Cooking and Meal Prep Recipes Middle Eastern Grilled Kofta Kebabs By Team Verywell Fit Team Verywell Fit Our team is passionate about being a resource for credible and up-to-date information on all nutrition and exercise topics. Learn about our editorial process Updated on January 28, 2022 Medically reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and nutrition and exercise healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, LDN Medically reviewed by Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, LDN LinkedIn Twitter Kristy is a licensed registered dietitian nutritionist and trained culinary professional. She has worked in a variety of settings, including MSKCC and Rouge Tomate. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Philip Wilkins / Photolibrary / Getty Images (64 ratings) Total Time: 18 min Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 8 min Servings: 4 Nutrition Highlights (per serving) 197 calories 12g fat 3g carbs 18g protein Show Nutrition Label Hide Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings: 4 Amount per serving Calories 197 % Daily Value* Total Fat 12g 15% Saturated Fat 5g 25% Cholesterol 63mg 21% Sodium 1178mg 51% Total Carbohydrate 3g 1% Dietary Fiber 1g 4% Total Sugars 0g Includes 0g Added Sugars 0% Protein 18g Vitamin D 0mcg 0% Calcium 51mg 4% Iron 3mg 17% Potassium 314mg 7% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. Kofta kebabs are a popular dish originating from Turkish cuisine. They are made from ground meat, including beef, lamb, mutton, or veal, and are highly spiced with traditional seasonings. This easy recipe has a nice amount of heat that you can adjust to your tastes. These kebabs contain many herbs and spices that contain studied beneficial properties including antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects. Ingredients Oil for the grill 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder) 1 pound 80% lean ground beef 1 tbsp ground coriander seed 1 tsp ground cumin seed 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp allspice 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/8 tsp of cayenne or other hot pepper (or a little Harissa paste) 3 tbsp onion, finely minced (or 2 teaspoons onion powder) 3 tbsp parsley, chopped 1 1/2 tsp salt Preparation If you plan to use wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 1 hour and remove them when you're ready to use them. Lightly oil the grates on your grill and preheat for about 20 minutes on medium-high. Mash the garlic into a paste with the flat side of your knife or with a mortar and pestle. Squeeze any water out of the meat. In a large bowl, mix the garlic in with the meat, coriander seed, cumin seed, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, black pepper, cayenne, onion, parsley, and salt. Mix until well-blended. Mold into long meatballs, about 3 to 4 inches long and 1-1/2 inches in diameter, and put on skewers to grill. (Skewers are totally optional.) Grill the kebabs on medium high for about 4 minutes. Turn over and grill for another 3 to 4 minutes. Variations and Substitutions These kebabs can be made with any ground meat or ground meat blend, including the traditional lamb, though the nutrition information will be different.If you don't have kabob sticks, you can simply form the meat into oblong patties instead.You can adjust the cayenne or hot pepper to taste for more or less heat. Cooking and Serving Tips Try mincing your onion and garlic in a food processor and then adding everything else into the processor and mixing well. Go ahead and make the kebabs ahead of time. When you're finished, put them on a baking sheet and cover. Refrigerate for up to 12 hours before grilling. To save money, buy your spices in bulk at a health food store, Middle Eastern, or Asian market. It's easiest to mix all the ingredients together, but you might find that the flavors come out a little more if you warm the spices in about a tablespoon of olive oil until they sizzle. Try serving with tzatziki with mint, a yogurt-cucumber side dish, and a salad. These kebabs are also delicious served with pita bread or flatbread, lettuce, tomato, and yogurt. Another tasty option is to serve the kebabs over rice with a variety of dipping sauces. Rate this Recipe You've already rated this recipe. Thanks for your rating! 1 Source Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Vázquez-Fresno R, Rosana AR, Sajed T, Onookome-Okome T, Wishart NA, Wishart DS. Herbs and spices- Biomarkers of intake based on human intervention studies – A systematic review. Genes & Nutrition. 2019;14(1). doi:10.1186/s12263-019-0636-8 By Team Verywell Fit At Verywell Fit, we are dedicated to empowering you with the best answers to your most pressing questions, from healthy eating to exercise and everything in between. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from companies that partner with and compensate Verywell Fit for displaying their offer. These partnerships do not impact our editorial choices or otherwise influence our editorial content.