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Middle Eastern Beef Kofta with Creamy Za’atar Dressing

April 16, 2024 By Jessica 2 Comments

Beef Kofta is a main dish that is infused with fragrant spices and then baked or grilled. It’s super delish, I know you’re gonna love it. This meal was originally developed in the Middle East, but with such popularity you can now find it in multiple countries.

Beef Kofta

I’ve got a few recipes on this plate, but today we are focusing on the little rounds of beef goodness. You can form them into meatballs or patties, or whatever shape your little heart desires. The real star is the blend of spices here… it’s absolutely phenomenal. I honestly could eat this on a weekly basis. They are prefect on their own, inside a warm pita or Garlic Naan, slathered with homemade sauce, alongside Turmeric Rice, or as a protein for salad. There’s so many options!! As you can see, I prefer a little bit of each. 😉

WATCH ME MAKE THIS ON THE GRAM!

Beef Kofta

INGREDIENTS FOR BEEF KOFTA:

While I leave my garlic and onion more on the chunky side, you can also grate them so they’re smooth. Both ways are delicious. I personally just like the texture when they’re chunky.

  • Ground Beef
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Cumin
  • Coriander
  • Cinnamon
  • Sumac
  • Parsley
  • Salt + Black Pepper

You can also make this with ground lamb, or a mix of beef and lamb for a more traditional recipe. At first the cinnamon might seem a bit weird, but trust me. The flavors together are soooo good!

Beef Kofta

VARIATIONS FOR COOKING BEEF KOFTA:

I like the oven method for convenience since it’s a little hands-off, but there are several ways you can cook these gems.

  • Mold the meat around skewers and grill.
  • Cook them in the air fryer.
  • Place on a skillet and pan fry.
  • Mold around skewers and cook over an open flame.

As long as the beef kofta reaches an internal temperature of 160F, go ahead and cook these however you’d like!

Beef Kofta

MORE BEEF RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE:

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Hearty Comforting Pasta Bolognese

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One-Pan Mexican Rice Casserole with Ground Beef

Classic Lasagna (3 Generation Family Recipe!)

Lusty Reuben Sandwich with a Cheese Blanket Crust

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Beef and Mushroom Lasagna Soup

Meatball Stuffed Mexican Torta Sandwiches

Cream Cheese Layered Taco Dip with Fiesta Ground Beef

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VIEW ALL RECIPES BY CLICKING HERE!

Beef Kofta

5.0 from 1 reviews
Middle Eastern Beef Kofta with Creamy Za'atar Dressing
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Total time
25 mins
 
Beef Kofta is a main dish that is infused with fragrant spices and then baked or grilled. It's super delish, I know you're gonna love it.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
FOR THE BEEF KOFTA:
  • 1 lb. Ground Beef
  • 3 Garlic Cloves
  • ¼ Yellow or Red Onion, chopped
  • ¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 tsp. Cumin
  • 1 tsp. Coriander
  • ¼ tsp. Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. Sumac
  • ¼ cup Chopped Parsley
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • ¼ tsp. Ground Black Pepper
TO MAKE CREAMY ZA'ATAR DRESSING:
  • ½ cup Mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
  • 2 tbsp. Tahini
  • 2 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. Za'atar
  • ½ tsp. Paprika
  • 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  • ½ tsp. Onion Powder
  • 1 tbsp. Lemon Juice
  • Salt + Black Pepper, to taste
  • 1 - 2 tbsp. Milk, for a thinning the dressing
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
  2. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and form into 12 meatballs.
  3. Bake for 13 minutes on a prepared baking sheet, or until the center has reached 160F. If desired, set the broiler at the end for 2 minutes to create a slight char.
  4. While the kofta bakes, go ahead and whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing. Add milk, as desired, to make the dressing thinner.
  5. Serve immediately with sides of choice.
3.5.3251
 

NOTES ON THIS RECIPE:

  • I buy my sumac on Amazon, this brand is my favorite. It’s the same brand I use for the za’atar as well.
  • Like I mentioned above, I like to serve mine with turmeric rice, toasted pita, and a side salad with the za’atar dressing. I’ll also make tzatziki sauce to dip on the side. You can grab my personal recipe for that in this blog post.
  • If you don’t have lemon juice for the Za’atar Dressing, you can swap that with white wine vinegar.
  • Any leftovers should be kept refrigerated in sealed containers and consumed within 2 – 3 days.

Beef Kofta


PIN THIS FOR LATER:


Beef Kofta

 

 

 

Filed Under: Beef & Pork, Keto & Low Carb, Main Dishes

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Comments

  1. Tom Conigliaro

    May 30, 2024 at 8:41 pm

    I made this recipe n cut the meat n put it into pits bread with the dressing and some raw onions and tomatoes.Tasted like a gyro imo

    Reply
    • Jessica

      May 31, 2024 at 9:15 am

      Yup, they taste very similar. Except gyro meat is cooked in a vertical rotisserie and shaved. Glad to hear you liked this dish! Thanks for stopping by and trying one of my recipes 🙂

      Reply

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