Kofta is the Middle Eastern version of the traditional meatball and my father’s recipe can’t be beat! He made these for us growing up, grilling them leisurely on Sunday afternoons. Now I make them for my own children and nephews, and they’re still a hit! The pine nuts are my favorite part, they add a crunchy, buttery taste with every bite. On weeknights, the last thing I have time to do is fire up the grill, so I pop them in a very hot oven. The best part about these meatballs is I don’t have to sear them first or make tomato sauce, like Italian meatballs. It makes clean up a cinch and helps me get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.
The Easiest Meatball Recipe
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground lamb (85% lean)
- 1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
- 1 onion diced and sautéed in olive oil
- 1 large handful of parsley, chopped
- 1 heaping tablespoon of ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Turn your oven on to 400 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients (and be generous with the salt!).
- Mix until well combined, but don’t over mix.
- Roll each ball into an oval shape about the size of your thumb.
- Place on a lined baking sheet, making sure they don’t touch (this gives them that crunchy exterior).
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Serve with roasted vegetable couscous or any yummy side dish.
Keywords: meatballs
