Kofta Kebabs - Grilled Meatball on a Stick - Food Wishes

I'm excited to share this Kofta Kebab, which is one of my all-time favorite things to grill. This is perfect for when you want to take a break from grilling burgers, but you also kinda want a burger, since this is basically a Mediterranean-style meatball on a stick. Enjoy!
For the fully formatted, printable, written recipe, follow this link: www.allrecipes.com/recipe/840...
To become a Member of Food Wishes, and read Chef John’s in-depth article about Kofta Kebabs, follow this link: / @foodwishes
You can also find more of Chef John’s content on Allrecipes: allrecipes.com/recipes/16791/e...

[@pheflin526]

At Jose Andres’ Zaytinya. He has one of the cook’s grandmother come in 1-2 times a week to make the kofta for the restaurant. She has her own corner and everyone is instructed to give her whatever she needs and to stay out of her way. She just sits there for a couple of hours and makes hundreds

[@katl8825]

Never get in the way of a cooking grandma!

[@TC-yp6ek]

This made day. Thanks for sharing!

[@mudababy7896]

if you think about it, it's kind of weird that I love a chef who I've never, nor will meet, and his videos make me happy and not only because of recipes for super tasty food! thank you Chef John

[@aragregorian6039]

What makes you think that you will never meet or break bread?

[@mudababy7896]

the fact that we live in opposite sides of the world

[@mrfoameruk]

We have a kebab shop near us called Abrakebabra.

[@user-se4er8ud4s]

Chef John we loove your recipes ,but even more the way you present them.

[@CM_Burns]

You are the Slick Rick of your Meatball on a Stick.

[@catalindeluxus8545]

Love your positivity as well as the joy of finding your videos about any new recipe I'd like to try. Thank you Chef John! 😎

[@emma-he4zp]

Yesssss! I never ever go wrong with your recipes, chef!

[@milesparris4045]

I had the same exact grill. It worked well for a couple years as a grill, and served as a place to set and light the charcoal chimney for a couple more years after I got a good grill.

[@dannyf8426]

I tried your recipe last weekend and my family & kids loved it. Made extras for next day and was still very tasty. Thank you for posting the tutorial.

[@asepsisaficionado7376]

Normally skewers are removed before serving and you place the meat on top of the rice or bread it's served with so the meat juices can soak into the absorbent grains.

[@TheSwede04]

You are just “The Best” Thank you Chef John!!

[@hoddtoward]

Kofta/luleh are good but Koobideh is my favorite due to saffron and the sense of accomplishment when it doesn't fall off the skewer.

[@IzzyTheEditor]

Seconded!! My favorite is chicken Koobideh! Perfect for a sandwich!

[@bt3722]

Sounds great, but who can afford saffron these days?

[@AfterHoursStamper]

@@bt3722 Shop at one of your local, small middle eastern grocery stores (we have one near us and their spices are all extremely reasonable, actually cheaper than Costco). We get saffron there all the time for under $10, a pretty ample amount, and good quality.

[@hoddtoward]

@@bt3722 True but you only need a couple strands. Use a spoon and tiny round bowl (or mortar+pestle) to crush it into a powder, then let butter melt in it. Brush it over the finished kabobs. Inside you wouldn't be able to taste it but it goes a long way on top

[@tiffany7201]

What a lovely presentation and an amazing recipe! Thank you so much!

[@lizh4933]

I use to buy Kofta at a Mediterranean market. I never made the missiles, always made burgers with chopped veggies and tzatziki. Glad to find a good recipe to make at home. Thank you Chef John. You are the mosta of the kofta.

[@julias6688]

It charms me John, that you have a janky old $15 grill. A great cook doesn’t need to rely on “state of the art” equipment. I’m a seamstress and my mentor told me once, “a good seamstress doesn’t need a serger”. Amen. Keep on cookin!

[@etherdog]

Refika's Kitchen channel has some great info and background on kefta/kofta (and Turkish cuisine in general) for those interested in diving deeper.

[@nichelle-marquese743]

love Refika

[@TheSlavChef]

This is close to what I am used to eat, great video!

[@intractablemaskvpmGy]

looking good Chef John!

[@GodsObedientChild-Deuteron6262]

This will be one of my many recipes, of yours, to make a lot😋🥰!

