From the grill & main dishes · The home kitchen
Kafta Kabab
Kafta combines ground beef with parsley, onion and warm spices in a compact, fragrant skewer. The mixture should be cohesive without being worked into a dense paste. Squeezing the onion and chilling the shaped meat help it hold together, making this a practical recipe for a home grill. This is a home-style interpretation of the menu idea, with measured ingredients and a method suited to an ordinary kitchen. It is not Beiruty’s proprietary restaurant formula. Read the complete method before starting, measure the ingredients first, and use the texture and temperature cues alongside the clock. The external guide offers another cook’s perspective; its seasoning and presentation may differ from this version.
A home-style recipe inspired by our menu. Restaurant preparation, portions and ingredients may differ.
Make it at home
Kafta Kabab recipe
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Rest / chill
- 20 min
- Total
- 60 min
Ingredients
- 700 g ground beef, about 15 percent fat
- 1 small onion, finely grated
- 30 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil for grill
- 180 g long-grain rice, rinsed
- 360 ml water
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/4 tsp fine salt for rice
Method
Squeeze the grated onion in a clean cloth to remove excess liquid. Mix onion, beef, parsley, garlic, spices, salt and pepper just until evenly combined.
Divide into eight portions. With damp hands, press each portion around a flat metal skewer into an even log about 2 cm thick. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Bring rice, water, butter and rice salt to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and rest covered for 10 minutes.
Heat the grill to medium-high and oil the grate. Grill kafta for 10–15 minutes, turning gently once the first side has set, until the center reaches 160°F/71°C.
Fluff rice and serve two kafta skewers per person. If cooking without skewers, grill the logs in an oiled pan and check the same temperature.
Make it your own.
- Flat skewers help the meat stay in place when turned.
- Finely chop parsley so large stems do not split the logs.
- Chill the shaped kafta before grilling for easier handling.