Beef Kofta on the Traeger

Is there anything better than a meal that comes together quickly and tastes incredible? Beef Kofta is made with simple ingredients like onion, garlic, parsley, and some middle-eastern spices and it boasts a ton of flavour.

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What is Kofta?

Kofta is one of those dishes that has roots in dozens of countries throughout the Middle East, Central Asia, the Balkans, and north Africa¹. They’re made using your meat of choice (typically beef or lamb) and mixed with spices and aromatics – though many countries will use eggs, rice, or wheat products as a binder. Kofta can be made into small meatballs, flattened short patties (like mini meatloaf) or long cylinders. They can be grilled, baked, pan-fried, or even poached and steamed!

This version is a beef kofta kebab, spiced simply with onion, garlic, fresh parsley, and a few spices like cumin, coriander, paprika, and cayenne. Served with tzatziki or your favourite yogurt sauce on a fresh pita with a Mediterranean salad.

Why I Love This Recipe (and you will too!)

Kofta only takes 45-50 minutes start to finish, give or take a couple min. Half of that is resting/marinating time, so that extra time can be spent making a side salad or yogurt sauce.

This is super easy to prep ahead of time if you have a busy schedule. Often I will make this before running an errand or going to the gym, then when we get home it just takes 23 min (plus the time to preheat the Traeger). The yogurt and salad can be prepped ahead of time as well.

Beef kofta kebabs are simple and fresh with incredible flavour. The fresh parsley is a must! Don’t skip it. It adds so much flavour to the meat. This is one of those ground beef recipes that we keep coming back to.

Tips for Success

• Use a higher fat ratio ground meat. Use regular or lean ground beef with a fat content of 15-20% for the most success. Extra-lean will lack flavour and may dry out on the grill.
• Let the meat mixture rest. Not only does this improve FLAVOUR but it helps the meat stick to your skewer.
• Don’t overwork the meat. The more you work it, the tougher it will get. All you need is a minute to work the ingredients in until they’re distributed evenly.
• Freshness = flavour. Use fresh parsley, onions, and garlic (not dried) for the best flavour!
• Do not turn/rotate while cooking until it’s ready. Trying to turn the skewers too early may lead to the meat falling off the skewer! Let it cook enough to set and cling to the skewer.

How to Make Beef Kofta on the Traeger

Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine 1 lb ground beef, ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 small onion (grated), 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp ground coriander, ¼-½ cayenne, 1 tsp fine sea salt, and ½ tsp ground black pepper.

Step 2: Use your hands to work the ingredients and “knead” the aromatics into the meat. Flipping it over itself multiple times and squishing the ingredients between your fingers works the best. Do not overwork – this should only take a minute. Cover and set aside to rest for at least 20 minutes or up to overnight. Rest allows the flavours to mingle and the meat to stay on the skewer better.

Preheat your Traeger 15-20 minutes before you plan to start cooking.

Step 3: Divide the mixture into 4 and shape into a log 6″/15 cm long. Thread the skewer through the log lengthwise and press all around to conform. Make sure it’s nice and centered so it doesn’t fall off. Add the skewers to the pre-heated Traeger. Close the lid and cook for 13 minutes undisturbed.

Step 4: After 13 minutes, flip/roll the skewers over, rotating if necessary to ensure even cooking/browning. Cook an additional 10-12 minutes until they reach 165°F on an instant read thermometer.

Step 5: Once the kofta reach 165°F internal (careful not to hit the skewer), remove from the Traeger and let the kofta rest for a couple minutes to cool a bit before digging in.

Step 6: Enjoy with warm pita, tzatziki, cucumber tomato salad, pilaf, or a mezze platter.

Reheating Instructions:

Remove from the skewers and reheat in the microwave, rotating and cutting in half or quarters to evenly heat. Otherwise you could toss on the grill again for a few minutes each side or throw in a frying pan with a small amount of water with a lid and steam them.

Looking for more Mediterranean recipes?

• Lemon Herb Rice Pilaf
• Saffron Chicken Skewers with Herb Yogurt Sauce
• Moroccan Rice Pilaf
• Authentic Greek Tzatziki

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kofta ↩︎