Simple ingredients, complex flavors! This beef kofta recipe takes just 15 minutes to prep, but the flavors will wow you. The ground beef is mixed with warm spices, then grilled and served over rice with a yogurt sauce and fresh vegetable salad to give it both Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors. It’s a great meal for the whole family because you can serve it family style and let everyone make their own bowls.
If you like Mediterranean recipes, be sure to try my Greek cucumber salad, Greek grilled chicken, and chickpea salad next time.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Table of Contents
This ground beef kofta recipe is sponsored by Laura’s Lean Ground Beef. I’m excited to partner with them on this delicious and easy dinner featuring one of my favorite dinner shortcuts – ground beef!
Laura’s 96% Lean Ground Beef is a smart and nutritious choice when you’re serving up ground beef for dinner. This all-natural beef is made without antibiotics and hormones, and when you cook with Laura’s Lean Ground Beef you can feel great about feeding it to your family. You can find Laura’s Lean at retail stores nationwide and through your online grocery delivery services.
What You’ll Love About Ground Beef Koftas
- Delicious and fresh flavors
- Easy to customize (perfect family meal)
- Just 15 minutes prep time
- Just 25 minutes total time
- Made with simple ingredients
Beef Kofta VIDEO
Ingredients
The ingredient list for this ground beef kofta recipe looks longer than I’d like, but it’s all pretty basic and many items are pantry staples:
- Laura’s Lean™ 96% Lean Ground Beef – This lean ground beef is perfect in the kebabs. It’s lean, but still full of flavor.
- Spices – Coriander, cumin, smoked paprika (or regular), sea salt, black pepper
- Greek yogurt – Use plain Greek yogurt. I prefer full-fat yogurt for best flavor, but you can use whatever type you prefer.
- Tahini – This helps give Middle Eastern flavor, but if you don’t have it, you can also use a pinch of coriander and cumin to give it some flavor.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves for best flavor, or frozen garlic cubes for an easy shortcut.
- Lemon – Use fresh lemon juice for best flavor.
- Cucumber – I prefer Persian or English cucumbers, but you can also use regular cucumber. If you do use regular cucumbers, peel them and remove seeds if necessary.
- Tomatoes – You can use any type of tomato – grape or cherry tomatoes, roma, or slicing tomatoes.
- Mint – Use fresh mint for a tabbouleh-inspired flavor or flat leaf parsley.
- Rice – Use your favorite rice variety or even quinoa.
- Air fryer pita bread – Use your favorite pita bread or pita chips for serving, but hot and crispy pita is an awesome addition.
How to Make Kofta with Ground Beef
You won’t believe how simple these ground beef kebabs are to make:
- Prep meat. In a medium bowl, combine Laura’s 96% Lean Ground Beef, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, and sea salt. Gently mix with hands and shape into 8 small oblong patties.
- Mix yogurt sauce. In a small bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice until smooth.
- Make cucumber salad. In a medium bowl, combine diced cucumber, tomatoes, mint, lemon juice, and olive oil together. Toss to combine and season with sea salt and black pepper.
- Grill beef. Heat grill over medium-high heat. Place beef patties over direct heat and grill for 8-10 minutes, flipping half way through. Cook until it reaches 160 degrees F.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is beef kofta made of?
Beef kofta is a meatball like dish that is made in a number of different countries like the Middle East, India, Morocco, and more.
Kofta is traditionally made with a blend of ground meat (typically beef and/or lamb), warming spices (like coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, etc.), and sometimes diced onion, chopped herbs, and an egg.
What do you eat kofta with?
I’ve served this Mediterranean beef kofta as a rice bowl, with rice, a yogurt sauce, fresh vegetable salad, and pita bread on the side.
You can also serve them as a pita wrap sandwich and leave off the rice or even turn them into a salad by adding fresh greens.
Storage Instructions
Store any leftover components in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
How to reheat
Reheat beef in a hot skillet of 350 degrees F until warmed through.
Can you freeze ground beef kofta?
Yes, you can freeze the kofta in an airtight container for 2-3 months.
How to Serve Beef Kofta Bowls to the Whole Family
I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in. 😉
This is a perfect DIY meal to serve family style. Let your older kids decide what to put on their plate, and for younger toddlers, put a small (size of a pea) piece of the different foods out for them.
All of my articles on feeding kids can be found here and if you want a FULL list of all of the videos I have with hacks, tips, scripts, and ideas for feeding kids, check out my instagram or tiktok page.
More Easy Ground Beef Recipes
If you like this ground beef kofta recipe, you might also like some of these other easy ground beef recipes:
- Ground Beef and Broccoli Rice Bowl
- Easy Bibimbap Bowls
- Slow Cooker Italian Sloppy Joes
- Thai Beef Noodle Stir Fry
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Ground Beef Kofta Rice Bowls
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Description
This simple beef kofta recipe takes just 15 min to prep! Perfectly seasoned beef is grilled and served with yogurt sauce and fresh veg salad.
Ingredients
For Beef Kofta:
- 1 lb. Laura’s Lean™ 96% Lean Ground Beef
- 1 tsp. coriander
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
For Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp. tahini
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
For Cucumber Salad:
- 1 small cucumber, (2 cups diced)
- 5 oz. cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1/2 oz. fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
For Serving:
- pita bread
- rice
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, and sea salt. Mix with hands just until combined. Form into 8 small oblong patties. Chill in refrigerator until ready to grill.
- In a small bowl, stir together Greek yogurt, tahini, grated garlic, and lemon juice. Chill in refrigerator until serving.
- In a medium bowl, combine diced cucumber, quartered tomatoes, mint together. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil and toss together. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat grill over medium-high heat. Place beef patties over direct heat and grill for 4-5 minutes. Flip over and grill for another 3-4 minutes, until meat is cooked through and has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve spiced beef patties over rice and top with yogurt sauce and the cucumber and tomato salad. Serve with pita bread.
Keywords: beef kofta, kofta beef, beef kofta recipe
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