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Lebanese kafta kebabs grilled on skewers with tahini sauce and pita

Lebanese Kafta Kebabs with Tahini Sauce

Juicy halal beef kafta with parsley, onion, and warm spices, grilled on skewers and served with lemony tahini sauce.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling time 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the kafta
  • 1 1/2 lbs halal ground beef or lamb - 80/20
  • 1 small onion - grated with excess liquid squeezed out
  • 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley - finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic - minced
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
For the tahini sauce
  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 small clove garlic - grated
  • 3 to 4 tbsp cold water - added a little at a time
  • 1/4 tsp salt
To serve
  • 4 pita breads - warmed
  • 1 tomato - sliced
  • 1 cucumber - sliced
  • 1/4 red onion - thinly sliced

Equipment

  • 8 skewers (soak wooden ones in water for 30 minutes)
  • 1 Grill or grill pan
  • 1 Instant-read thermometer

Method
 

  1. Combine the meat, squeezed onion, parsley, garlic, allspice, cinnamon, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix just until combined, because overmixing makes the kebabs dense. Chill for 15 minutes.
  2. Divide the mixture into 8 portions. With wet hands, press each portion around a skewer into a flat 5-inch log.
  3. Grill over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until charred and cooked to 160°F.
  4. For the sauce, whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. It will thicken and look stiff at first. Whisk in the cold water one tablespoon at a time until smooth and pourable.
  5. Serve the kebabs drizzled with tahini sauce, with pita, tomato, cucumber, and red onion.

Notes

  1. Squeeze the grated onion well. Extra liquid makes the mixture too wet to hold on the skewer.
  2. 80/20 beef stays juicy on the grill. Leaner meat dries out.
    1. Lamb is traditional, and half lamb and half beef works well.
    2. No skewers? Shape into patties and grill 4 minutes per side.
      Cooked kebabs keep 3 days in the fridge.