Description
Experience juicy, flavorful oven-baked kebabs made with minced beef or lamb and aromatic spices. This simple recipe features a tender kofta mixture baked to perfection with crisp edges, served alongside tangy sumac onions, refreshing garlic yoghurt sauce, warm flatbreads, and fresh vegetables for a complete and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Kofta Mixture
- 1 kg (2¼ lb) minced (ground) beef or lamb (15–20% fat for best flavour and juiciness)
- 1 small brown onion, grated using a box grater
- 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 2 tsp sea salt flakes
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (can be substituted with coriander/cilantro)
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 2 tbsp olive oil, for brushing
Sumac Onions
- 1 small red onion, very finely sliced
- 1½ tsp sumac
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
Garlic Yoghurt Sauce
- 1¼ cups (310 g) Greek yoghurt
- ½ tsp freshly minced garlic
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
To Serve
- 4–6 flatbreads or pita (omit for gluten-free)
- 2 large tomatoes, sliced into thin wedges or rounds
- ½ cup (15 g) finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 240°C (475°F) or 220°C (425°F) if using a fan-forced oven, ensuring it’s hot and ready for the kebabs.
- Make the kofta mixture: In a large bowl, combine minced meat, grated brown onion, minced garlic, ground cumin, coriander, sweet paprika, optional chilli flakes, salt, black pepper, chopped parsley, and bicarbonate of soda. Mix thoroughly with your hands for about 2 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky and cohesive.
- Shape onto tray: Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Press the meat mixture into a large rectangle about 1 cm thick, roughly 30 x 40 cm. Keep edges tidy but don’t worry about perfection.
- Score and notch: Use a bench scraper or metal spatula to score the meat vertically into strips 2–3 cm wide, cutting all the way through to the paper. Then create shallow horizontal slits across each strip to mimic traditional kebab styling and aid even cooking.
- Bake the kebabs: Brush olive oil over the top, then place the tray on the top oven rack. Bake for 15–18 minutes until golden brown, cooked through, and edges are crisp. For a deeper brown finish, optionally grill (broil) for 1–2 minutes at the end.
- Prepare the sumac onions: While kebabs bake, mix finely sliced red onion with sumac, lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt in a bowl. Toss to combine and let sit for 5–10 minutes to lightly pickle and enhance flavor.
- Make the garlic yoghurt sauce: In a separate bowl, stir Greek yoghurt with minced garlic, lemon juice, and sea salt. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Warm the flatbreads: Heat flatbreads in a dry frying pan or over a gas flame for 20–30 seconds on each side until soft and pliable.
- Assemble and serve: Press warm flatbreads onto the cooked minced meat to absorb some juices. Separate kebabs along the cut lines and serve atop or inside flatbreads, topped with garlic yoghurt, sumac onions, fresh tomato slices, and chopped parsley for a delicious meal.
Notes
- For chicken kebabs, choose minced chicken with added fat or mix in some olive oil to ensure juiciness, as chicken mince can be leaner than beef or lamb.
- Use olive oil for brushing the kebabs before baking to help develop a golden crust and keep the meat moist.
- Sumac adds a tangy, lemony flavor to the onions; if unavailable, lemon zest or additional lemon juice can be used as a substitute.
- These kebabs can also be cooked on a barbecue or air fryer; adjust cooking times accordingly for even cooking and browning.
