Skewered ground beef and lamb seasoned with parsley, onion and baharat, grilled until charred, a Lebanese grill house staple.
Kafta is a foundational preparation across Lebanese cooking, ground meat worked with a heavy hand of fresh parsley and grated onion until the mixture becomes fine, cohesive and deeply aromatic well before it even reaches the grill. Unlike some regional versions that rely mostly on cumin, Lebanese kafta leans on baharat and a generous amount of parsley for a fresher, herbier finish, the meat mixture shaped by hand directly onto flat skewers. Grilled hot and fast, kafta develops a good char on the outside while staying juicy within, traditionally served with grilled tomatoes and onions, hummus, and warm pita for a complete Lebanese grill plate.
Serves 4
Combine ground beef and lamb with grated onion, parsley, garlic, baharat, salt and pepper.
Knead the mixture by hand for 3-5 minutes until it becomes fine and slightly sticky.
Mold the mixture around flat metal skewers into long, evenly shaped logs.
Refrigerate the shaped skewers 15-20 minutes to help them hold together.
Grill over high heat, turning, 8-10 minutes total until well charred and cooked through.
A hot, fast grill develops the best char without drying out the lean parts of the meat mixture.
Grill tomatoes and onion wedges alongside until softened and charred.
Serve the kafta skewers with grilled vegetables, hummus, and warm pita.
Squeeze the grated onion very dry before mixing into the meat, or the kafta will be too loose to hold its shape on the skewer.
Knead the meat mixture until it turns slightly sticky and fine — this texture is what allows it to grip the skewer and hold its shape.
Chill the shaped skewers before grilling so they firm up and are less likely to fall apart over the hot flame.
A version with pine nuts mixed into the meat adds extra texture and richness.
Kafta can also be baked in a tray with tomatoes and potatoes (kafta bil sanieh) instead of grilled.
All-beef or all-lamb versions work fine if you don't want to mix the two meats.
Best grilled fresh; the raw seasoned mixture keeps refrigerated up to 2 days before shaping and grilling. Cooked leftovers reheat well in a hot dry pan.
Kafta is a staple across Levantine cuisine, closely related to kebab traditions found throughout the Middle East, with the specific combination of parsley, onion and baharat marking this preparation as distinctly Lebanese.
Yes, kafta bil sanieh bakes the shaped logs in a tray with tomato and potato at 200C/400F for about 30-35 minutes.
Shape the mixture into oval patties instead and cook the same way in a hot pan or under a broiler.
The mixture likely needed more kneading, or the onion wasn't squeezed dry enough — both steps are essential for the kafta to hold together.
Per serving (300g / 10.6 oz) · 4 servings total
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