Beef Kefta Kabobs
In various cuisines around the world such as Moroccan, Greek and Middle Eastern, kefta simply means ground meat or lamb, flavored with onion and seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices such as cinnamon, mint, cumin, coriander and parsley. For these kabobs, I stuffed the kefta meat into baby bell peppers and threaded them onto skewers along with veggies. (as opposed to the more traditional log shape). Simple, fun to make and YUM!
Yield: about 4 servings (about 2 kabobs each)
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
Make Ahead and Storage Tips: kefta mixture can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate until time to assemble kabobs. To reheat leftovers, remove stuffed peppers and veggies from skewers; heat in a covered baking dish at 325 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until hot. Freezing is not recommended.