Beef Kafta

Easy Authentic Lebanese Beef Kafta made with ground beef, parsley, onion, and simple spices. Cook it in the oven or on the grill, and serve it with Lebanese Vermicelli Rice and a side of yogurt for a complete meal!

Do you love kafta? I know I do. Like, really love it. If there’s a middle-eastern restaurant around, you can be sure I’ll be ordering some kafta off the menu. It’s just so darn good. And while it might seem intimidating to make at home, trust me when I say it’s a lot easier than you think.

In this post, I’m going to show you how to make beef kafta using ground beef (though lamb is also a popular choice). So get ready to enjoy one of my favorite dishes – homemade Lebanese style beef kafta!

What is Kafta?

If you’ve never had kafta before, it’s basically just seasoned ground meat (usually beef or lamb, but chicken can also be used) in the form of a Middle Eastern meatball that’s grilled or cooked in the oven. It’s often served with rice and vegetables, a dollop of hummus, and sometimes yogurt or Cucumber Yogurt Sauce (Khyar bi Laban) on the side.

Kafta is the Lebanese name for the meatball, in the rest of the Middle East it’s referred to as Kofta or kefta, or Kofte in Turkey.

There are many different ways to make kafta, but the basic ingredients are always the same: ground meat that is not too lean, yellow onion, parsley, and spices (I use Baharat 7 spice, cumin, and cinnamon). You can add other seasonings to taste, but those are the essentials.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Make Beef Kafta

Making Lebanese kafta is really easy – it’s just a matter of mixing all of the ingredients together in a bowl and then shaping them into oblong shapes (with skewers or without). I make mine around 3 inches long, and 1 inch thick. To do this, use your hands and form the patties while pressing the meat (you don’t want the meat to be loose).

You can cook kafta in a number of different ways, but my favorite is to cook them on the grill because of the grill marks and the crust that the meatballs develop. If you don’t have a grill, you can also cook them under the broiler in your oven.

Whichever method you choose, just be sure to cook the kafta until they are nicely browned and cooked through.

Recipe Tips

• Use High Quality Ground Beef. If possible go for grass fed organic beef, it tastes much better and totally worth the price difference.
• Avoid Using Lean Meat. I usually go for 85/15 as you need a bit of fat to keep the meat nice and juicy. Traditionally, ground beef can be mixed with ground lamb to achieve this. In the Turkish version of kafta, an egg is added to the mixture to help bind the ingredients and keep them moist.
• Grate the Onion. You want the onion to be diced really small, so I just use a box grater to do the job and drain the onion before adding it to the mixture.
• Spices. I love adding spice to my food, so for kaftas I use Baharat 7 Spice Blend, ground cinnamon, and ground cumin. You can either buy baharat blend from a Middle Eastern store, or order it online. You can also make your own blend, and I have a great recipe for you! Another option is to substitute it with allspice or just omit it altogether. I mean, I know people that season kafta with just salt and pepper.
• Use a Food Processor. To make the job easier, you can use a food processor or a small chopper to chop up the onion and parsley and add the meat to mix it all in. Be sure to add in the spices separately after removing the mixture from the food processor.
• Form the Kaftas into Even Shapes. Use your hands to press the kaftas into oblong shapes, I like to be precise and use Digital Kitchen Scales and do 1.7oz/50 grams each. So make sure that the meatballs are even in size for even cooking.
• If Your Kitchen is Hot, I recommend placing the meat mixture in the fridge as you preheat your grill. This makes the shaping of the meatball and skewering much easier.
• Do Not Overcook the Kaftas. Keep an eye on the kaftas as you cook them, you’re looking to cook them to medium and keep in mind that the cooking process will continue as you remove them from the grill/oven.
• Add Vegetables. For the full Middle Eastern experience, don’t forget to throw a few halved tomatoes and onions on the grill. They soften and char as they’re grilled and make a great side to your kafta meal.

Storing Tips

Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Gently reheat in the oven or air fryer until warmed through.

What To Serve With

Serve kafta for dinner with a side of Vermicelli Rice or Turmeric Rice, plain yogurt, grilled tomatoes, and Shirazi Salad or Tahini Salad. Yogurt Pasta is also delicious with this meal!

Or go the wrap route, and serve in pita or Yogurt Flatbreads with a dollop of Hummus, and fresh-cut vegetables like red onion, tomato, and cucumber.

Another great option is to make a rice bowl, serve kafta on a bed of Brown Rice, with Baba Ganoush, and a side of Tabbouleh Salad, a sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese, and some olives.

FAQs

Now you’re ready to add some spice to your life, and you’re a pro at making delicious beef kaftas! Let me know if you try this and make sure to Pin this recipe so more people can enjoy it too!