Method

  1. Warm the pita and mix the sauce

    Heat a large dry skillet over medium heat. Warm 4 small whole-wheat pita breads one at a time until flexible and lightly toasted, turning each as soon as faint brown spots appear; stack them beneath a clean kitchen towel. Whisk 180 g of plain low-fat Greek yogurt, 30 g of tahini, 30 ml of lemon juice, 30 ml of water, and 0.75 g of kosher salt for sauce in a small bowl until smooth and thick enough to hold a soft ridge. Set the sauce aside for serving.

  2. Prepare the onion, garlic, and parsley

    Drained grated onion, minced garlic, and chopped parsley in a mixing bowl before adding beef

    Grate 100 g of yellow onion on the large holes of a box grater. Gather the grated onion in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly over the sink until it no longer drips, then put it in a large bowl. Mince 12 g of garlic, chop 30 g of flat-leaf parsley, and add both to the bowl. Prepare these ready-to-eat ingredients before opening the beef package so the cutting board and knife stay separate from raw meat.

  3. Mix and shape the shields

    Add 570 g of 85% lean ground beef, 4 g of ground cumin, 4 g of ground coriander, 2 g of ground allspice, 1 g of ground cinnamon, 5 g of kosher salt for patties, and 1 g of black pepper to the bowl. Mix with clean hands for 60 to 90 seconds, just until the mixture looks even and slightly tacky. Divide it into one portion per serving. Shape each portion into a broad oval about 12 cm (4 3/4 in) long, 8 cm (3 1/4 in) wide, and 2.25 cm (7/8 in) thick, tapering one end gently to suggest a shield. Put the raw patties on one plate, then wash hands and clean any surface or utensil that touched raw beef.

  4. Sear the first side

    Return the skillet to medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add 15 ml of olive oil and swirl to coat the base. Set the patties in a single layer with space between them; cook in batches when a scaled batch would crowd the pan. Sear without moving for 5 minutes, until the underside is dark golden-brown and the side edges look cooked about halfway up. Set a separate clean plate beside the stove for finished patties.

    05:00

  5. Finish to a safe temperature

    Food thermometer inserted sideways into a fully cooked kofta patty in the skillet

    Turn the patties and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, lowering the heat if the browned surface darkens too quickly. Beginning at 5 minutes, insert a food thermometer sideways into the center of the thickest patty. Continue cooking until every patty reaches 71°C/160°F; color alone is not a reliable doneness test. Transfer the cooked patties to the clean plate, not the plate that held raw beef.

    05:00 first check

  6. Build the shield plates

    Cooked kofta patty plated inside a lemon-tahini yogurt arc with three pita wedges

    Cut 4 small whole-wheat pita breads into three wedges each. Divide the sauce among the plates in broad semicircles. Set one kofta patty inside each sauce arc with the tapered end facing outward, then divide the pita wedges among the plates. Serve immediately while the browned edges are hot and the sauce remains cool and thick.

Cook's noteSqueeze the grated onion until it stops dripping. Excess onion liquid makes the mixture slack, encourages steaming, and softens the browned crust.

Smart Substitutions

  • Prefer lamb? Replace half or all of the beef with ground lamb and cook every patty to 71°C/160°F.
  • No tahini? Use smooth unsweetened sunflower seed butter for a similarly thick, nutty sauce.
  • No whole-wheat pita? Use plain pita or another soft flatbread that can be torn into sturdy dipping wedges.
  • Need a dairy-free sauce? Use an unsweetened plain plant-based yogurt with enough body to hold a spooned ridge.

Tips and Variations

  • Mix only until the beef becomes slightly tacky; overworking makes the patties dense.
  • Leave clear space around each patty so the skillet stays hot enough to brown instead of steam.
  • For a thin patty, insert the thermometer from the side so the sensing area reaches the center.

What Went Wrong?

  • Patties crack while shaping Squeeze the onion more firmly, then mix the beef just until the mixture turns slightly tacky before reshaping.
  • Patties release a lot of liquid The skillet is crowded or not hot enough. Cook fewer patties at once and let the pan recover between batches.
  • Outside browns before the center is ready Lower the heat to medium-low and continue cooking, checking the center with a food thermometer until it reaches 71°C/160°F.
  • Sauce runs across the plate Whisk in a little more tahini until it holds a soft ridge, then spoon a narrower arc.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories593
Protein41 g
Carbs35 g
Fat32 g
  • Fiber: 6 g per serving
  • Sodium: 965 mg per serving

Nutrition disclaimer:This recipe is provided for general cooking information only. Nutrition values are estimates and may vary by ingredients, brands, preparation methods, and serving sizes. Check ingredient labels and follow appropriate food-safety practices. This content is not medical, dietary, allergy, or professional food-safety advice.

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FAQ

What makes kofta different from a hamburger patty?Kofta is seasoned throughout with onion, parsley, garlic, and warm spices, then shaped into smaller or elongated forms. These patties use that aromatic mixture in a broad shield shape and are served with lemon-tahini yogurt and pita rather than burger toppings.