Hand-minced lamb and beef seasoned with onion, parsley and warm spice — that is the whole soul of a proper Egyptian kofta, and it comes together with nothing more than a bowl, a box grater and a few skewers. The reward is a deeply browned, juicy kebab with a savoury, aromatic centre.
These Egyptian Kofta Kebab Skewers are one of the roughly 20 recipes inside our Egyptian Cookbook, and we’re sharing this one in full so you can taste the standard before you buy the book. It is a fast cook — the real work is in the seasoning and the shaping.
Why this recipe works
The trick is draining the grated onion before it goes near the meat: wet kofta steams instead of searing, so pressing out roughly half the onion’s liquid is what lets you build a deep crust. A four-minute vigorous knead then develops the protein bind that holds the paste tight on the skewer, and chilling the bowl keeps the fat emulsified so the kofta stays juicy rather than greasy.
Ingredients
Kofta mixture
- 250 g lamb shoulder, 20% fat
- 150 g beef chuck, coarsely minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely grated
- 25 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Spice blend and binding
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
Optional garnish
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Serves 2 · Prep 20 min · Cook 10 min · 520 kcal per serving
Instructions
- Drain onion. Grate the onion on the fine side of a box grater, transfer to a sieve and press firmly with the back of a spoon to extract excess moisture. Wet kofta will steam rather than sear, so aim to remove roughly half the released liquid.
- Knead mixture. Combine lamb, beef, drained onion, parsley and spices in a chilled bowl. Knead vigorously for 4 minutes until the paste becomes sticky and tacky, which develops the protein bind needed to hold shape on a skewer.
- Shape skewers. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions of about 110 g each. With damp hands, mould each portion around a flat metal skewer in a 15 cm sausage shape, pressing firmly so the meat adheres without air pockets. Rest 15 minutes in the fridge.
- Grill over high heat. Preheat a grill or ridged pan to 230°C. Cook the skewers 3 minutes per side, rotating a quarter turn twice, until crusted deep brown outside and just firm to the touch with an internal temperature of 68°C. Rest 3 minutes before serving.
Chef’s tip
Chill the bowl and your hands before kneading: cold fat stays emulsified in the meat and keeps the kofta juicy rather than greasy.
Get the full Egyptian Cookbook
Loved this one? It’s a single recipe from a collection of Egyptian home cooking built the same way — clear ingredients, exact temperatures, no guesswork. Grab the full Egyptian Cookbook below.
