These Moroccan ground beef kebabs are as easy as 1-2-3. Combine the ingredients together, skewer them, and grill them to perfection. Minced beef kebabs cook fairly quickly, so these take barely 5 to 6 minutes on the grill. Serve them with flavored rice or pita bread and tahini. Don't forget to serve some homemade hummus and aromatic salads for that full Middle-Eastern experience.
Table of Content
Grilled meat on skewers in any part of the world is always a wonderful meal. Whether you eat Asian satay chicken, Indian Murg malai kebabs, or middle-eastern kabobs. Perfect for summer BBQs with the family or friends over the weekend.
I learned something interesting recently. Did you know that the kebabs is originally an Arabic word for fried meat, not grilled? Apparently, in medieval times, the Turkish soldiers used their swords to grill meat over the open field fires, and that's how the kebab as a grilled dish was invented?
Also, did you know that there are so many types of kebabs? Adana kebabs, chicken shish kebabs, Turkish shish kebabs. The list goes on.
Beyti kebab is one I love very much. It is made with lamb or beef. I tried it in Istanbul the first time. Very moist and juicy.
About these kebabs
This has got to be the easiest kabab recipe and most flavorful you will ever make. The addition of onions, garlic, and ginger, along with aromatic spices, pack these minced beef kababs with tons of flavor. While the fresh herbs and lemon give these the added freshness and zing.
We love to serve these with fresh pita (yes, these are my homemade pita bread) and with a side of tahini and salad.
The whole meal for me comes together in less than half an hour (without pita). Often, on busy days, I will marinate the meat overnight. The tahini takes as little as two minutes to make while the salad another five.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Beef - Always use good quality beef like sirloin or chuck when making kebabs. These are lean but with just enough fat to keep the kebabs moist and tender.
- Onions - I can never think of meat on the grill without onions. They make a perfect combination. Today I have cut them finely but you can also grate them the Moroccan style.
- Ginger - I love freshly grated ginger, and yet ginger powder works just as well for kebabs.
- Garlic - Adds a nice aromatic flavor and highly recommended when making Indian or Middle-Eastern kebabs.
- Spices - These kebabs are Middle-Eastern style, so of course, we've got a good mix of wonderful aromatic spices like smokey cumin and sweet cinnamon along with some hot cayenne or paprika for some heat.
- Fresh herbs - Parsley and mint make a great combination and is very commonly used in the middle-east. And yet, cilantro with mint also works wonderfully together. I also love to add a sprig or two of dill.
Step by step instructions
Marinate meat
- Chop onions finely, grate the garlic, and ginger.
- Place all marinade ingredients in a bowl.
- Add the ground meat - and combine everything well.
- Do not overwork the meat - mix just enough to combine everything.
- This can be marinated for an hour and up to 12 hours.
- Drain soaked skewers and pat dry.
Shape kebabs
- Keep a bowl of water ready. Dip your hand in the water.
- Take some ground meat in your wet hand, make a ball then a sausage.
- Now thread a skewer thru the sausage. Then press and shape the sausage to secure the meat around the skewer (about 6 o 8 inches long) (See video).
- Continue until all the kebabs are ready.
Grill
- Heat a grill pan on medium-high heat.
- Place skewers - do not overcrowd the grill.
- Let cook for at least 3 minutes before you try to move it.
- When it's done on one side it will release from the pan.
- Turn to the other side and cook for 2 more minutes.
- As a guide, each skewer takes 5 to 6 minutes to cook on all sides.
- The char marks can be controlled by raising and lowering the heat under the grill.
- Serve with rice or pita and tahini.
Frequently asked questions
Middle-Eastern kebabs can be served with middle eastern laffa or pita bread, accompanied by tahini or hummus. It can also be served with wonderful aromatic rice such as pilaf.
Absolutely, you can use lamb, turkey as well as chicken. The cooking time for chicken and turkey will be less compared to lamb or beef. So make sure to adjust accordingly.
Creating finger impressions on the meat helps create an uneven texture making the meat grip the skewer better. Also, try not to make the kebabs too thick.
This could be the result of a few things:
- The mixture was not kneaded well, which did not create a cohesive bond (glue-like texture).
- The meat was too lean with no fat to hold it together. OR there was too much fat, which melted off resulting in the meat falling off the skewers.
- Finally, the meat was perhaps not secured to the skewer well. Creating finger impressions on the meat helps create an uneven texture making the meat grip the skewer better.
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Printable Recipe
Ground Beef Kebabs
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Ingredients
Makes 8 to 10 skewers
- 1 lb (500 g) Ground beef
- 1 cup Onion chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon Garlic grated
- 1 tablespoon Ginger fresh grated
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon Paprika or cayenne - hot or mild
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 cup Fresh herbs chopped (parsley, cilantro, and mint)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
Marinate
- Chop onions finely, grate the garlic, and ginger.
- Place all marinade ingredients in a bowl.
- Add the ground meat – and combine everything well.
- Do not overwork the meat – mix just enough to combine everything.
- This can be marinated for an hour, and up to 12 hours.
- Drain soaked skewers and pat dry.
Shape kebabs
- Keep a bowl of water ready. Dip your hand in the water.
- Take some ground meat in your wet hand, make a ball then a sausage.
- Now thread a skewer thru the sausage. Then press and shaped the sausage to secure the meat around the skewer (about 6 to 8 inches) (See video).
- Continue until all the kebabs are ready.
Grill skewers
- Heat a grill pan on medium-high heat.
- Place skewers – do not overcrowd the grill.
- Let cook for at least 3 minutes before you try to move it.
- When it’s done on one side it will release from the pan.
- Turn to the other side and cook for 2 more minutes.
- As a guide, each skewer takes 5 to 6 minutes to cook on all sides.
- The char marks can be controlled by raising and lowing the heat under the grill.
- Serve with rice or pita and tahini.
Recipe Notes
- Always use good quality ground meat with a good fat of at least 25%. This fat later helps bind the meat together when kneading.
- Ground meat kebabs are best made with lean meat. The fat tends to melt over the grill and the meat tends to fall apart. I prefer 75% lean meat.
- When buying beef for kebabs use either lean sirloin (90%) or chuck which is 80% lean.
- If possible use metal skewers, when heated cook the meat from the inside as well.
- Knead the meat well so the mixture sticks to each other (like glue) this keeps the meat together when grilling.
- Kebabs are always best served fresh off the grill. If you make them early keep them covered in a container to catch all the juices. I prefer to keep them between bread so the bread soaks up all the juices.
- To reheat the kebabs - I place them on a plate and cover them with a wet paper towel. The moisture created by the steam from the paper towel keeps the kebabs moist.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
A Connecticut Cook
DELICIOUS recipe. We usually triple it for a family of 4 and then have plenty of leftovers.
Take the time to mix the meat and spiced, then let "marinade" for a while in the fridge for a few hours (not waiting is fine too!). We do not use skewers, but shape the patties into longer little "footballs", then grill as you would a burger. Don't let the number of ingredients intimidate you....this is 1-bowl cooking and you get a big flavor payoff. Served with an Israeli-style cucumber/onion/pepper oil and lemon juice chopped salad, some rice, and tzatziki and/or hummus.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much Robin for the lovely feedback. I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe so much. Appreciate you coming back to leave this comment.
Carla
It was delicious! I have to say the wording of "marinade" was really misleading. I mixed all the ingredients together with the meat, so there was no "marinade" to pour off. Did I do something wrong?
Veena Azmanov
Not sure I understand. Not all marinades need to be thrown out. Adding spices to the meat and letting it sit for a while is also marinating the meat. No there is nothing to pour out.