If food is my love language, Middle Eastern food embraces me when I’m longing for home. No, I didn’t grow up in a Middle Eastern household, but two of my best friends growing up were Chaldean (Christian Iraqi).
I remember wanting to eat dinner at their house as often as possible because I loved all of the flavors so much. I lost touch with them after grade school, but Middle Eastern flavors still take me back to Metro Detroit and the Lebanese restaurants that exist in the area. Honestly, in the area where we owned our sticks and bricks house before hitting the road, you could get delicious shawarma or falafel sandwiches at the gas station down the road or have an outstanding Middle Eastern feast in a white tablecloth Persian restaurant in the swankiest of neighborhoods.
I’ve cooked and eaten lamb dishes all of my life, but changing to a Keto/low carb lifestyle, switching up proteins is one way for us to have more variety. Plus, some say lamb is more digestible than beef. With all of these factors weighing in on my meal planning, we’ve eaten lamb a few ways lately. But in my opinion, there’s nothing quite like lamb kafta.
What do you pair with lamb kofta?
- Chopped fattoush salad
- Greek salad
- Tabbouleh
- Lebanese green beans with tomatoes
- Hummus
- Rice Pilaf
- Couscous
- Tahini Sauce
- Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
This lamb kofta recipe is based on Saveur magazine’s recipe from a few years ago. I hope you’ll enjoy it every bit as much as we do!
Lamb or Beef Kofta Kebabs Recipe
Based in part on a recipe from Saveur Magazine, this recipe satisfies my cravings for Lebanese kafta that I used to love ordering at my favorite Lebanese restaurant.
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Grater
- 1 pound Ground Lamb (or Ground Beef, or combination of both)
- 1 small White Onion (grated on a box grater (liquid squeezed out))
- 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tbsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ground Allspice (optional)
- 1 tsp Aleppo Pepper
- 1/2 cup Parsley (chopped fresh (optional))
- 1/4 cup Sundried Tomatoes (choppped (optional))
- 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Form meat into 2-inch oval shape
Chill meat while preparing a salad or other side dishes and before grilling.
Grill over a medium-hot fire, turning frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the kofta has cooked through.
I love this Kofta! Consider serving it with tahini sauce, hummus, or a chopped fattoush salad.