[@gilberthomecooktv2451]

Thanks for sharing chef John 🧑‍🍳👍

[@abouttime837]

looove kofta. Grilled on a skewer or braised in the oven it’s a very comforting dish

[@edbe7385]

Chef John, please show us how to make that amazing middle eastern hot sauce that goes with these.

[@charlesmcpherson9668]

Is it shattah? If so, I've had luck with Middle Eats' video. The garlic sauce also doesn't miss.

[@aamer111]

this is very close to syrian kebabs, I like the spin of adding the toasted bread to the meat, definitely gonna try that one.

[@xo9523]

This looks amazing gonna try this one too.

[@michaelhook5597]

I love you, Chef John.

[@Blitzkrieg1976]

They look beautiful, chef! I love a good ol' gyro on occasion, this just makes me 😊 happy to try new things.

[@sandralouth3103]

I love kofta. I like to simmer the browned kofta in a crushed tomato, cilantro,mint, onion, coriander, garlic and Aleppo pepper sauce and serve with rice and a Mediterranean bread salad using toasted pita.

[@jasonsteele6920]

Thanks for this! Kofta are my childhood, Chef John! 💕

[@blowbubbles72]

"not so much a brag; it's more like a cry for help" 🤣 Chef John kills me lol

[@michaelthompson5875]

Slippery Pete? "The holes!" Chef John gets an award for obscure Seinfeld character reference here. Kudos.

[@cathyfield4765]

Back in the day (1950's) the Piggly Wiggly carried a version of this w/o beef just lamb or veal, which were inexpensive then. They were always labled as mock chicken legs. I've missed them. Thanks for the recipe.

[@user-wn5gw4vm7c]

Thank you so much for your great recipes.

[@fainted9675]

I love köfte kebab i love eating this awesome cooking chef!

[@saywhatondat]

This video spoke to my soul!! Wow great recipe

[@christopherjohnson223]

You never cease to amaze me with the simplicity of recipes. Even a Novice could understand .

[@winemaniacs2551]

These look easy and awesome. Nice.

[@michaelmcdermott209]

This looks great! Like to add fresh mint as well.

[@bt3722]

Exactly what I was thinking. I’m assuming Chef John would approve.

[@cherie..cherry]

And dill 🤤

[@kamcorder3585]

That sounds excellent

[@claudesmoot1880]

And serve with some feta.

[@justcheesepizzaplease]

Absolutely! Mint gives it such a fresh flavor. And red sumac for some extra seasoning. So bomb!

[@susiepam2716]

My mother used to make kufte kabob. I inherited her flat skewers. Hope to try this next weekend.

[@TheBeetrootman]

Looks really good! I like to use cumin, coriander, nutmeg, cinnamon and sumac.

[@TheEagleslover]

These look amazing Chef John! I actually just found my bag of wood skewers so I’m going to make these this weekend!

[@Klotbert]

tell us how they were!

[@asmaa_vlog_85]

I feel happy when I get a notification that you have uploaded a new video 🥰😘😍. Thank you very much for uploading the video. Your videos fill me with so much positive energy 🍓♥️🥰😍🥰

[@KomboEzaliTe]

This is a bot that posts near-identical meaningless messages on multiple channels in an attempt to drive traffic to their own channel.

[@dimasakbar7668]

I dunno about Mediterranean one but irc a turkish version of kofte would have the onion grated and squeezed (like any other middle eastern one), and with addition of a little baking soda, in order to even make the meat stiffer, and bouncier. Other than that, its basically a free form meat dish with no right or wrong. This video remind me of bobs kabobs episode

[@salemabarker3712]

Thank you for the recipe, will be making them for tomorrow for a Christmas bbq

[@jacquespoulemer3577]

Chef John and the Wishers, Always enjoy a good Poke-a Polka. I've been cooking for 58 years and I enjoy learning new tricks. Great channel, I learn a lot every recipe (here the bread onion herb addition was wonderful and the spice blend) All the best JIM Oaxaca

[@marilynsnider8183]

Looks really good.

[@joellecarroll7277]

Excellent dish chef

[@shimmer8289]

I bought kofta meatballs from loblaws in Canada. I cooked 4 and uses tzaziki as a sauce on side. I went to heaven. My home smelled amazing fir rest of the day. I'd Love to try ur creation it looks heavenly.

[@annbrookens945]

Looks delicious!

[@mikecuneo6949]

Very good!

