• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Panning The Globe
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
×
You are here: Home / Barbecue / Grilled Turkish Kofta Kebabs

Grilled Turkish Kofta Kebabs

August 18, 2015 Updated November 16, 2021 by Lisa 29 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
Grilled Kofta Kebabs Pin

Kofta Kebabs are a popular Middle Eastern delicacy: skewers of spiced-up ground lamb or beef, served with fresh vegetables, pita and garlicky yogurt sauce. Here's how to make authentic grilled Turkish Kofta Kebabs at home. 

six lamb kofta kebabs on skewers on a white rectangular platter decorated with parsley

KOFTA KEBABS IN ISTANBUL

When I was in Istanbul kebabs were everywhere: shish kebabs: grilled chunks of meat or chicken on a skewer; doner kebabs: meat cooked on a rotisserie and sliced off for serving; and kofta kebabs: ground lamb or beef shaped onto skewers and grilled.

They were served with tomatoes (raw or grilled), fresh parsley, assorted salad ingredients, seared peppers, rice or pita, and tahini or yogurt sauce - perfect complements to the rich, flavorful meats.

Here's an iPhone photos of one f my kebab dinners in Istanbul. It was as delicious as it looks!

Shish-kebab in Istanbul

When I returned from Istanbul I couldn't not stop dreaming about delicious kofta kebabs. I finally got around to developing a recipe and here it is! 

HOW TO MAKE KOFTA KEBABS

Kofta is a mix of ground meat, herbs and spices that's formed into a meatball or meatloaf. Kofta kebabs are formed around a skewer. These Turkish kofta kebabs can be made with either ground lamb or beef. I've done it both ways with great success.

The meat is mixed with finely chopped onion, parsley and spices. Next comes the fun part, shaping the kofta around the skewers.

making Turkish kofta kebabs

HOW TO SKEWER KOFTA

In Turkey I was intrigued by the unusual shape of the kofta kebabs - long and flat with ridges. I wondered how it was done. Now I know! It's not required that you do this, by the way. You can simply form a long sausage shape and flatten it a bit, and your kebabs will be just as delicious. But if you're up for trying the fancy technique, here's how to do it:

  • Keep a bowl of ice water handy to dip your hand in, if the meat starts to stick to you.
  • Slide a portion of meat onto the skewer and stand the skewer upright - pointy side down - holding the top with one hand.
  • Use the other hand form the meat into a long, ridged, sausage shape by gently squeezing it from top to bottom, and pressing the side of your thumb in as you go, to make the ridges.
  • Flip the skewer over and repeat the process, squeezing and ridging the other side. Keep flipping and repeating until you have a long, flat, ridged kebab.
  • If you want more instruction, check out this YouTube video.

BEST SKEWERS FOR KOFTA KEBABS

I highly recommend flat skewers for this recipe, if you can get them. The meat clings better and holds its shape. Here's the kind I use: flat stainless steel barbecue skewers or flat bamboo skewers.

how to make ridges in the kebab

HOW TO SERVE KOFTA KEBABS

I like to serve these kofta buffet-style, with the kebabs and warm pita on one platter, the fresh vegetables on another platter, and the garlicky yogurt sauce in a bowl on the side.Every Middle Eastern country has a version of grilled Kofta Kebabs. It's hard to imagine anything more delicious! Especially with garlicky yogurt sauce! This recipe shows you how to make authentic Turkish Kofta Kebabs at home.

This is a fantastic dish for entertaining. Set it all up and let people help themselves. It's always a big crowd pleaser with my friends and family.

Every Middle Eastern country has a version of grilled Kofta Kebabs. It's hard to imagine anything more delicious! Especially with garlicky yogurt sauce! This recipe shows you how to make authentic Turkish Kofta Kebabs at home.

If you like Turkish cuisine, here are a few other delicious Panning The Globe recipes to try:

• Turkish Sigara Börek: Crispy Feta Rolls
• Turkish Hot Layered Hummus
• Turkish Manti: Tiny Lamb-filled dumplings with three sauces
• Spicy Turkish Tapenade
Every Middle Eastern country has a version of grilled Kofta Kebabs. It's hard to imagine anything more delicious! Especially with garlicky yogurt sauce! This recipe shows you how to make authentic Turkish Kofta Kebabs at home.

