---
title: "kafta-skewers.html"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/4baef6d6-4275-4fa4-acef-bf838f19b22f
stack: https://stacklist.com/c/food/stack/5d8208ce-4b89-4322-87d0-11d1c423569d
summary: "Kafta Skewers is a Lebanese everyday kebab recipe made with ground beef, grated onion, and parsley, seasoned with baharat and Aleppo pepper. The dish requires careful preparation including squeezing moisture from onions and minimal meat working to achieve the proper texture, then grilling over high heat and serving with flatbread and toum."
tags: "lebanese-cuisine, kafta, kebab, ground-beef, spices, grilling, recipe"
key_entities: "Kafta (concept), Baharat Seven Spices (concept), Aleppo Pepper (concept), Lebanon (location), Bekaa Valley (location), Beirut Spice Co. (organization), Fleur de Sel (concept)"
classification: "tutorial"
content_hash: "sha256:fe73b6f678c7349c07a0444f5205ca13eebbfdc9296a3fb0f21c1d1de98c30d0"
acp_version: "0.2"
token_counts_approximate: 891
visibility: public
agent_accessible: true
status: "final"
---

# kafta-skewers.html

L E B A N E S E S P I C E S
F O R E V E R Y DAY C O O K I N G 
Kafta Skewers 
Ground beef and parsley , seven spice and a little heat 
Kafta is the everyday Lebanese kebab : ground meat worked with grated onion and a great deal of parsley , 
seasoned with baharat , pressed onto skewers over fire . The seasoning is simple , so the texture is everything . Two
things decide it : squeezing the water out of the onion , and not overworking the meat . 
S E RV E S 
4 
P R E P 
20 minutes 
C H I L L 
30 minutes 
C O O K 
10 minutes 
W H AT YO U W I L L N E E D F R O M U S 
Baharat Seven Spices The seasoning . The backbone of the dish . 
Aleppo Pepper Warmth through the meat , and a scatter at the end . 
Fleur de Sel Finishing off the heat . 
I N G R E D I E N T S 
TO SERVE 
M E T H O D 
1 lb (450 g ) ground beef , 80/20, or
half beef and half lamb 
1 small yellow onion , grated on the
coarse side of a box grater 
1 cup flat - leaf parsley , very finely
chopped , packed 
2 tsp Baharat Seven Spices 
1 tsp Aleppo Pepper , plus more to
finish 
1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt 
Fleur de Sel , to finish
Warm flatbread
Grilled tomato and onion
Toum
A lemon wedge 
Squeeze the onion . Grate it , then wring it out hard in a clean towel or fine
sieve . Wet onion makes kafta slump off the skewer and steam rather than
sear . Do not skip this . 
1 
Mix , briefly . Combine the beef , squeezed onion , parsley , Baharat Seven
Spices , Aleppo Pepper and salt . Work it by hand just until evenly blended , 
about 30 seconds . Overworking turns the texture springy . 
2 
Chill . Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes . Cold meat holds its shape on the
skewer . 
3 
Shape . Divide into 8. Press each around a flat metal skewer into a sausage
roughly 5 inches long and 1 inch thick , squeezing gently so it grips . Flat
skewers hold far better than round . Wet your hands if it sticks . 
4 
Cook hot . Grill over direct high heat , or broil on a rack set over a foil - lined
pan on the highest oven rack . About 4 to 5 minutes per side , turning once , 
until well browned outside and just cooked through . 
5 
Finish . Slide off the skewers onto warm flatbread so the bread takes the
juices . Scatter with Fleur de Sel and a little more Aleppo Pepper . Serve with
a lemon wedge and toum . 
6 

K A F TA S K E W E R S
PAGE 2 OF 2 
N OT E S
M O R E F R O M T H E B E K A A VA L L E Y 
Za ' atar Hyssop flower , sesame , sumac , sea salt $ 11.99 
Sumac Tart and citrusy , for salads and grills $ 11.99 
Spicy Za ' atar The classic with crushed red pepper $ 9.99 
Shawarma Seasoning The blend for chicken , beef and lamb $ 12.99 
Mediterranean Herb & Salt Rosemary , thyme , smoked chili , sea salt $ 12.99 
The Spicy Bundle brings Spicy Za ' atar , Aleppo Pepper and Mediterranean Herb & Salt together for $ 22.50. 
Beirut Spice Co . beirutspice . co Sourced from Lebanon · Small - batch packed · No fillers or preservatives 
No skewers ? Shape the mixture into flat oval patties and cook
them in a hot cast - iron skillet . Same seasoning , same result , 
less ceremony . 
The parsley is an ingredient , not a garnish . A full packed cup
to a pound of meat sounds like a lot and is correct . 
Aleppo pepper is mild . It reads as fruity warmth rather than
sharp heat , so a full teaspoon through a pound of meat is
gentle . Add half a teaspoon more if you want it forward . 
Fleur de Sel goes on at the end , off the heat . Its whole point is
the crunch , which dissolves if you cook with it . 
Make ahead : the raw mixture keeps a day in the fridge and
freezes well , shaped or loose .