Discover the Best Lebanese Beef Kafta Recipe

Q: What is kafta?

Kafta or “Kofta” in other parts of the world is a type of kebab made from ground meat and this Lebanese version is made up of ground onions, parsley and a medley of spices. Other various of Kafta exist around the Middle East regions, and is also common in other parts of the world. In fact, I grew up with a Indian vegetarian Kofta made up of cabbage which was fried and then served in a tomato based sauce. The word Kafta is derived from the classical Persian word "kūfta," which means "to pound" or "to grind” - referring to the ground meat used in this recipe.

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Lebanese beef kafta kebabs served on yellow rice with a white sauce on the side.

What is kafta?▼

Kafta or “Kofta” in other parts of the world is a type of kebab made from ground meat and this Lebanese version is made up of ground onions, parsley and a medley of spices. Other various of Kafta exist around the Middle East regions, and is also common in other parts of the world. In fact, I grew up with a Indian vegetarian Kofta made up of cabbage which was fried and then served in a tomato based sauce. The word Kafta is derived from the classical Persian word "kūfta," which means "to pound" or "to grind” - referring to the ground meat used in this recipe.

Why This Kafta Recipe Lebanese-Style Is a Must-Make!

Delicious: Always the main reason to make something, right! This Lebanese beef kafta recipe in the oven features melt-in-your-mouth tender beef, Middle Eastern spices, and fresh herbs. I guarantee you could eat a bunch of them!
Authentic: We’ll be using Lebanese 7 spice and Sumac to pack in lots of flavor. This Kafta recipe will follow traditional methods, but I’ll be broiling the kafta to show how these can be accessible to everyone!
Crowd pleaser: Who doesn’t love skewers at a BBQ party? If you have a BBQ, then wonderful! Otherwise, don’t worry about it! These skewers will fly off your table in no time!
Healthy: The main ingredient here is ground beef, which is high in protein that will keep you full. Ground beef is also loaded with iron. Otherwise, we have some fresh herbs and spices, so this is incredibly simple and packed with nutrition!
Low-carb and keto friendly: The only source of carbohydrates in this recipe are the onions, which are quite negligible. As a result, this Lebanese Beef Kafta recipe is suitable for those following a keto diet.
Gluten-free: As mentioned earlier, we have no bread or breadcrumbs here, so this Kafta recipe is perfect for those with a gluten intolerance!

Lebanese beef kafta skewers with yellow rice and white sauce on a white plate.

Tools Needed to Make Beef Kafta

Ingredients for Lebanese Kafta

All ingredient quantities and the complete recipe instructions can be found in the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD! Scroll down to the bottom of this post or press the “Jump to Recipe” button to save the recipe for later, and to scale the recipe based on how many skewers you want to make. By default, the quantities listed will make 4 skewers.

Lebanese kafta ingredients arranged on a gray surface including ground beef, onions, fresh parsley, and spices.

Ground beef: I used medium ground beef. Traditionally, either beef or lamb is used, so you can pick whatever one you want.
Onion: I’m using a yellow onion here to get that sweeter taste, plus that’s what’s typically used. Grating it instead of finely chopping it helps the onions to keep the meat more moist and act as a binding agent.
Garlic: Always go for freshly minced garlic cloves.
Parsley: Freshly chopped parsley.
Mint: Go for fresh mint leaves.
Lebanese Seven Spice Mix: A must have to create the Kafta as close to a traditional version. This is composed of ground allspice, ground black pepper, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground coriander, ground cumin and ground nutmeg
Other seasonings: Sumac is the key spice here apart from the Seven Spice Mix.
Salt: My preference is Himalayan pink salt, but whatever salt you have will work.

How to Make Beef Kafta

Add the ground beef to a large bowl and then add the grated onions, parsley, Lebanese seven spice mix, black pepper, sumac, garlic and salt. Mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are well combined.

Ground beef and diced onions being mixed in a glass bowl for Lebanese beef kafta preparation.

