This Lebanese recipe comes courtesy of Steve’s colleague and good friend, Ibrahim. He was the one to introduce us to Arab food and culture when we lived in Ottawa. We have been making this quick and tasty kafta recipe since 2006 and it is always a crowd pleaser!
Traditionally, a Kafta is a “finger-shaped” skewer made of lamb and beef. We skip the lamb and the skewers. And we always grill it for maximum flavor, but it can be baked too. The great thing about this recipe is that it converts easily into burgers. Just shape the meat mix into patties and serve with brioche buns.
You can keep it simple by serving Kafta on a pita bread topped with hummus or make it a complete meal by adding a delicious Fattoush salad.
RECIPE
A QUICK AND TASTY LEBANESE KAFTA
Ready in 20 minutes.
Serves 4 people.
INGREDIENTS
- 1-1.5 lbs of ground beef
- I medium onion- finely chopped
- ¼ – ½ cup fresh chopped parsley
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
PREPARATION
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together.
- Shape into a finger-shaped roll. Yields 8-10 rolls depending on the quantity of meat
- Barbecue on medium-high for about 8-10 minutes total, rotating the meat every 2-3 minutes on three sides. Do not overcook or the meat will be dry.
- Serve with Pita bread and Hummus.
TIPS
For a more intense flavor, I use ½ tsp of each spice.
I also serve it with Lebanese pickled turnips that I pick up in the ethnic section of my grocery store.
For a complete and healthy meal, serve with a Fattoush salad – see my recipe here.
I hope you enjoy this easy kafta recipe as much as we do.
Thanks for stopping by!
