly until browned and cooked through. For skillet: cook kafta for 8–10 minutes, rotating to brown all sides.
05 -
Place sliced tomatoes on grill or skillet for the final few minutes of cooking, turning once and seasoning as needed.
06 -
Serve kafta immediately with rice, salad, or wrapped in lavash or pita.
# Notes:
01 -
For a smoother texture, finely grate the onion and squeeze out excess liquid before mixing, or pulse onion and parsley together in a food processor.