These savory beef kafta patties are made with ground sirloin, onion, fresh parsley, and traditional Lebanese spices. Perfect on the grill or under the broiler.
If you aren’t familiar with beef kafta (called kofta in some Middle Eastern countries), it’s basically the Lebanese meatball. And in my household, they disappear when I make them as my boys practically inhale them. Made with traditional Lebanese spices, my Grilled Lebanese Beef Kafta Patties are a great way to enter the world of Middle Eastern food and explore the warm and delicious flavors.
Ingredients
- Ground beef: I use ground sirloin, but you could use ground chuck or even lamb or turkey!
- Onion: White onion is pretty mild, but still adds great flavor and moisture to the patties.
- Parsley: Bright, somewhat peppery, and classic to the kafta dish.
- Lebanese spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice are all warm, woodsy spices that are slightly sweet. They’re a great source of antioxidants and cinnamon specifically has been linked to lower blood sugar.
How to Make Grilled Lebanese Beef Kafta Patties
Start your Grilled Lebanese Beef Kafta Patties by putting your ground beef in a large food processor.
Next add your fresh parsley and onion, cut into wedges.
Then add the cinnamon and allspice.
Followed by the nutmeg and some salt and pepper to taste.
Pulse blend until combined and the onion and parsely are broken up throughout the meat.
Next, use wet or oiled hands to form 12 evenly sized patties.
Take them out to the grill and cook them on high heat for 2-3 mintues per side.
Garnish with additional parsley, and enjoy your Grilled Lebanese Beef Kafta Patties!
Frequently asked questions:
What do you serve with beef kafta?
We love serving these patties with raw onion and bulgur or Lebanese rice pilaf, but many serve it with hummus in a pita, or served with Cucumber Laban Yogurt Sauce.
How do you shape a kafta?
I mimic the shape of a burger patty usually, but you can also make them long, oval shaped and skewer them on a kebab.
Can I freeze cooked kafta?
If you want to make them ahead and freeze them, I’d recommend freezing the formed patty before cooking. Then grill or broil the frozen patty when ready to eat it.
More LEbanese Recipes
- Lebanese Rice Bowls with Hummus
- Shish Tawook Chicken
- Lebanese Green Beans with Tomatoes
- Lebanese Hindbeh
- Vegan Tomato Kibbeh
Eat It, LIke It, Share it!
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For a taste of classic Lebanese flavor, you can’t go wrong with my Grilled Lebanese Beef Kafta Patties. Serve it over rice pilaf like I did, or wrapped in a pita with some hummus. Let me know how you chose to serve it in a comment!
Your fork is waiting.
Grilled Lebanese Beef Kafta Patties
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pre-heat grill or broiler to high heat.
- Place all ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender and pulse until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
- Using wet hands, form into 12 evenly sized, small patties.
- Spray grill with non-stick grilling spray and grill patties for 2-3 minutes per side, turning once for medium-rare. Cook longer for well done.
- Serve over bulgur wheat or rice pilaf.
I made these into 16 meatballs and this might be weird but with the parsley, they were the prettiest meatballs I think I’ve ever made. I also rarely use allspice so the combination of nutmeg, onion, and allspice was so nice. Thank you for a lovely recipe! I need to cook more Lebanese food it seems.
Oh my goodness I’m so glad you enjoyed!
My son is going to love this! And it seems so simple compared to the other recipe I usually use. Can’t wait to give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
Let me know what he thinks Wanda!
We always have raw onion with beef!!! I bet you do too. :)
Man, do these look scrumptious, Liz! I’d love to try them on a bed of rice, smothered with that yogurt sauce. And I’m talkin’ smothered. We’re big tzatziki fans over here!
Amazing flavors!
Hm, Middle Eastern recipe that I have everything for OR already have ingredients for on my grocery list? Count me in!
Boyfriend and I had these burger-style, and they were delicious! He especially liked how the patties had all the flavors in them ready to go — no need for condiments.
Oh I’m so glad to hear it!!
I know what you mean, my 3 boys eat meat like little cavemen! With the spices going on in these patties my kids (and myself) are sure to love them!
These may be going on the grill this weekend! Even though I absolutely love them, I don’t use Lebanese spices nearly enough with meat. Delicious!
Thank you, Liz, for the nice recipe. Have a Happy Day!
This sounds fabulous, Liz!
My mouth is watering just reading the ingredients in these. Amazing!