Chicken Kafta Kebabs

chicken kafta pieces on a plate with yogurt sauce, tomatoes and onions.

5 from 5 votes

Looking for a mouthwatering and easy-to-make recipe? My chicken kafta is a must-try! Packed with aromatic spices and fresh herbs, these grilled chicken kafta patties or kebabs are perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a weekend barbecue.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Levantine, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Servings: people

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $10

Ingredients

1 lbs Ground chicken
1 Medium onion - very finely chopped
¼ cup Fresh parsley - Finly chopped
1 tbsp Baharat spice mix - or 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Chili Flakes - Optional
Kosher salt and black pepper - start with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. You may need more.
Bread crumbs - As needed

Instructions

Mix: In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, chopped onion, fresh parsley, spices, garlic powder, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Combine really well. The mixture may be a little sticky and that’s ok. At this point, I recommend you fry up a tablespoon of the mixture and taste it. Adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Form: Wet your hands with a little cold water, it will help you form the kafta without getting the mixture stuck to your hands. Form the kafta mixture into oblong shapes. If you are having difficulty forming the mix into logs, add 2-4 tablespoons of breadcrumbs to the mix.
Don’t make them too thick. 1 inch (2cm) thickness is ideal. You can freeform them by hand, or form them directly onto a skewer.
Grill: Preheat your BBQ or grill pan on medium-high heat. Spray or brush on some neutral oil (don’t use olive oil) and grill the kafta for 4-6 minutes on each side until cooked through. The internal temperature should be at least 165F.
Serve: Serve the grilled kafta with some rice, pita bread, salad of choice, hummus or yogurt.

Notes

Refer to the blog post above for detailed step-by-step photos.

Ingredient Notes:

Ground Chicken: You can certainly use ground turkey, ground beef (Beef Kofta), ground lamb, or a combination. You can also make this recipe vegan by using a vegan minced meat substitute.

Baharat: I know that most folks probably don’t have Baharat (Levantine Spice Mix) in their pantries, but don’t let that stop you. You can use a combination of equal parts cumin, coriander and cinnamon to achieve a similar flavor profile. If you love to prepare Middle Eastern, Lebanese or Levantine food, I suggest you pick up some Baharat from your local Middle Eastern store.

To check the seasoning level, fry up a small coin-sized portion of the mixture and taste it. Adjust the seasoning as needed.

Serve the grilled kafta with some Lebanese rice, pita bread, Taboon (flatbread), sumac onions and/or salad of choice. A drizzle of lemon tahini sauce is also traditional and so is a sprinkling of sumac. A squeeze of lemon juice is just chef's kiss!

Nutrition