Middle Eastern Kofta
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Ready to take your taste buds on an adventure? This flavorful Middle Eastern kofta, packed with minced vegetables, nuts, herbs, and spices, is a must for summer cookouts!
Kofta is a Middle Eastern dish made from ground lamb or beef mixed with onions, garlic, and spices. The meat mixture is shaped into balls, patties, or logs, then grilled and served with pita, salad, hummus, and tahini sauce. There are endless variations of kofta throughout the Middle East—I have a fantastic recipe for Persian kofta in my first cookbook—but I learned this version from a kebab maker in the Old City of Jerusalem. His secret was adding minced vegetables, toasted nuts, herbs, and spices to the meat, giving the kofta a deep, complex flavor. Think beyond grilled chicken and burgers; this is what you should be serving at your cookouts this summer!
“This was outstanding! I made this last night in a grill pan and already passed the recipe along to a bunch of friends and family. This is definitely company-worthy.”
What You’ll Need To Make Middle Eastern Kofta
- Pine nuts, almonds, and walnuts: These nuts add a rich, nutty flavor that enhances the texture and complexity of the kofta.
- Yellow onion and garlic: These aromatics provide a savory flavor base and add moisture to the kofta.
- Red bell pepper and jalapeño pepper: The red bell pepper adds a touch of sweetness, while the jalapeño pepper brings a mild heat.
- Cilantro: This fresh herb adds a bright, aromatic element, giving the kofta a fresh and vibrant taste.
- Ground lamb (or Ground Beef): Lamb offers a rich, distinctive flavor that is slightly gamey, which pairs wonderfully with Middle Eastern spices. Its higher fat content makes the kofta juicy and succulent. Beef provides a milder flavor compared to lamb, making it a great option for those who prefer a less intense taste.
- Cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves: These spices add warmth, depth, and an authentic Middle Eastern flavor to the kofta.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, place the nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
Pulse until finely chopped but not pasty.
Transfer the nuts to a small dry skillet over medium heat; cook, stirring frequently, until the nuts are lightly browned and fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes. Set aside to cool. (But don’t leave the nuts in the pan, as the residual heat may cause them to burn.)
Place the onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, and cilantro in the bowl of the food processor (no need to clean it first).
Pulse until the vegetables are finely minced but not puréed.
Set a fine sieve over a bowl. Transfer the minced vegetables to the sieve and use a rubber spatula to press out as much liquid as possible.
In a large bowl, combine the minced veggies, nuts, lamb, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, salt, and white pepper.
Using your hands, mash the mixture together until evenly combined.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Form the mixture into patties about 2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick (they will puff up on the grill to look like meatballs). Place on the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates. Place the kofta on the grill and cook, covered, until browned, about 4 minutes per side or until cooked through.
Serve the kofta with warm pita and accompaniments and enjoy!
You May Also Like
Middle Eastern Kofta
Ready to take your taste buds on an adventure? This flavorful Middle Eastern kofta, packed with minced vegetables, nuts, herbs, and spices, is a must for summer cookouts!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup each pine nuts, almonds, and walnuts (total ¾ cup)
- 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, roughly chopped (see note)
- ½ cup cilantro leaves, gently packed (okay to substitute parsley)
- 2 pounds ground lamb or (80% lean ground beef)
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- Tzatziki and hummus, for serving
Instructions
- Place the nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until finely chopped but not pasty. Transfer the nuts to a small dry skillet over medium heat; cook, stirring frequently, until the nuts are lightly browned and fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes. Pour the nuts into mixing bowl large enough to hold all of the ingredients, and set aside to cool. (Don't leave the nuts in the pan, as the residual heat may cause them to burn.)
- Place the onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, and cilantro in the bowl of the food processor (no need to clean it first). Pulse until the vegetables are finely minced but not puréed. Set a fine sieve over a medium bowl. Transfer the minced vegetables to the sieve and use a rubber spatula to press out as much liquid as possible. Add the strained vegetable mixture to the bowl with the nuts.
- To the veggies and nuts, add the lamb (or beef), cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, salt, and white pepper. Using your hands, mash the mixture together until evenly combined.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Form the mixture into patties about 2 inches in diameter and ½-inch thick (they will puff up on the grill to look like meatballs). Place on the baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates. Place the kofta on the grill and cook, covered, until browned, about 4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Serve with tzatziki and hummus.
- Note: If you like your kofta spicy, reserve some of the seeds from the jalapeño pepper and add them with the vegetables. Also, be sure to wash your hands well after handling hot peppers, and do not touch your eyes while working with them.
- Make-Ahead: The patties can be made and refrigerated up to two days ahead of time.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The uncooked patties can be frozen for up to three months. (Freeze the patties on a baking sheet or plate so their shape sets, then transfer them to a sealable plastic bag for easy storage.) Defrost the burgers overnight in the refrigerator prior to serving and then cook as directed.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Serving size: 4 meatballs
- Calories: 438
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated fat: 14 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Sodium: 382 mg
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Made three batches for a party and everyone was duly impressed! Used a 50/50 mixture of lamb and beef.
Hey, Jenn! Have you seen the cost of pine nuts lately (for the kofta). What’s a good substitute? Yours is my goto site for truly tasty cooking.
So glad you like the recipes! You can just replace the pine nuts with more almonds or walnuts. Enjoy!
Thank you Jenn — again — for adding a new recipe to my ‘go to’ list! We made this recipe with ground beef instead of lamb, but otherwise followed the recipe and it was delicious. Will definitely make again!
My boyfriend hates me for coining the term “JTJ” i.e. Just Trust Jenn. But Thank you for another incredible recipe, and your cookbook just arrived so I greatly look toward to trying the the Persian kofta version!
LOL — I’m so flattered! 💗
I loved this.Very delicious.
Hi, I can’t find ground cardamom anywhere – what would you suggest instead please?
Hi Julie, you can replace it with more cinnamon. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn! Can’t wait to make this tonight! If replacing cardamom with more cinnamon, how much more cinnamon … 1/4 teaspoon as called for the cardamom? So that would mean 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon altogether?
Absolutely love all of your recipes! They are amazing! Already made your hummus and tzatziki sauce to pair with this tonight!
Hi Sharon, I’m not sure why I suggested that – thinking about it again, I worry the cinnamon flavor might overwhelm, so I would just omit the cardamom. It will still be delicious. Glad you enjoy the recipes!
Do you think this would taste ok with ground venison?
Hi Linsey, I’ve never made these with venison so I can’t say for sure, but I think they’ll come out nicely. 🙂
Hey Linsey – I was planning to make these with Venison this week – did you try it? How did it come out?
She can call it Israeli if she was inspired by Israeli people or recipes. It doesn’t matter.
So delicious! I did not have almonds so I used pistachios instead and it worked great. I will definitely use this recipe again!
I made the lamb kofta/meatballs for a Greek themed party last night. Lots of recipe requests!
Delicious!