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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Koobideh - Persian Ground Beef Kabob

    By Candice on Aug 18, 2022 (Last updated Aug 18, 2022) · This post may contain affiliate links.

    JUMP TO RECIPE
    5 from 12 votes
    Meat kabobs on a plate with tomatoes.
    Meat kabobs on a plate with tomatoes and rice.
    Meat kabobs on a plate with tomatoes and rice with title text.

    One of the most popular dishes ordered in Persian restaurants, these Persian ground beef kabobs, known as koobideh (or kubideh), are grilled to juicy perfection, and you only need 5 ingredients to make them. You can also make them with ground lamb.

    This recipe is quintessential to Persian cuisine, and is an incredibly tasty kabob seasoned with saffron and lemon. Master this recipe and follow my top koobideh tips to keep the meat stuck on those skewers, and I promise you'll have perfect Koobideh every time!

    Meat kabobs on a plate with tomatoes.
    Jump to:
    • 🌟Why you'll love this recipe
    • 🧾Ingredients in this recipe
    • 👩‍🍳How to make beef koobideh
    • 📋Recipe FAQs
    • 🍍Related Recipes
    • Koobideh - Persian Ground Beef Kabob

    🌟Why you'll love this recipe

    • Perfect shaping - Making great Koobideh is essential in mastering Persian cuisine. The shaping technique to get the perfect kabob that sticks to the skewers is an art, and this recipe gives you all the tips you need to make sure they stick!
    • Tender & juicy - Grating the onion in the mix helps release the enzymes in the onion, which help tenderize the meat and intensify the flavor. The saffron and lemon also adds a unique flavor to the kabobs with a slight acidity and sweetness respectively.
    • Simple & few ingredients - Some recipes online have turmeric and/or sumac in the Koobideh. Sumac should not go in the meat, but can be sprinkled on top afterwards. I've had Koobideh with turmeric in it, but it is usually used to fake the color of the saffron. Use this recipe and you'll be happy you did.

    Pair with Shirazi Salad, barbecued tomatoes, and Saffron Basmati Rice.

    🧾Ingredients in this recipe

    Ground meat, lemon, and other ingredients on a countertop.
    • Ground beef – you can use beef or lamb minced meat or mix them. We are looking for an 80/20 fat ratio.
    • Onion – A medium yellow onion or white onion.
    • Lemon – You only need a small amount of lemon juice and it is best fresh.
    • Saffron – There are many saffron substitutes, but make sure to purchase real ground saffron for this recipe. You should be able to find real saffron at Middle Eastern markets and even online on Amazon. You can read more about saffron in my post about saffron zoolbia.
    • Oil – Use a flavorless oil like canola, vegetable, avocado oil etc.

    See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

    👩‍🍳How to make beef koobideh

    • First, grate the onion and squeeze out all the liquid, reserving the juice that's produced.
    • Add the ground meat mixture to the onions with 2 teaspoons lemon juice, steeped saffron (meaning the saffron was ground and steeped in the hot water first), salt, and pepper.

    Pro Tip

    Make sure you have squeezed all the water out of the onion. Too much liquid will make the meat mixture not sticky enough. Too much onion will also keep it from sticking, so stay with the ratio in the recipe.

    Kneading meat in a glass bowl.
    • Knead the mixture together for a minimum of 5 minutes, and preferably a full 10 minutes until the mix is very sticky. This is an extremely important step because without kneading it, the meat will fall off the skewer.

    Refrigerate and marinate

    • Refrigerate the meat mixture for a minimum of 30 minutes, ideally 1 hour. Forming the meat just after it was refrigerated is crucial to keep it from falling off the skewer.

    Pro Tip

    Keep the meat cool - If you allow the meat to get warm, you're basically melting/breaking down the fat, and this causes it to fall off the skewer. If it takes you a long time to get the meat on the skewers, you can place the bowl of ground meat in a larger bowl of ice water to help keep it cool.

    Preparing to cook

    Yellow juice in a glass ramekin.
    • Mix together 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the reserved onion juice from earlier. This is for basting the Koobideh later while it cooks.
    Raw meat on skewers on a plate next to tomatoes.
    • Mix together the rest of the onion juice and some ice water in another bowl. Coat your hands in cold water and get ready to skewer the meat.
    • Mold the meat around the skewer - it's helpful to taper the bottom and top of the kabob of each skewer. Use your pointer and middle finger in a scissor position to press the classic indentations along the kabob.

    Pro Tip

    Meat still falling off? If after all of this your meat is still falling off the skewer, you can add ½ teaspoon of baking soda to help it stick on the skewer. Only use this if absolutely necessary, because this will change the texture of the final kabob to a slightly rubbery one.

    Grill and Serve

    • Next, cook the kabobs over high heat, flipping them every 30 seconds until cooked through for a total of 8-10 minutes.
    Basting kabobs on a grill.

