Description
This recipe for Juicy Oven-Baked Kebabs combines spiced minced beef or lamb with fragrant herbs and spices, baked to perfection for a flavorful and succulent dish. Served with tangy sumac onions, garlic yoghurt sauce, fresh tomatoes, and warm flatbreads, it offers a delicious and easy way to enjoy classic kebabs without the need for grilling.
Ingredients
Scale
Kebabs
- 1 kg (2¼ lb) minced beef or lamb (15–20% fat)
- 1 small brown onion, grated
- 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 2 tsp sea salt flakes
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (for brushing)
Sumac Onions
- 1 small red onion, very finely sliced
- 1½ tsp sumac
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
Garlic Yoghurt Sauce
- 1¼ cups (310 g) Greek yoghurt
- ½ tsp freshly minced garlic
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
To Serve
- 4–6 flatbreads or pita (omit for gluten-free)
- 2 large tomatoes, sliced into thin wedges or rounds
- ½ cup (15 g) finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 240°C (475°F) or 220°C (425°F) fan-forced to prepare for baking the kebabs.
- Make the Kofta Mixture: In a large bowl, combine minced beef or lamb, grated brown onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, chilli flakes if using, sea salt flakes, black pepper, chopped parsley, and bicarbonate of soda. Knead the mixture firmly for about 2 minutes until it becomes sticky and cohesive.
- Shape onto Tray: Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Press the meat mixture evenly onto the tray forming a large rectangle about 1 cm thick, roughly 30×40 cm. Don’t worry about perfect edges.
- Score and Notch: Using a bench scraper or spatula, cut the meat mixture vertically into strips about 2–3 cm wide through to the parchment. Then make shallow horizontal slits across each strip to create traditional kebab textures and encourage even cooking.
- Bake Kebabs: Brush the top of the kebabs with olive oil. Bake on the top rack for 15–18 minutes until golden and cooked through with crispy edges. Optional: for deeper browning, grill (broil) for 1–2 minutes at the end.
- Prepare Sumac Onions: While the kebabs bake, combine finely sliced red onion, sumac, lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt flakes in a bowl. Toss to coat evenly and let sit for 5–10 minutes to lightly pickle and enhance flavor.
- Make Garlic Yoghurt Sauce: In a separate bowl, stir together Greek yoghurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, and sea salt flakes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Warm Flatbreads: Heat flatbreads in a dry frying pan or over a gas flame for 20–30 seconds per side until soft and pliable.
- Assemble and Serve: Press warm flatbreads onto the cooked kebabs to soak up juices, then separate kebab strips along cuts. Serve kebab strips on or inside flatbreads topped with garlic yoghurt sauce, sumac onions, sliced tomatoes, and chopped parsley.
Notes
- For chicken version: Use chicken mince with similar fat content, adjusting cooking time as chicken cooks faster.
- Brushing with olive oil helps crisp the kebabs and adds flavor during baking.
- Sumac adds a tangy, slightly lemony flavor to the pickled onions.
- Barbecuing or air frying are good alternatives to oven baking for these kebabs.
