EASY BEEF KOFTA KEBAB WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE
This easy beef kofta kebabs with tzatziki sauce recipe has been one of our favorite summer BBQ recipes for a while. These kofta kebabs are packed with flavor, fresh Mediterranean herbs and spices.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: BBQ KOFTA, KEBAB, KOFTA, TZATZIKI
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 251kcal
Author: Julia
BBQ Kofta kebabs
- 4 small green onions chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound (450 g) ground lean beef
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tsps fresh thyme chopped
- 1 tsp fresh oregano chopped
- 3-6 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1-2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Tzatziki dipping sauce
- 1 medium english cucumber peeled & removed seeds
- 1 pound (450 g) Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped dill
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- salt & pepper to taste
BBQ kofta kebab
Soak 10 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes, if you are going to use them. If you are using stainless steal skewers you can proceed to step 2.
In a large bowl, place the ground beef meat. Add chopped onion, garlic, eggs, fresh herbs (parsley, thyme & oregano), paprika, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs.
Mix this all together with your hands and start to mold small oval shaped koftas. Koftas should be long about 4-5 inches and large about 1 1/2 - 2 inches. Poke the skewers inside the kofta kebabs and place them on a plate or baking sheet lined witch parchment paper.
Preheat the grill/BBQ on medium- high heat 400/450F or 200/230 C and grill 5 minutes from one side and another 5 minutes from the other side. Always make sure the internal temperature of ground meet is to be 160 °F (71.1 °C) to be considered as safe. Some BBQ might heat differently than others. Always check the temperature of the ground meat. Serve immediately with your favorite side dish.
Tzatziki dipping sauce
Peel the cucumber and remove the seeds with a spoon. Grate the cucumber and squeeze out all the excess cucumber water and place it in a bowl. Stir together grated cucumber with Greek yogurt, minced garlic, olive oil, chopped dill, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Skewers If you plan on using wooden skewers, soak them for minimum of 30 minutes before.
Oven method is the easiest one, because we will place the kofta kebabs on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper), drizzle them with olive oil. And bake it in preheated oven on 400 F / 200 C for 45 minutes. Turn the kofta kebabs in a half time. It takes little longer then the BBQ method, but not much of an effort here.
Pan method requires extra olive oil and more effort, because we will have to turn each kofta kebab individually . But they come out really yummy. So in winter times, when BBQ isn't available, pan method could be used.