[@heythere6655]

I typed all of this using Chef John’s voice inflection: Sub the water for onion juice/water Add 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon Add 1 small, seeded, diced tomato While on the grill, brush with onion juice/water

[@joace8575]

BRAVO CHEF!!! 👏 👏 👏

[@jmyd83]

Lebanese 7 spice is my preferred kofta seasoning 👍

[@StanislavG.]

Get your hands on Ras el hanout, it's an absolute winner for me

[@Lia-A-Eastwood]

Ooooh, one of my favourite dishes.

[@lisaeastes3104]

Looks delicious 😋

[@CICOLETO]

you are 100% correct about ingredients loosing their flavor when being blender choped. I learn it the hard way by not " feeling " the peppermint and the parsley on meatballs

[@robrosier9797]

Chef John, I've posted this before but your food is sensational. Well actually the food I cook from your direction is sensational.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I was all set to make burgers tonight, but I’m going to pivot and make these instead. Although I would expect Slippery Pete would make these in his food processor plugged into the nearest holes he can find.

[@miseentrope]

Slippery Pete: Did you use the pizza ovens? 🤣

[@davidsypniewski6858]

Got to try this on my YAK charcoal grill :)

[@mattuw82]

I've made a similar recipe, but used a completely different spice mixture. I seasoned mine with cumin, coriander, ginger, Aleppo, sumac, and fenugreek. And it was freaking delicious. I'm sure this recipe is great too.

[@soonstrgzr]

Another awesome recipe Chief John you are simply amazing with your food videos! I am going to try this with ground turkey, can't wait!

[@aragregorian6039]

No, turkeys are not allowed.

[@MykePagan]

I was going to say “didn’t you already do Bob’s Kebabs?” but then I started watching and saw this is different… enough to warrant its own video

[@Auger3504]

When I mix stuff like this I use the Kitchen Aid w/the paddle. Works great.

[@th0r904]

I think I’m going to make the whipped feta from the grilled chicken and whipped feta recipe. For the topping. Since he did not include the lemon tahini dressing recipe. 😋

[@stopthehatemedialoveeachot442]

Kofta is the best Kebab, delicious.

[@renatehaeckler9843]

I just made this, well the meat mix, I haven't cooked them over the charcoal grill yet, but I test-fried a small piece and it's very very good. I wanted to leave your recipe a good review on allrecipes but it kept having a login error so I wasn't able to, but I'd have given it 5 stars! Now to make tzatziki, garlic mayonnaise, pita, and Greek salad to go with it...

[@SenorCinema]

Chef John!!! I grew up cooking these with my dad. He was from Iran and had an Iranian restaurant. All I wanna say is have you considered juicing an onion and adding that juice to the meat instead of adding just plain water? and at the end, please always sprinkle sumac on top!

[@pkerch00b1]

Hmmm that might work better, doesn't it become too onion flavoured?

[@chrisverby3047]

I used to go to an Iranian restaurant in Queens. Delicious. I became a jujeh addict. Rice with cherries was pretty special too.

[@sadubone]

I've used left over rice as a filler for a burger/patty I ate open faced. Rather than bread which I didn't have and it was pretty good. Like you just said if I hadn't known I had put it in there was no real textural difference to the meatiness.

[@oreodog]

you should do kibbe it's incredible and i have no clue how it's done. also tabouleh is pronounced tabouli

[@JoeGP]

4:50 funny you should say that since one of our most loved and signature meat dishes here in Romania, but also in Turkey is basically a "meat log" which is just a long meatball or a skinless sausage (you pick), we call them 'mici' (i have no idea why) which translates to 'small ones'

[@clairewyndham1971]

I learned to make this from my Syrian neighbors. We couldn't talk to each other, but good food doesn't need an interpretation. She used pine nuts, touch of cinnamon, garlic and the lemon zest..heaven! Shes the one that taught me to use 2 skewers instead of one so as the fat melts ( the fat that always there) when you turn the meat on the grill, it won't "spin"..

[@TheChoppingBoardRecipes]

I have made kofta kebab on my channel. Your recipe is different and looks delicious. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@patriciamorgan6545]

4:57 - 4:52 : You could also (inappropriately but most affectionately) call them turd burgers, for the obvious reason. Back in the 80s, they were dubbed as such by one of my grad school chums, and the name has stuck with us ever since. We seasoned them with cumin and cilantro (my first introduction to both), might have used cinnamon, too, though I dont remember, as well as garlic, onion, and probably some parsley and cayenne as well. Served with raita sauce (also my first introduction to this at the time). Yummy memories! I still try to make these at least once every grilling season. They are fabulous!