Ground beef mixed with grated onions, fresh parsley, and spices in a glass bowl before marinating.

Sprinkling Lebanese seven spice mix into a bowl of ground beef kafta mixture with herbs and onions.

Ground beef kafta mixture with spices in a glass bowl and seasoning blend in a white bowl.

Ground beef kafta mixture being mixed in a bowl with a spatula, showing herbs and spices incorporated.

Hands mixing ground beef with herbs and spices in a glass bowl for Lebanese beef kafta preparation.

Allow the meat to marinate for at least an hour.

Ground beef kafta mixture in a glass bowl with herbs and spices, ready for marinating.

Then shape the meat mixture into oblong shapes around skewers.

Hand holding a shaped Lebanese beef kafta patty over a baking sheet lined with foil.

Raw Lebanese beef kafta skewers on a foil-lined wire rack ready for baking or grilling.

Grilling: Preheat a charcoal grill. Grill the kafta skewers or patties on medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until fully cooked and browned on all sides (about 10-15 minutes).

Baking: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Prepare a baking sheet with a wire rack and place the skewers over the wire rack. Turn on the broiler on the oven and place the baking sheet on the second highest rack in the oven. Pour about 2 cups of water on the baking sheet and then broil for 7-8 minutes. Then, turn the skewers once. Cook on the other side for 5 to 6 more minutes. Cook on the other side for 5 to 6 more minutes.

Pouring water over Lebanese beef kafta patties on a baking sheet in the oven during the broiling step.

Lebanese beef kafta patties grilling on a wire rack over charcoal, browned with herbs.

Skillet: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a bit of oil if desired, and cook the kafta, turning to brown all sides, for about 10-15 minutes.

Serve with rice, pita bread, garlic sauce, and/or hummus. Enjoy!

Three Lebanese beef kafta skewers served on saffron rice with a small bowl of white garlic sauce.

What to Serve with Kafta?

Potatoes: Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Mashed Potatoes, or roasted Baby Potatoes are all tasty options!
Dips: Hummus, tzatziki sauce, toum garlic sauce.
Salad: Vegan Couscous Salad, Vegan Lentil Salad, or Arugula Goat Cheese Salad.
Bread: Pita bread, or even naan bread if you would like!
Rice: Steamed White Rice, Turmeric Rice, Cilantro-Lemon Rice.
Veggies: Grilled onions, peppers, or zucchini, or Garlic-Butter Sautéed Broccoli.

Tips for Lebanese Beef Kafta

Take the time to grate the onions instead of chopping them finely. This will help keep the meat extra moist and will disperse its flavour in the mince much better. The texture will be much smoother as well.
For a chunkier texture, you can opt for finely chopped onions instead and see if you like this variation better and save a few minutes.
Make sure to cook a sample skewer or a small bit of meat so you can taste and adjust for salt. This is an underrated but a very essential step.
When you form the meat around the skewer, make sure it’s about the same thickness throughout. This will ensure even cooking as much as possible.
If you’re broiling the beef kafta, having water on the baking sheet will help keep the skewers more moist, plus this will protect your baking sheet from the burn marks!
Before serving, garnishing with more sumac will help add a zesty, lemony kick to the kafta.

Beef kafta skewers served on yellow rice with a white yogurt sauce on a white plate.

Questions You May Have!

Can I Make Beef Kofta in Advance?▼

In a way. So it really would be a disservice to make the kaftas in advance, because unless you’re planning on eating refrigerated cooked chilled meat, reheating the kafta will only dry it out. Instead, stop a few steps earlier, make the mince mixture in advance which will allow the ingredients to meld together and make the kafta even better.

Lebanese beef kofta skewers served over saffron rice with a yogurt sauce on the side.

Can I Use Other Meats instead of Beef?▼

While lamb and beef are the traditional choices, feel free to keep all the other components of the recipe the same and try using ground chicken or turkey. I’m sure it will be extremely delicious!

Other Amazing Skewer Recipes!

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Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra