Remember I mentioned that I had a great recipe to go with the tahini sauce recipe? Well, look no further — here it is! Sometimes I mix up my usual routine of buying ground turkey (every single time I go to the store) and I grab the ground chicken instead. Occasionally it is on sale, or I might just take it out of boredom. Mix up the ol’ routine. Despite being a food blogger, I do get into dinner ruts. Ground chicken is great for a number of recipes (try southwestern mini meatloaves, air fryer egg rolls, or chicken lettuce wraps) and can be subbed in for ground turkey or even ground beef in many of your favorite recipes. Often, I’ll just throw it in spaghetti sauce or use it for tacos, instead of ground beef. But the night I tried this recipe, I was in the mood to try something new. I love recreating recipes from our favorite Lebanese carry-out place. Chicken tawook, tahini sauce, grilled chicken shawarma drumsticks, chicken kofta. This recipe doesn’t come out exactly like the chicken kofta at our usual carry-out place, but dare I say…it’s better? Ben definitely likes it better. I like them both but they are quite different so it’s hard to compare the two to each other. Both versions are a combination of ground chicken with lots of great flavors. I use parsley, onions, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Mix this together in the same way you would do for meatballs or burgers. I like to use my hands so that I don’t overmix the meat mixture. I’m pretty sure the version I order from the restaurant doesn’t include the combo of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg, but I love what they bring to this recipe. I also love the freshness of the lemon and parsley in the restaurant version. Clearly I need to make Chicken Kofta Version 2.0 for my blog in the future. After you get the meat combined with all the other ingredients, form it around wooden skewers. I recommend soaking the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes so they don’t start on fire. Place the chicken kofta on a baking sheet lined with foil for easy cleanup and broil until they’re cooked through, turning once. It’s so easy. You could also grill these, but the mixture is fairly loose and you might have some problems with it falling through the grates of the grill. I’d recommend broiling or maybe using a grill pan. You can eat this straight off the kebabs or you can slide the meat off and use a fork and knife – whatever you prefer! Serve it with rice, tahini sauce, and a salad. PS: Kofta vs. Kofte vs. Kafta – what’s your vote? I believe the spelling depends on if the recipe is Lebanese, Pakistani, Greek, or Indian? One thing I know is that I’ll eat it regardless of how it’s spelled or where it’s from!
More Middle Eastern Vibes
Fattoush salad recipe (with video!) Tabbouleh salad Classic homemade hummus with toasted pine nuts Hummus without tahini (parsley flavored, sesame and nut-free) Red lentil soup (a family favorite)
Photos updated 1/8/18 – see below for old photos!