Here's the type of skewers I recommend: flat stainless steel barbecue skewers or flat bamboo skewers.

For more great grilling recipes, check out this roundup of The 16 Best Foods To Grill This Weekend

If you try this recipe I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment and a rating. I'd love to know what you think!

Print

GRILLED TURKISH KOFTA KEBABS

Every Middle Eastern country has a version of grilled Kofta Kebabs. It's hard to imagine anything more delicious! Especially with garlicky yogurt sauce! This recipe shows you how to make authentic Turkish Kofta Kebabs at home.
Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.9 from 11 reviews

Grilled skewers of spiced-up ground lamb or beef, served Turkish style with fresh vegetables, pita and garlicky yogurt sauce.

  • Author: Lisa
  • Prep Time: 35 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 45 mins
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Barbecue
  • Cuisine: Turkish

Ingredients

Scale
  • You will need long 6 skewers, preferably flat (12 inches or more) or 12 shorter ones. If you use bamboo skewers, soak them in water first, for at least 30 minutes.
  • For the Garlicky Yogurt Sauce:
  • 1 ¼ cups plain Greek Yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 small garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
  • 1½ tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sumac (plus more for the meat and vegetables)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • For the Lamb:
  • 2 pounds ground lamb or beef
  • 1 small yellow onion, peeled and grated, blotted with towel to soak up excess liquid
  • 1 large bunch flat leaf parsley, just the leaves, divided
  • 3 tablespoons Urfa pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sumac, divided
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • For The Accompaniments:
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced in half through the core, each half sliced thinly
  • 1 english cucumber, washed and thinly sliced, crosswise
  • 1 red onion, peeled, slivered, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, drained
  • Parsley leaves (about 1 ½ cups or whatever's left of the bunch)
  • 12-18 romaine lettuce leaves (depending on size), washed
  • 3-6 pitas, sliced in half, warmed

Instructions

  1. Make the Garlicky Yogurt Sauce: Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Store in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
  2. Make the Kebabs: Finely chop ¼ cup of the parsley leaves. Set the rest aside for the salad.
  3. In a large bowl combine lamb, onion, chopped parsley, urfa pepper, 2 teaspoons sumac, and salt. Work the ingredients together with your hands for a couple of minutes until they are fully incorporated.
  4. Divide the meat mixture into 6 or 12 equal portions, depending on the size of your skewers. You can simply skewer them them squeeze them into long sausage shapes or you can try the ridge techqnique: Keep a bowl of ice water handy to dip your hand in, if the meat starts to stick to you. Slide a portion of meat onto the skewer and stand the skewer upright - pointy side down - holding the top with one hand. Use the other hand form the meat into a long, ridged, sausage shape by gently squeezing it from top to bottom, and pressing the side of your thumb in as you go, to make the ridges. Flip the skewer and repeat the process, squeezing and ridging the other side. Keep flipping and repeating until you have a long, flat, ridged kebab. Store the kebabs in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to grill.
  5. Arrange Accompaniments: Put tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, parsley and lettuce in piles on a platter. Sprinkle onions and cucumbers with ½ teaspoon sumac.
  6. Grill the Kebabs: Heat the grill to high. Charcoal grilling is more authentic but gas works well, too. Oil the grates of the grill to prevent sticking. Grill the kebabs for one minute on each side to seal them. Cook them for about 8 minutes longer, flipping them after 4 minutes. Turn off the grill and warm the pita on the hot grates for a few minutes, while you unskewer the kebabs.
  7. To Serve: Carefully remove skewers (they'll be hot!) and set meat on a platter with the warmed pitas. Serve with accompaniments and garlicky yogurt sauce. Divide remaining ½ teaspoon sumac, sprinkling some over meat and some over the yogurt sauce.

Notes

Nutrition calculation includes everything in the recipe except the pita bread.

Nutrition Information: The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and is not a substitute for the advice of a professional nutritionist.

