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Spiced Beef Kebabs with Lemon and Herbs.

July 2, 2013 - 10 Comments

Well, I might as well say it. If there was ever a food that resembled a turd, this is it. Seriously.

Now if that sentence doesn't deter you away from this recipe, you're in luck. Because seriously, these kebabs are AH-MAY-ZING.

We're still awaiting the arrival of our quarter-of-a-steer that we just purchased from a local farm, so I was very happy to find grass-fed, organic ground beef on sale at a local market for $3.40 a pound. Score! I think I cleaned our their entire supply.

Hence the ground beef recipe.

And in the name of all things fresh and summery, this recipe is just that. Refreshing and perky – especially for being beef.

And frankly, you just have to get over the fact that they sort of look like poo on a stick. Seriously. Why is your mind always in the gutter anyway? Don't you have better things to do than tease me about bathroom humor?

Ahem.

DSC_0200

Spiced Beef Kebabs with Lemon and Herbs
You will need:
– 2 pounds grass-fed ground beef (or lamb, or venison, or whatever!)
– 1 purple onion, minced
– 1/4 cup minced, fresh herbs (such as basil, cilantro, and mint)
– 2 teaspoons cumin
– 3 tablespoons lemon juice
– 1 tablespoon lemon zest
– Pinch red pepper flakes
– 1 teaspoon sea salt
– Freshly ground pepper

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Step One: Combine the ground beef and onion in a bowl.

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Step Twp: Then, add in the minced herbs. Yummy… look at those tasty herbs! I love the mint in here.

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Step Three: And then add in the cumin, lemon juice, lemon zest, pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper.

DSC_0180

Step Four: Use your hands to squish it all together. Squish, squish, squish. Sorry. Squish probably isn't a very appetizing word, is it? Mix. Ya, that's it. Mix, mix, mix.

Step Five: Refrigerate the kebab mixture for 20-30 minutes. Then, preheat the oven to 425 (or better yet, warm up the grill!).

DSC_0185

Step Six: Remove the kebab mixture from the refrigerator and shape onto skewers. Shape however you wish. Mine ended up shaped like… well, come on now people.

DSC_0186

Step Seven: Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. If cooking in the oven instead of the grill, it's nice to flip the oven onto broil for the last few minutes to really get the outside of the kebab nice and crispy.

Ta-da! Delicious, zesty beef kebabs. Please, for the kebabs sake, squeeze a bit of fresh lime over the top. It really perks up the beef nicely.

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These would also be fantastic served alongside a tzatziki sauce. Or a bit of sour cream. Or even a fresh pico de gallo or salsa! The possibilities are limitless.

See, now aren't you glad you stuck around for the recipe?

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Both Stuart and Georgia devoured them.

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When I took this shot, Stuart said something along the lines of “Hey, you crazy food-blogger-who-always-insists-on-photographing-my-plate, would you please just let me finish this kebab? It's really good. Stop taking photos of it, you already have enough. Just let me finish eating it, already. You know people are going to say that it looks like a turd anyway, right? Maybe you should choose something prettier next time.”

Okay fine, he didn't say those things. And they may or may not be true. But seriously, these are a wonderful addition to any table. Regardless of their external beauty.

No judgement here.

For other great meal ideas, no matter what your dietary restrictions, check out the meal planning service I use: Real Plans.

Spiced Beef Kebabs with Lemon and Herbs

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds grass-fed ground beef (or lamb, or venison, or whatever!)
  • 1 purple onion, minced
  • ¼ cup minced, fresh herbs (such as basil, cilantro, and mint)
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

Instructions
 

  • Combine the ground beef and onion in a bowl.
  • Then, add in the minced herbs. Yummy… look at those tasty herbs! I love the mint in here.
  • And then add in the cumin, lemon juice, lemon zest, pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper.
  • Use your hands to squish it all together. Squish, squish, squish. Sorry. Squish probably isn't a very appetizing word, is it? Mix. Ya, that's it. Mix, mix, mix.
  • Refrigerate the kebab mixture for 20-30 minutes. Then, preheat the oven to 425 (or better yet, warm up the grill!).
  • Remove the kebab mixture from the refrigerator and shape onto skewers. Shape however you wish. Mine ended up shaped like… well, come on now people.
  • Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. If cooking in the oven instead of the grill, it's nice to flip the oven onto broil for the last few minutes to really get the outside of the kebab nice and crispy.
Keyword beef, kebab
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Comments:

  1. Lyda

    July 2, 2013 at 5:53 pm

    YUM! More BBQ recipes please! 😉

    Reply
  2. Laurie

    July 17, 2013 at 8:13 pm

    I have some ground lamb in the freezer, so will be making this. The carrots look really good too. What did you do to them?

    Reply
  3. Dee

    July 18, 2013 at 5:18 pm

    This is a middle eastern dish called Kefta and it’s amazing! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  4. Debra Marie

    September 8, 2013 at 12:50 pm

    for aesthetics maybe shape into meatballs rolled in salted parlsey,. separate with lemon wedges and garlic cloves.

    Reply
    • Shaye Elliott

      September 10, 2013 at 9:48 pm

      Good idea!

      Reply
  5. Amanda

    June 6, 2014 at 11:23 am

    Made these last night (used venison/pork combo) and served with barley and grilled asparagus.

    Hubby looked at me and said “I am so lucky to have you cook for me!”. Thanks for another great recipe – you are making me look good!

    Reply
    • Shaye Elliott

      June 8, 2014 at 11:42 pm

      Awesome! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Julia

    September 6, 2014 at 11:35 am

    I grew up outside of a large middle eastern community in Michigan and Kefta (kebabs) we a must! I haven’t had one in YEARS- so amazing with fresh pita!

    Now… where’s that recipe for the carrots on the side. Those look amazing too!!!

    Reply
  7. Nikki

    January 31, 2015 at 11:17 am

    Hi there, I know this is kind of an old post, but I was wondering would you do anything different if using venison, because of the low fat content? Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Shaye Elliott

      February 11, 2015 at 12:26 pm

      I wouldn’t! I’m sure they’d be delicious!

      Reply

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