Just in time for Memorial Day and the start of BBQ season, I present to you my latest kabob creation! In various cuisines around the world such as Moroccan, Greek and Middle Eastern, kefta simply means ground meat or lamb, often flavored with onion and seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices such as cinnamon, mint, cumin, coriander and parsley.
Kefta is often served in log shapes which we have always enjoyed. But one summer, I had the idea of stuffing the seasoned ground meat into mini bell peppers which I originally planned to bake.
But then I thought, how fun would it be to thread these colorful “mini pepper packages” onto skewers along with other veggies and grill them?
For more yummy kabob recipes LOOK HERE.
I had no idea if these kabobs would hold together or if bits of meat would spill out and fall through the grill racks. Hubbie was equally skeptical, but as you can see by the finished dish, our fears were groundless! I hope you enjoy these kefta kabobs as much as we do and they become a popular choice for your summer BBQ menus!
Beef Kefta Kabobs
Yield: about 4 servings (about 2 kabobs each)
Click HERE for the complete recipe, but in the nutshell, here is what you do:
Instruction
Prepare peppers: cut off tops and remove membranes and seeds
Make stuffing and fill peppers: in a large bowl, combine ground beef with onion, garlic and all dry spices. Stuff each miniature bell pepper with kefta mixture, packing down tightly with a small spoon.
Assemble kabobs: thread kabobs with stuffed peppers, (skewering through peppers top to bottom) mushrooms, onion and tomatoes.
Grill kabobs: Brush skewers lightly with olive oil. Heat grill to medium-high setting. Grill kabobs for 7 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until vegetables are slightly charred and internal temperature of the ground meat reaches 160-165 degrees F.
Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Beef Kefta Kabobs
Yield: about 4 servings (about 2 kabobs each)
Ingredients
Kefta Mixture
- 1 pound lean ground beef or ground lamb or turkey
- 1 small onion finely chopped (or 2 shallots)
- 3 large cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried mint or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Kabobs
- 16 ounces miniature bell peppers tops cut off, membranes and seeds removed
- 1 pint baby portabella mushrooms
- 1 large onion cut into chunks
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- Olive oil for brushing
- Metal or wooden skewers
- Note: for wooden skewers soak in water for 20 minutes to prevent burning.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef with onion, garlic and all dry spices.
- Stuff each miniature bell pepper with kefta mixture, packing down tightly with a small spoon.
- Thread kabobs with stuffed peppers, (skewering through peppers top to bottom) mushrooms, onion and tomatoes. Brush skewers lightly with olive oil.
- Heat grill to medium-high setting. Grill kabobs for 7 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until vegetables are slightly charred and internal temperature of the ground meat reaches 160-165 degrees F. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Notes
Meatball alternative: kefta meat can be formed into 1- inch meatballs and threaded on skewers with veggies. (which you can also do if you have extra meat mixture)
Have fun switching up your veggies! Take advantage of favorites that are available locally such as eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash.
Kefta kabobs would make a fabulous “mezze” (small plates) choice for parties! For “minis,” thread the stuffed peppers and veggies onto small skewers. Delicious served with Mediterranean Couscous, pita and the classic Greek dip, Tzatziki.
Have a blast “kabob-ing” it this summer with some of our favorites!
Coming to the Blog: Swirled Cheesecake Brownies
Ceeya Next Time!
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Linda Shapiro, Meal Planning Maven
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