Keywords: Grilled kofta kebabs, grilled spiced lamb or beef skewers, Turkish beef kebabs, Turkish lamb kebabs

 

« Quick Chicken Pizzaiola with Fresh Tomatoes
Perfect Manhattan Recipe »

Filed Under: All Recipes, Asia, Barbecue, Entertaining, Lunch and Brunch, main course, Most Popular Recipes, Special Features, Travel, Turkey Tagged With: beef, best entertaining recipes, kebabs, lamb

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Ingrid

    January 17, 2022 at 4:20 pm

    I have made these a few times. I used chipotle chilli pepper as a sub and added cinnamon. Deliciousness. Do not over cook the Kofta, it’s ok to be pink inside

    Reply
  2. Christine

    August 11, 2021 at 9:12 pm

    I made these with ground turkey and they were moist and elicious! Thanks for a great recipe.

    Reply
  3. Julie Larsen

    March 21, 2021 at 12:28 pm

    My dear neighbor who was married to a Turk would make Kofta and we would sip red wine around her island and eat the amazing dishes she prepared- Kofta being my favorite. She passed away this fall and I wanted to make Kofta in her memory. I saw your recipe and thought it sounded the most authentic. I prepared it last night- I didn’t do skewers I did small patties like my neighbor and grilled them on the BBQ using a thermometer to 160. My company LOVED them! I will absolutely do these again and again and remember Karen Ciliv, Bellevue WA. Many thanks Lisa!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Jeny

    January 27, 2021 at 2:35 pm

    Well what can I say ( JUST DEVINE )
    These are the best I have ever made absolutely well worth the effort browsing the internet looking for a decent recipe well here I have found it.
    Thankyou ever so much just so tasty I want more more more 😊😊
    While I am here do you have any nice chicken skewer recipes please
    Love jen from UK xx

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. alper

    May 21, 2020 at 8:35 am

    merhaba. bu kebabın adı ''adana kebap''. ülkemizde en çok sevilen kebaptır. size küçük bir tarif. soğanları tuzlu su ile yıkayın sonra sumak ve maydonozla karıştırın. tekrar türkiye'ye bekleriz.

    Reply
  6. Ben

    May 05, 2019 at 8:01 pm

    It was a pain to find the correct seasonings, but it was well worth the hassle! Grilled them up on my Kamado Joe and they were simply amazing.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  7. Sydney C.

    January 29, 2019 at 12:17 pm

    My mouth is watering just thinking of these...... I always thought I had the best kebabs in Greece. Who would've thought I could top that in my very own kitchen.

    Reply
  8. Elaine Carthy

    September 28, 2018 at 2:20 am

    Very good, a hit with the family. Only used half the lamb and plenty. Mixed the meat mixture evening before and flavours lovely. All enjoyed the sauce, really complemented the dish. England.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  9. S Bareham

    July 05, 2018 at 10:17 pm

    Brilliant recipe, works really well. Thank you very much, but I can't believe the yogurt you suggest is 'plain Greek yogurt'. This dish is accompanied by -as with most kebabs (if they are made with fattier meats), simply 'plain' or as we used to call i in the UK (and in the USA): Natural Yogurt. ...meaning something that will contrast with the fattiest. Th best natural yogurts in Turkey come from Silifke and Edirne - two totally different corners of the country!
    By adding strained yyogurt to this dish (I presume tha's what you mean by Greek yogurt - that newly invented term) yo are going to create 'cream on top of thick cream' effect!

    Keep up the good work, and thank you, again!

    SB

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  10. Deb Perugi

    April 27, 2018 at 10:35 pm

    For Boston folks....You can get sumac at World Market in Framngham’s Shopper’s World.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      April 28, 2018 at 2:25 am

      Thanks Deb!

      Reply
  11. Neva

    December 29, 2017 at 8:56 am

    I made a similar recipe but did not add onions. Mine came out v dry. I’m not sure if it’s because we bbq’d them for too long or whether I didn’t add onions OR if my mince wasn’t fatty enough. Any thoughts?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • GHASSAN

      January 06, 2019 at 10:11 am

      YOU NEED 20% FAT IN THE MEAT ..
      ONION IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR KABOBS

      Reply
  12. Rhonda

    August 18, 2016 at 2:02 am

    This was soooo good. I didn't have the spices so I used the substitutes. This is a keeper recipe and it is really fresh.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Ritta

      September 30, 2016 at 5:03 pm

      What can you sub the Urfa pepper with?

