Middle Eastern Kofta Meatballs

In this weeknight-friendly baked kofta meatballs recipe, ground beef is seasoned with tantalizing Middle Eastern spices and cooked in the oven until golden brown and juicy. Serve these meatballs over creamy hummus and finish with sizzled, slightly spicy olive oil, and toasted pine nuts. Heavenly! 

I love a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs covered in red sauce, but pasta is not the only thing that goes well with meatballs. If you’re ready for something different and next-level delicious, this baked kofta meatball recipe over hummus is for you! It is a decidedly Middle Eastern take on a meatball dinner, inspired by one of my all-time favorite meals, kofta kebabs.

First, I season the meat, either ground beef or ground lamb (whichever you prefer) with allspice, cardamom, paprika and nutmeg, among other flavor makers like garlic, onions and parsley. I always use my secret ingredient for juicy meatballs—a piece of bread soaked in water. Then it’s just a matter of mixing everything up, shaping the kofta meatballs and popping them in the oven. Once the meatballs are ready, serve them on a bed of creamy, protein-packed hummus (Homemade hummus is delicious, of course, but store bought works well too), and finish with spicy warmed olive oil, and crunchy pine nuts.

If you’ve never had a Middle Eastern take on the standard meatball, I know you’ll be diving head first into the deep end after this recipe. And don’t worry, I have you covered with more meatball recipes: Spanish, Greek, Moroccan, doused in caramelized onion sauce, Piccata-style, and even meatball soup! I guess you could say meatballs are kind of my thing.

Table of Contents

1. Ingredients for this Kofta Meatballs Recipe
2. How to Make Kofta Meatballs
1. To Make the Baked Meatballs
2. To Serve
3. What to Serve with Middle Eastern Baked Kofta Meatballs
4. Try These Mediterranean Meatball Recipes 
5. Middle Eastern Kofta Meatballs with Hummus Recipe

Ingredients for this Kofta Meatballs Recipe

This baked meatballs recipe builds bold Middle Eastern flavor with fairly standard pantry ingredients. The star is the warming spices, along with Aleppo pepper, which is fairly easy to find at the grocery store these days (or online at our shop).

• Meat: Both ground beef and lamb work well in this recipe.
• Extra virgin olive oil: A final drizzle of warm, spiced oil adds incredible richness to the dish. Use a high quality, full flavor oil. I especially love the peppery kick of our Spanish Hojiblanca with this recipe. 
• Bread: I use white sandwich bread but you can use any soft bread of your choice, including gluten free bread. 
• Fresh seasonings: Onion, garlic, and parsley bring a bold and fresh depth of flavor.
• Dry seasonings: Allspice, green cardamom, paprika, sumac, and ground nutmeg give the meatballs a distinctly Middle Eastern flavor. Cayenne adds a nice heat, but you can leave it off if you don’t like spicy. Kosher salt and black pepper enhance the flavor. 
• Pine nuts: A garnish of freshly toasted pine nuts add buttery, nutty flavor and crunchy texture.
• Aleppo pepper: Toasts in hot olive oil to give a final richness to the dish and give a mild kick. You can substitute with red chili flakes or Urfa biber if you’d like. 
• Hummus: I like to use plain hummus here to let the meatballs do all the talking, but roasted red pepper hummus or lemon hummus would also work well. Make your own or use a high quality store bought variety. 
• Pita bread (optional): Pita bread really becomes a utensil in this dish, scooping the hummus and meatballs together in a beautiful way. Freshly baked pita is an unmatched luxury, but store-bought works well too—you may just want to soften it a bit by toasting over low heat. 

How to Make Kofta Meatballs

These baked meatballs feel like a luxurious, exciting dinner, but are secretly a sheet pan meal all dressed up. Here’s how you make them: 

To Make the Baked Meatballs

• Get ready. Heat your oven to 425°F. Lightly brush a large sheet pan with a thin layer of olive oil.
• Soak the bread until very tender. In a large bowl cover a lightly toasted slice of bread with 1 cup of water. Let it sit for 15 minutes. 
• Prepare the fresh seasonings. While the bread soaks, add a quartered yellow onion, 2 garlic cloves, and the leaves from a parsley bunch (set aside a small handful of leaves for garnish) to a food processor. Pulse until they are finely minced. (You can also do this by hand.)
• Crumble the bread. Take the bread out of the water and squeeze the liquid out of it. Discard the water and use your hands to crumble the bread slice back into the bowl. This is the secret to a juicy meatball! 
• Make the meatball mixture. Into the bowl with the bread, add a good drizzle of olive oil, the onion and garlic mixture, and 1 pound of ground beef or lamb. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, a big pinch of salt and pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon each of cardamom, paprika, sumac, and nutmeg. Use your hands to mix it all together, making sure everything is well combined. 
• Roll the meatballs. Form the meat mixture into small balls, just slightly larger than a golf ball. Arrange them on the prepared sheet pan without touching. 
• Bake the meatballs. Place in the oven and bake, turning over halfway through, until the meatballs are well browned and the center is no longer pink, 20 to 25 minutes. 

To Serve

• Toast the pine nuts. While the meatballs roast, set a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet and 1/4 cup pine nuts. Toast, stirring, until they are fragrant and golden. Stay close by and stir constantly so they don’t burn. Transfer to a small plate. 
• Make the sizzled Aleppo oil. A few minutes before the meatballs have cooked through, return the skillet where you toasted the pine nuts to medium heat. Add the 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper. You just want to warm and flavor the oil. This should only take a few minutes. Turn off the heat. 
• Assemble. Remove the meatballs from the oven. Spread hummus on a plate or platter, using a spoon to make swoops and swirls. Pour the warmed oil over the hummus and top with meatballs. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts and reserved parsley leaves. Serve with pita bread on the side. 

What to Serve with Middle Eastern Baked Kofta Meatballs

To me, there’s nothing quite like scooping hummus and warm meatballs into a steaming freshly baked pita. It’s optional, but I recommend you experience it if you can (or substitute with store bought to save time).

For a side salad, you want something bright, fresh, and crunchy to balance the richness of the meatballs. Creamy cucumber salad, cucumber tomato salad, and traditional Greek salad all come to mind.

Try These Mediterranean Meatball Recipes 

Italian

Chicken Piccata Meatballs

Meat and Poultry

Lamb Meatballs with Caramelized Onions

Moroccan and Tunisian

Moroccan Meatballs with a Fresh Carrot Salad

Meat and Poultry

Greek Meatballs (Keftedes) with Lemon Sauce

Browse all Mediterranean recipes.

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