Air Fryer Kofta Kebab
Air Fryer Kofta Kebab
Kofta kebab is ground meat, seasoned with a warm baking-spice blend and shaped into oblong logs, cooked over fire across the Levant, Egypt and Turkey. This version swaps the grill for an air fryer, which gets a genuine seared crust on all sides without having to stand over coals, and works just as well on a weeknight.
The meat is a 50/50 blend of beef and lamb, which is the most traditional combination, though all-beef or all-lamb both work fine. Grated onion and garlic go in raw, but the onion is squeezed dry first - left wet, its liquid steams the meat from the inside and stops it from browning. The spice base is cinnamon and allspice (or a ready-made seven-spice/baharat blend), backed up by cumin, coriander, paprika, sumac and a little chili.
No binder is needed. Kneading the meat by hand for a minute or two makes it tacky enough to hold its shape on its own, and a short rest in the fridge firms the mixture up further so it is easier to shape into logs. The one thing to watch is overmixing, which toughens the meat rather than helping it bind.
Serve the kebabs hot from the basket with warm pita or flatbread, tahini sauce or tzatziki, and a tomato-and-onion salad. A scatter of sumac-dressed onion and extra parsley on top does not hurt either.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 250 g ground beef (80-85% lean)
- 250 g ground lamb
- 75 g yellow onion, grated, moisture squeezed out
- 3 garlic cloves (~10 g), finely grated or minced
- 25 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (a small handful)
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped (optional)
- 2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted (optional)
- 6 g fine salt (~1 tsp)
- 2 tsp seven-spice / baharat (or 1½ tsp ground allspice + ½ tsp ground cinnamon)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground sumac
- pinch chili flakes or Aleppo pepper
- oil spray, for the basket
- warm pita or flatbread, tahini sauce or tzatziki, and tomato-onion salad, for serving
Directions
Grate the onion, then squeeze it firmly by hand or in a piece of cheesecloth to force out the watery juice, and discard the liquid. This step matters more than it looks - wet onion steams the meat instead of letting it brown.
Put the beef and lamb in a bowl with the squeezed onion, garlic, parsley, mint and pine nuts if using, the salt, and all the spices. Knead by hand for a minute or two, just until the mixture turns slightly tacky and holds together. Stop there - overworking the meat makes the kebabs dense and tough rather than helping them bind.
Cover the bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes, and up to two days. The rest firms the mixture up, which makes it easier to shape and helps the kebabs hold their form in the air fryer.
Divide the mixture into 8 portions of about 65 g (2¼ oz) each, and roll each one into an oblong log around 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick. Press the logs onto pre-soaked wooden skewers if you are using them, or leave them freeform and skewer after cooking if you prefer.
Spray the air-fryer basket lightly with oil, then arrange the kebabs in a single layer without touching, working in batches if they do not all fit. Crowding the basket is the main reason kebabs steam instead of browning.
Air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 12-15 minutes, flipping the kebabs halfway through, until they are browned on the outside and the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C). Thinner logs can be done in closer to 10 minutes, so check early rather than late.
Let the kebabs rest for a couple of minutes off the heat, then serve with warm pita, tahini sauce or tzatziki, and a tomato-onion salad.
Notes
Cook time depends mainly on how thick the logs are: thin logs are usually done in about 10 minutes at 375°F (190°C), while thicker or skewered ones can take 15-18 minutes. Use a thermometer rather than the clock - 160°F (71°C) is the target for lamb and mixed meat.
A binder is not required if the meat is kneaded until tacky, but if you would rather use one, soak a slice of bread in water, squeeze it bone-dry, and blend it into the onion and herb mixture before combining with the meat.
The kebabs can be cooked straight from frozen - just add a few minutes at 375-400°F (190-200°C).
If using very lean meat, work in about 1 tbsp of oil so the kebabs do not dry out; fattier blends (15-20% fat) do not need it.
Keep the basket uncrowded and cook in batches rather than stacking the kebabs - a single layer is what gives the crisp exterior.
See Also
Kofta in Yoghurt
Lamb Kebab
