Grilled Kofta
These Whole30 Grilled Kofta are made with a combination of ground beef and lamb plus lots of rich aromatic spices. These 30-minute easy to make skewers are served alongside a creamy lemon tahini sauce for dipping. These Kofta are Whole30, Paleo, Keto, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.
Kofta is one of my favourite things to order at a Middle Eastern restaurant. I love the combination of rich spices that go so well with the ground beef and lamb. Although the list of ingredients for these kofta might seem long, they are all basic ingredients that you more than likely already have in your kitchen or pantry. I like the combination of beef and lamb, but feel free to use just one or the other depending on what you have on hand. They are served with a creamy lemon and tahini sauce that is perfect for dipping or drizzling overtop.
Tips for making these Whole30 Grilled Kofta:
- Using wood skewers? Don’t forget to soak the wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes before adding the meat, this will prevent them from burning. I put the skewers in a tall water bottle filled with water to ensure they remain submerged when soaking.
- Don’t have skewers? You can roll the ground meat mixture into a football shape and flatten slightly then grill.
- Don’t make the kofta too fat: Making the kofta meat long and thin will ensure that it cooks evenly. I would recommend aiming for 1 inch in thickness.
- Wet your hands: after moulding the ground meat mixture around the skewers, wet your hands and gently run them over the meat to smooth the surface. This doesn’t impact how they cook, but makes them look better once grilled.
How to cook these Whole30 Grilled Kofta:
- Barbecue: The ideal way to cook the Kofta. Grill the kofta on medium high heat for a total of 8 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes.
- Grill Pan on the Stovetop: Grease the grill pan and place it on the stove on medium high heat. Cook the meat for 8-10 minutes turning frequently to ensure it browns on all sides.
- Sandwich Press: I like using the sandwich press because it creates the nice grill marks. If cooking on a sandwich press I would recommend leaving the top open, I find the pressure of lid on the meat causes a lot of the moisture to come out and can result in dry meat.
- Oven: Place the kofta skewers on a parchment paper lined baking tray and bake at 425º Fahrenheit (220º degrees Celsius) for 20 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and broil for 3-4 minutes until the meat develops a golden colour but be sure to keep a close eye on them to ensure that they don’t burn.
I like serving the Grilled Kofta with Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad and lemon tahini sauce on the side for dipping. They would also be delicious served on a light salad with cucumber and tomatoes, or in a lettuce cup with Dairy Free Tzatziki or Roasted Zucchini Hummus, thinly sliced red onion and tomatoes. Alternatively you could make these Kofta on small skewers and serve them as an appetizer with the tahini sauce on the side for dipping.
What you can serve with this Kofta:
- Tabbouleh Salad
- Baba Ganoush
- Herby Couscous Stuffed Eggplant Rolls
- Greek Couscous Salad
- Dairy Free Tzatziki
- Garlic & Herb Grilled Eggplant
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Grilled Kofta
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground lamb
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion grated on a cheese grater
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp coriandor
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 tsp salt
Tahini Lemon Sauce
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the ground beef and lamb, grated onion and chopped parsley. Add in the minced garlic, all of the spices and salt using your hands mix everything together, making sure that the spices are well distributed throughout.
- Divide the meat mixture into 6 equal portions and form them into long thin shapes around the skewers. Wet your hands and gently roll the koftas on a clean surface to make them evenly thin and smooth.
- Heat a grill to medium high heat or alternatively turn on a sandwich press and lightly grease. Place the kofta on the grill and leave to cook for a total of 8 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes to ensure they cook evenly and brown on all sides.
- While the kofta are cooking prepare the tahini lemon sauce. In a blender combine the tahini, garlic, lemon juice and water and blend until smooth. Add a splash more water if the sauce is still too thick, it should have a very light consistency.
- Serve the Kofta garnished with chopped parsley and the tahini lemon sauce drizzled over top or on the side for dipping.
Can I substitute ground pork for the lamb in this recipe?
Yes definitely!
This is amazing! I can’t wait to make it again. Thanks for your delicious recipes that are easy and impressive too!
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Fabulous meal. I used 454 grams of beef and 454 grams lamb. Added a bit more spice. Very delish! hate grating onions so just chopped finely together with the parsley and garlic in the cuisinart.
We loved these!