Smashed Beef Kebab Cucumber Yogurt (Printer-friendly)
Crispy, hand-shaped beef patties with aromatic spices served alongside cool cucumber yogurt sauce.
# What you'll need:
→ Beef Kebabs
01 - 1.1 lb ground beef (80% lean)
02 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
03 - 1 small onion, grated
04 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
05 - 1 tsp ground cumin
06 - 1 tsp ground coriander
07 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
08 - ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)
09 - 1 tsp salt
10 - ½ tsp black pepper
11 - 1 tbsp olive oil (for frying)
→ Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
12 - 7 oz Greek yogurt
13 - ½ cucumber, grated
14 - 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
15 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
16 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
17 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ To Serve
18 - Sliced red onion
19 - Warm flatbreads or rice (optional)
20 - Fresh herbs (parsley or cilantro)
# Method:
01 - In a large bowl, combine ground beef, minced garlic, grated onion, parsley, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined—do not overwork the meat.
02 - Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Shape each into a thick, oval patty, then gently flatten with your palm to about ¾ inch thickness to achieve the characteristic smashed shape.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the kebabs and cook 4–5 minutes per side until deeply browned and cooked through to an internal temperature of 160°F.
04 - While the kebabs cook, squeeze excess moisture from the grated cucumber. Combine with Greek yogurt, dill, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir well and chill until ready to serve.
05 - Arrange the hot kebabs on a platter with generous dollops of cucumber yogurt sauce, sliced red onion, flatbreads or rice, and a scattering of fresh herbs.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The edges get impossibly crispy while the inside stays juicy, and that contrast is something you will crave after the first bite.
- The cucumber yogurt sauce comes together in about two minutes and cools everything down perfectly on warm evenings.
- Ground beef is affordable and the spice blend transforms it into something that tastes like it took far more effort than it did.
02 -
- Overworking the meat mixture is the fastest way to end up with dense, tough kebabs instead of tender ones.
- Pressing the grated cucumber dry is the single step that separates a silky sauce from a watery puddle.
03 -
- Let the shaped kebabs rest in the fridge for fifteen minutes before cooking so they firm up and hold their shape in the hot pan.
- A pinch of zaatar rubbed onto each kebab right before it hits the pan adds a layer of herbal complexity that guests always notice but can never quite identify.