      Reply
      • Lisa

        October 01, 2016 at 8:27 am

        Urfa has moderate heat and it's a little smoky. I would suggest that you combine Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes with sweet (not hot) smoked paprika - half and half. You can also simplify and just use crushed red pepper flakes, which are easy to find, but they can be pretty hot so you should probably cut the amount in half if you do that.

  13. Eva

    July 31, 2016 at 6:53 am

    Another fantastic recipe. My husband said these were the best he's ever had.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      July 31, 2016 at 10:19 am

      Thanks for letting me know that you and your husband enjoyed the recipe so much Eva. I'm thrilled to hear it.

      Reply
  14. Tomy

    June 26, 2016 at 2:42 pm

    You should change the sauce to its real name. It's called tzatziki and are of Greek origin.

    Reply
    • Nadda

      July 17, 2017 at 5:00 pm

      Not actually true

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    • Andrea Laps

      September 15, 2017 at 12:26 pm

      In Turkish cuisine it's called cacik, pronounced "jajique."

      Reply
      • Sidney Bareham

        July 05, 2018 at 10:22 pm

        Which is of course the origin (and phonetically spelling) of how it entered into Greek language inn the 1930s: Tzatziki.

    • Matrix

      June 26, 2019 at 9:08 pm

      Gotta try this. May try adding some crunchy pine nuts. Bro-in-law is Mediterranean chef. Says to use ground beef with 20% fat. Serve with fresh rice.

      ★★★★

      Reply
  15. allie @ Through Her Looking Glass

    March 29, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    Lisa, these are gorgeous kofta kebabs and packed with flavor. I would love to make these using ground lamb.

    Reply
  16. Bali Tour

    October 17, 2015 at 7:51 pm

    Look Delicious
    Thank you for the recipe 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      October 18, 2015 at 11:58 am

      Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  17. KalynsKitchen

    August 22, 2015 at 8:46 pm

    Yes, I think visiting Istanbul expanded my concept of the word Kabob! I love the idea of making them with ground lamb. Sounds delicious.

    Reply
  18. Rachel (Rachel's Kitchen NZ)

    August 19, 2015 at 4:04 pm

    Always a favourite - love your yogurt sauce - look forward to giving this a try - thanks Lisa.

    Reply
  19. pete goldfinger

    August 18, 2015 at 3:13 pm

    I ate em...and they're awesome!

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Panning the Globe

Hi, I'm Lisa! I believe we can all make the world's most delicious dishes at home.
I'm excited to share with you hundreds of fabulous, globally inspired recipes to feed your family and entertain your friends.

More about me →

MOST POPULAR RECIPES

  • Ottolenghi's Roast Chicken with Za'atar and Sumac
  • Award Winning White Chicken Chili
  • Eddie's Award Winning Chili
  • Indian Lamb Biryani
  • The Best Easy Ratatouille Recipe
  • Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowl with Spinach and Avocado
  • Healthy Shepherd's Pie
  • Senegalese Chicken Yassa

MORE POPULAR RECIPES

STAY ON TOP OF WHAT’S COOKING

Subscribe to our free newsletter and get the newest recipes and seasonal menu ideas sent directly to your inbox.

Footer

LET'S CONNECT!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Footer

↑ back to top

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Browse

  • Contact
  • All Recipes
  • Quick & Easy Recipes
  • Side Dish Recipes

COPYRIGHT © 2019 · LISA GOLDFINGER AND PANNING THE GLOBE · ALL TEXT, RECIPES, CONTENT AND IMAGES ON THIS SITE ARE THE SOLE PROPERTY OF LISA GOLDFINGER AND PANNING THE GLOBE.

PRIVACY POLICY · CONTACT ME · SUBSCRIBE

  • 231
23884 shares