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

3:56 “damp hands make smooth balls”. I’m using that

[@CICOLETO]

toasting the bread for the kebab mix I think it needs some kind of a award

[@sayhello5377]

I’m pregnant and I need this RIGHT NOW. I’m literally crying. 🤣

[@Bhatt_Hole]

Literally!

[@sheepkillindog]

Fastest seasoning for the meat is salt, pepper, and pumpkin pie seasoning. Works great!

[@2Wheels_NYC]

One of my favorites to cook chef! I actually have the long flat skewers, and I take the grill top off. The skewers are long enough to rest on each end of the grill body. I nust keep rotating them over the fire. Fun when you have guests over!

[@HelenBKennedy]

I got these too! I have a lot of silly cooking purchases lying around unused but I love my meat swords.

[@2Wheels_NYC]

@@HelenBKennedy I could open a black market Williams-Sonoma 🤣

[@petemianowski495]

Going to give this a try. I have found wooden chopsticks work better than bamboo skewers. They are thicker and meet is less likely to spin.

[@StanislavG.]

Another very traditional addition to the mince is pine nuts. Also you can use these faux cinnamon sticks instead of skewers, it'll taste absolutely amazing

[@karenstephens8788]

We get these Kababs at a place in Atlanta called Rumi’s Kitchen. Great food.

[@SamBrickell]

This was very Koftaesque.

[@jacobhowerton3379]

"So we got that going for us. Which is nice"- nice slick Caddyshack quote from Carl the grounds keeper (Bill Murray)

[@nitromartini1422]

Instead of wood skewers, try using stainless steel heli-arc welding rod, which is available at your local welding supply store. They come in 3ft lengths, and should be bent over to where you have a double prong which looks like a big 18 inch long paper clip with one end cut off.

[@poncukkizim6049]

Chef you forgot the Cumin and the Chilli flakes 😆!!! Try a Tzatsiki and Pilav rice with this...Amazing. 👌😘

[@FernZepeda]

Thanks, chef! You just decided what we're having for dinner tomorrow! Got a tahini recipe? Edit:. NM, Found the recipe. Thanks, John! 😎

[@texanbritt]

Grill = “cry for help” 😂😂😂 And now we need the recipe for the sauce pretty please 😊

[@sharg0]

He made it some years ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnrEYmOFgtt9ja8

[@charliekassyk8357]

"Round things don't have sides, they just have side". That blew my mind.

[@gcash24]

Chef John, where did you get your plates? I have been trying for awhile now to find them with no luck.

[@lisatheboywonder6744]

If you want them to be really delicious make these with out the stick and bake them in a tahini sauce and serve over fried potatoes its called kofka in tahini sauce its so delicious.

[@Doc_Aloha]

I just switched the sound off and could watch a very inspiring food video!

[@lilianwagdy]

Yogurt sauces go with chicken. Tahini goes with beef and lamb so you're instincts were spot on, Chef!

[@aragregorian6039]

Koofteh means beaten or smashed in Persian. And this is a very popular street food in Iran. The salad you made is called Shirazi. But you should look for Sangak bread for better results. And as always, thank you for your vision & the laughs. Keep on instructing.

[@infallibleblue]

Some torshe on the side for me

[@farispervaiz1634]

Someday please teach us how to burn the charcoals

[@AlteredCarbons]

want a really nice grill but very cheap grill as well, "old smokey grills" look that up. i just got an 18 inch one, and i got to say i love the damn thing. its cheaply made and ruff around the edges but holy hell does it cook well

[@kentarouification]

I'd recommend soaking the bamboo skewers in water for a few minutes before shaping the kebabs. This way it won't burn on the grill.

[@DavidChannin]

What about the sumac? You forgot the sumac!

[@MDRstudi0s]

nice! love it, no mayo win lol

[@JoeHell67]

Lavash Bread! 👍

[@LoyaFrostwind]

Yummy! Do you have a tabouleh recipe?

[@nissimtrifonov5314]

Probably stating something that a lot of people know, but you can make tahini sauce with yogurt instead of water it is really good, extra creamy and might be "the best of both worlds" if you are trying to decide between tahini and yogurt.