Every Persian family has their own secret kabob koobideh recipe, and here I am sharing mine. This recipe was created by my dear Dad, who in my biased opinion, made the best kabob koobideh ever.
A perfect koobideh is juicy and tender, with a lovely smokey flavor from the open flame. Koobideh is traditionally served on fragrant basmati rice with saffron butter, alongside grilled onions and tomatoes. It's so delicious!
Kabob Koobideh is one of the most popular dishes ordered in Persian restaurants, but you can also make it at home with my recipe below.
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Ingredients for Kabob Koobideh
Always use good quality ingredients for the best results.
- Ground Meat: I use a combination of ground beef and ground lamb, choosing the best quality of each one that I can find.
- Onion - I use white onions as they have a more tender texture, but yellow onions can be substituted. I prefer the texture of minced onion to that of grated onion.
- Egg Yolk - the yolks work as a great binder
- Salt and Black Pepper
- Baking Soda - baking soda is a tenderizer of meat. In this recipe, I only apply it to the outside of the kabobs as we are shaping them.
How to Make Kabob Koobideh
Make the Meat and Onion Mixture
- Finely mince the onion in a food processor. Separate the pulp from the juice. Add the juice to baking soda and set aside. Add the pulp to a large bowl.
- Take one pound or roughly 1 ½ cups of the ground meat, and blend it in the food processor until it becomes smooth and paste-like. This will act as a binder for the rest of the meat, making it much easier and faster to shape the kabobs. It also reduces the overall kneading time.
- Combine the pulsed beef, and both the leftover ground beef and lamb with the onion. Add salt, pepper, and the egg yolks. Knead well by hand until the mixture is fully combined.
Don't have a food processor? You can grate the onions using a box grater. You can also ask your butcher to double grind your meat, or use a meat grinder if you have one.
Make Kabob Skewers
- Aim for about ¾ cup of mixture per skewer. Slide the mixture onto the skewer and press it firmly around the center, shaping it into an 8-10 inch long kabob.
- To prevent sticking, wet your hands with the onion-baking soda juice. This also helps seal the meat for a cohesive kabob.
- Gently press along the kabob with two fingers to create indentations. Seal any holes with your fingers and reinforce the ends of both sides of the kabob.
Grill Meat and Serve
- Place kabobs on the hot grill. Immediately flip the first one after placing the last.
- Watch closely and rotate the kabobs often to avoid hot spots. Frequent turning ensures even cooking throughout.
- Once both sides have char marks, use grill slots to cook the edges of the kabobs. If your grill does not have slots, carefully angle the skewers to cook the sides.
Special Equipment
- Mangal or Charcoal Grill: Choose a grill with a removable grate. Mangals are made for kabobs, and are typically rectangular or box-shaped. This is the one we use. You might be able to find one at a middle eastern grocery market like we did. Your food cooks directly over the hot coals. Mangals often have slots on the sides to rest your skewers vertically while they cook (as seen in the picture below). If you're using a regular charcoal grill, your grill might be too large for the length of your kabab skewers. In that case, add bricks on the sides of the grill to provide a horizontal surface for placing your skewers on.
- Charcoal: lump charcoal for optimal heat and flavor
- Flat Metal Skewers (Koobideh Skewers): stainless steel skewers that are about 1 inch wide and 23 inches long
- Food Processor: for finely chopping the onions for the kabob mixture
- Large Bowl: for mixing the onion mixture with the beef mixture together (I use a 16 inch bowl)
8 Tips for Making Kabob Koobideh So That It Never Falls Off The Skewer
Is there anything more frustrating than working so hard to make perfect kabobs only to watch them slide off your skewers and into the fire of the charcoal grill? Here are the most important steps I take to make sure my kabob koobideh never falls off the skewer while I'm grilling.
- I add egg yolks to my meat mixture. Egg yolks are a natural binder that will help keep your meat together.
- I use 80 percent lean, 20 percent fat ground meat. The fat in the meat also works as a binder. I don't use lean ground beef to make kabob on the grill.
- I add a small portion of the ground meat to the food processor, and pulse it until it becomes smooth. This breaks up the fat, distributing it all over the mixture. It also reduces the kneading time significantly, as the processed meat acts as a binder.
- I knead the meat mixture until it reaches a sticky paste consistency. This ensures it adheres easily to the skewer and itself.
- I use about a handful of the mixture, which is about ¾ of a cup, to make each kabob. Kabobs that are too thick or too thin are more likely to fall off.
- I dip my hands in the onion juice and baking soda mixture frequently and apply it to the surface of the kabob as I form it. When exposed to high heat, the baking soda creates faster browning on the outside of the meat, creating another barrier for the meat to hold on.
- I make sure to seal the ends of each kabob on both sides. (see image above)
- I only start to grill the kebab skewers when the grill is ready (see recipe card for how to prepare the hot charcoal). I don't step away from the fire, but continuously watch and rotate the kebabs to avoid hot spots.
Side Dishes for Kabob Koobideh
Persian Rice or Bread: Nestle kabob koobideh between layers of soft lavash bread or with a plate of saffron rice to enjoy this traditionally.
Fresh Herbs and Onions (sabzi khordan): Included in the herbs are fresh basil, tarragon, persian leek(tarrah) and mint, as well as raw onions, spring onions and red turnips.
