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Kafta served with fresh pita and salad
Authentic Middle Eastern Kafta minced meat skewers

Middle Eastern kafta

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses
Kafta is the fragrant favourite of Middle Eastern streets and homes. This is no simple meatball: the meat, onion, and abundance of fresh herbs are worked so finely that the texture becomes almost creamy after cooking. The secret lies in the balance of spices and the thorough kneading of the meat, which prevents the skewered meat from falling apart and ensures it cooks into a juicy, resilient log.
🕒 Prep Time 20 mins
🍳 Cook Time 10 mins
⌛ Total Time 30 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 350 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Middle Eastern

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Large bowl for kneading
  • Grill skewers (wooden or metal)
  • Griddle pan

Allergen Information

⚠️ Cereals containing gluten (pita)
⚠️ Milk (yoghurt)

Instructions

1 ✓

Grate the onion and thoroughly squeeze out its juice in a sieve or with your hands.

Tip: Onion juice is acidic and watery, which would make the meat soggy and cause it to fall off the skewer.
2 ✓

Place the meat in a bowl with the squeezed onion, parsley, garlic, and spices. Knead vigorously with your hands for 3-4 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky and uniform.

Tip: Mechanical action (kneading) releases meat proteins (myosin), which will act as glue to hold the kafta together. (Protein restructuring).
3 ✓

With wet hands, form the meat into cylinders around the skewers. Press well to ensure it adheres.

Tip: Water on your hands prevents the fatty meat from sticking to you.
4 ✓

Heat the griddle pan to medium-high heat, brush thinly with oil. Cook the skewers for 2-3 minutes per side, about 8-10 minutes in total, until browned all over and cooked through.

Tip: Don't turn too early; wait until a crust forms and it releases from the metal by itself.
5 ✓

Serve with warm pita and cooling yoghurt.

Tip: The contrast between the hot, spiced meat and the cold, tart yoghurt is the key.

Recipe FAQ

The meat falls off the skewer.
There could be two reasons: you left too much water in the onion (squeeze it out!), or you didn't knead the meat long enough to bind (proteins act as glue).
Can I cook it in the oven?
Yes, at 200°C for about 15 minutes, but the smoky grill flavour will be missing.

Ingredients

  • 500 g Beef mince (or Lamb, higher fat)
  • 1 head Onion (finely grated, juice squeezed out)
  • 1 bunch Fresh parsley (very finely chopped)
  • 2 cloves Garlic (crushed)
  • 1 tsp Ground coriander
  • 1 tsp Ground cumin
  • 0.5 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 0.5 tsp Pepper
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil
  • 4 pcs Pita bread
  • 200 g Greek yoghurt (for serving)