Moroccan Grilled Kefta Kebabs

Last Updated on September 29, 2023 by Carne Diem

Protein: ,

Origin: African, Moroccan

Method: Grill or Smoker

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Super easy to make and packed with warming Middle Eastern spices these Moroccan style kefta kebabs are one of the best "outside the box" recipes to make on your grill or smoker. These ground beef and lamb skewers can be prepared ahead of time and are a great grilled North African food to grill at home.

Making Homemade North African Kefta Kebabs

Making Moroccan kefta at home is easy and delicious. You just need to prepare the homemade kefta seasoning, prep your herbs and aromatics, form the kefta kebabs, and grill them up. Much of the prep work can be done ahead of time so the kebabs are ready to hit the grill when you are. Cousins to Greek Kofta and Baltic Cevapi, this variation is one of our favorite.

Prepare the seasoning for kefta

Making kefta kebab seasoning is simple and uses primarily commonly found ingredients. In Morocco salt, pepper, ginger, turmeric and cumin are commonly used spices. These spices make up a large portion of this kefta spice seasoning. The addition of paprika, and berbere seasoning provide a little kick. Ground cinnamon and coriander rounds out the warming spices.

Berbere is a seasoning mix commonly used in East African countries like Ethiopia. While this spice mix is not traditionally used to make kefta in Morocco, it contains many similar ingredients but tends to be a little spicier. If you do not have berbere seasoning you can replace it with spice mixes like Ras el Hanout or other Moroccan spice mixes. You can also purchase the spice mix on Amazon.

For our Moroccan Grilled Kefta Kebabs we use a mixture or sweet and smoked paprika. Either can be used, with the smoked paprika providing a bit more spice to the kefta recipe.

Selecting Ground Meat for Moroccan Kefta Kebabs

Traditionally kefta is made with both beef and lamb. You can adjust the ratios to these meats to your preference but our go to is about ⅓ lamb and ⅔ ground beef. In order to preserve the proper texture of the lamb and beef kefta, we recommend using at least 85:15 ground beef in the recipe.

Traditional herbs used in North African Kefta

Most kefta in North African contains parsley. Cilantro and fresh mint are also fairly common. In the kefta recipe with fresh herbs we use a mixture of parsley, mint, and cilantro, in addition to the onion, and North African spice mix.

Prepare the shredded onion

While you can used diced onion in the kefta, we prefer to use shredded onion. We find that shredded onion is more easily distributed throughout the meat and you are also able to remove some of the excess moisture from the onion which helps with the consistency of the homemade kefta.

We find it easiest to shred the onion with a coarse grating attachment on a food processor. You can also hand shred the onion, but this will take significantly longer. Once the onion is shredded drain the excess liquid from the onion. You do not need to press out any of the liquid, just drain any that is pooled at the bottom.

Combine the ingredients and rest the meat

In a large bowl, combine the meat, onion, and spices. Mix well to combine, then cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld. In addition to helping with the flavor of the beef and lamb kefta, it also helps some with the texture of the kefta. If desired, you can form the kefta meat on the skewers before refrigerating.

Form the kefta kebab skewers

When you are ready to grill the kefta remove the meat from the fridge and form over skewers. You can adjust the size of the kebabs for personal preference. We have made small kefta kababs on wooden skewers and even jumbo, sharable sized kefta on our large Brazilian meat skewers.

Cooking Kefta Kababs on a Grill or Smoker

While you can make the kefta in an oven, Moroccan grilled kefta kebabs are more traditional. Set up your grill or smoker for both direct and indirect heat. Grill the kebabs for about 5-6 minutes, turning every couple minutes. Once the outsides of the beef and lamb kebabs are nicely browned, move the meat to the indirect side of the grill. Continue to cook to an internal temperature of 155 degrees. Total cook time will vary depending on the size and shape of your Moroccan kefta, but typically takes roughly 10-15 minutes of total cook time.

For more great North African and Middle Eastern recipes try some of these classics:

• Moroccan Tagine Style Chicken and Olives
• Lebanese Baked Kibbeh: Kibbeh Bil Sanieh
• Smoked Lebanese Chicken Shawarma
• Grilled Shish Taouk: Lebanese Chicken Kebab

Once the North African Style Kebobs are finished cooking, remove them from the grill. Allow the beef and lamb kebabs to rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Carryover temperature will bring the meat up to about 160 degrees.

What to Serve with Kefta Kebabs

Moroccan style kefta pairs well with other North African and Middle Eastern cuisine. Some of our favorite sides to serve with kefta include, Smoked Jalapeno-Cilantro Hummus, grilled vegetables, lentil soup, and Middle Eastern style salads like tabouli or Fattoush. Warm pita bread, couscous, and Moroccan Zaalouk are also common accompaniments.

We love serving the Moroccan Grilled Kefta Kebabs on pita bread with a spicy shatta sauce or cool Tzatziki sauce. Top with sliced tomatoes and onion and enjoy. The grilled Moroccan kefta can be enjoyed by itself, as part of a pita wrap, or on top of a salad or rice bowl.

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