Grilled Tomatoes and Other Vegetables: Grill skewered tomatoes, peppers, and onions alongside the kabob. I prefer roma tomatoes as they are better for skewering, but you can substitute cherry tomatoes. Green and red peppers, as well as Anaheim peppers are a great addition to the vegetable skewers.
Green Salad: a classic green salad made with lettuce and topped with a balsamic vinaigrette, or your preferred dressing.
Salad Shirazi: Shirazi Salad is a traditional Persian salad, made with cucumbers, onions, tomatoes and a simple lemon and mint dressing.
FAQ
You can make traditional koobideh with ground lamb or beef, or a combination of both. I have found that a 2:1 ratio of ground beef to ground lamb creates the best version of kabob koobideh. I also recommend using the highest quality meat you are able to find. Lean ground meat loses too much moisture during cooking, so using a 80/20 fat ratio will help keep your kabob juicy and flavorful.
Yes you can make a version of kabob koobideh without an outdoor grill. In an oven, place your metal kabob skewers in an aluminum foil lined baking pan under the broiler on high heat. Using heat-resistant gloves, turn the skewers every 2-3 minutes to ensure they are fully cooked. For stovetop cooking, simply shape the meat mixture into oblong patties and cook them in a pan until browned on both sides.
The spice served on kabob koobideh is called sumac. It has a tangy and sour taste and goes well with most Persian barbecue recipes. Sprinkle sumac liberally over both the rice and the meat. You can find sumac in most middle eastern super markets or purchase here.
Yes, this recipe for kabob is still juicy and delicious the day after. Make sure to keep the kabob in an airtight container in your refrigerator. When you are ready to eat the kabob, place it in a microwave safe dish, covered with plastic wrap. Microwave at 45 second intervals until the kabob is steaming hot.
Yes, you can definitely freeze leftover kabob koobideh and enjoy up to 2-3 months later. To prevent freezer burn, I tightly wrap each kabob first in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil. When I'm ready to eat them again, unwrap the kabobs and place one in a microwave-safe dish. I add a teaspoon of water to create some steam while reheating and cover the dish with plastic wrap. I microwave the kabob in short bursts of 45 seconds until the are fully warmed through.
This depends on when you plan to grill. If my grill is ready to go, then I can skip refrigeration and go straight to grilling. However, if I will be waiting more than 15 minutes before grilling, I refrigerate the kabob skewers for food safety.
Persian ground beef kabobs need flat skewers. Rounded skewers can be used for grilling tomatoes, vegetables or and even joojeh (chicken) kabob but I prefer to use thinner sized flat ones.
Top Tip
Pan fry a tablespoon of your kabob mixture on the stovetop before you start skewering. This will give you a taste of the final flavor. If it needs more salt or pepper, now's the time to adjust the seasoning.
Did You Make the Recipe?
I would love to hear your feedback! Please leave a comment and star rating below. You can also pin my recipe on Pinterest or share your creation on Instagram by tagging me @mulberryblvd. Thank you! Tannaz
Kabob Koobideh (Juicy Skewered Grilled Persian Kabobs)
Ingredients
- 4 pounds ground beef 80/20
- 2 pounds ground lamb
- 2 pounds white onion
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 ½ teaspoon table salt you can increase this to 4 teaspoon if you like
- 1 tablespoon pepper
Instructions
Prep the Meat Mixture (15 minutes preparation time)
- Finely mince the onion in a food processor
- Separate the onion pulp from the juice. Put the onion pulp in a large bowl. Mix the onion juice with baking soda and set aside
- Take one pound( or about 1.5 cups) of the the ground meat, and pulse in the food processor until it becomes smooth or starts to resemble paste.
- Combine the processed meat, and both the ground beef and lamb with the remaining onion pulp in the large bowl. Add salt, pepper, and egg yolks. Knead well by hand until the mixture becomes a sticky paste
Shape and Skewer the Kabobs (35 minutes preparation time)
- Aim for about ¾ cup of meat mixture per skewer. Press the mixture firmly around the center of the skewer. Distribute the meat up and down the skewer to form 8-10 inch long kabobs
- To prevent the meat from sticking to your hands, periodically dip them in the onion-baking soda juice. This will also create a better seal for the meat mixture
- Use your thumb and index finger to gently make indentations along the length of the kabob. Seal any gaps in the meat. Reinforce the two ends of the kabab. You can grill now, or store the kabobs in the refrigerator until your charcoal is ready to use
Preparing the Coals (30 minutes preparation time)
- Stack the coals in a pyramid shape, placing fire starters near the bottom. Light the fire starters and let the coals burn until they turn (mostly) gray
- Spread the coals evenly across the grill for consistent heat
- Test the heat by holding your hand a few inches above the coals. If you need to move your hand away within 2-3 seconds, the coals are hot enough and you are ready
Grilling the Kabobs (5 minutes cooking time)
- Place the kabobs on the grill (mangal). As soon as you finish placing the last one, immediately flip the first one over (repeat for all skewers). Aim to turn them before they become dark gray
- Keep an eye on the kabobs and rotate them frequently to avoid hot spots. It's better to turn them often for even cooking, rather than risk burning one side
- Once both sides have nice char marks (with some visibly darker areas), use the grill's slots to cook the edges thoroughly. If your grill does not have slots, then hold for 20 seconds per side
- To remove the kabobs, use a piece of bread (lavash) to gently press down on the top edge, then carefully slide the kabob off the skewer from the bottom. Cover with aluminum foil until ready to eat. Serve with rice and a sprinkle of sumac