    Kabob Cooking Tips

    • Make sure your grill fire is very hot.
    • Remember that we don't follow the burger flipping rule in this recipe (where you only flip it once when cooking). The kabob get flipped when you first put them on the grill, and you cook them for a short 30 seconds on the first side, until it just starts to brown. Then, you flip it to get the other side to get it brown and continue flipping as you cook.
    • Lay the flat skewers across the grill instead of on the grill, which is more similar to the traditional way they are cooked.
    • Baste the kabobs with the basting liquid when you have about 1 minute of cooking left.

    Pro Tip

    Flip, flip, flip! Flipping the kabob often is important to seal the outside of the kabob so it doesn't fall off the skewer. Cooking one side and letting the other side get warm will undo all the work you did with the cold kabob to get in on the skewer nicely.

    Read more about two-zone grilling set-up here.

    Serve your Koobideh with Persian steamed saffron rice and roasted tomatoes from the grill.

    📋Recipe FAQs

    How do you bloom/steep saffron?

    If it's not already ground, grind your saffron using a mortar and pestle. Steep the saffron in hot water prior to adding it to the dish you are making.

    How can I make sure my meat sticks to the skewer?

    My top tips to help make sure your meat sticks are to knead the meat for 10 minutes and then also keep it cold, with your hands cold and wet as well. This will greatly help you with the skewering process.

    How is Koobideh served?

    Traditionally, you would slide your Koobideh off the skewers and serve on a large platter with plenty of Persian steamed basmati rice, and tomatoes that were also cooked on a skewer on the grill. A piece of Sangak is a lovely touch. And add a touch of sumac to season the kabob or rice if you like!

    Can I make Koobideh in the oven?

    Yes, you can use an oven broiler to cook Koobideh. Place your oven rack close enough to the broiler so the top of your broiling pan with the Koobideh will be less than 3 inches away from the heat source, and make sure to line the broiler pan with foil. Flip every 30 seconds, just as you would on the grill.

    What does Koobideh translate to?

    Koobideh means 'slammed', referring to the way the meat is flattened and molded around the skewers before cooking.

    Meat kabobs on a plate with tomatoes and rice.

    🍍Related Recipes

    Feast your eyes and lips on more Persian recipes packed with unique flavor! If you like this recipe, you'll love one of these similar recipes and recipes I serve with this dish:

    • Chicken kabobs on metal skewers.
      Joojeh Kabob - Persian Chicken Kabob
    • Kabob with rice and salad.
      Persian Kabob Barg
    • Large platter of cucumber tomato salad with gold utensils.
      15-Minute Shirazi Salad
    • 4-Ingredient Steamed Persian Rice (with or without Saffron)

    I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m up to

    Meat kabobs on a plate with tomatoes and rice.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 12 votes

    Koobideh - Persian Ground Beef Kabob

    These Persian ground lamb/beef kabobs also known as koobideh are grilled to juicy perfection, and you only need 5 ingredients to make them.
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Resting Time30 minutes mins
    Total Time55 minutes mins
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: Persian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 362kcal
    Author: Candice

    Equipment

    • 4 Skewers

    Ingredients

    • 1 medium yellow onion
    • 1 lb. ground beef or lamb, 80/20
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
    • ½ teaspoon pepper plus more to taste
    • 1 tablespoon oil flavorless, like canola, vegetable, avocado, etc.
    • ½ teaspoon saffron ground and bloomed in 1 tablespoon hot water

    Instructions

    • Grate the onion and squeeze out all the liquid, reserving the liquid. Add the ground meat, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of oil, the steeped saffron, salt, and pepper. Knead for a minimum of 5 minutes, but preferably 10 minutes until it is very sticky.
    • Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes, but preferably 1 hour.
    • Mix together 2 teaspoons of oil, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the onion juice. This is for basting.
    • Mix together the rest of the onion juice and some ice water. Skewer with cold, wet hands. It is helpful to taper the bottom and top of the kabob of each skewer. Use your pointer and middle finger in a scissor position press the classic indentations along the kabob. If it isn't sticking, see note below.
    • Cook over high heat flipping every 30 seconds until cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Base with the basting liquid when you have about 1 minute left.

    Video

    Notes

    Serve with bastmati rice, barbecued tomatoes, and sumac for seasoning the kabob and/or rice.
    Make sure you have squeezed all the water out of the onion. Too much liquid will make the meat mixture not sticky enough. Too much onion will also keep it from sticking, so stay with the ratio in the recipe.
    Without kneading it, the meat will fall off the skewer.
     If you allow the meat to get warm, you're basically melting/breaking down the fat, and this causes it to fall off the skewer. If it takes you a long time to get the meat on the skewers, you can place the bowl of ground meat in a larger bowl of ice water to help keep it cool.
     If after all of this your meat is still falling off the skewer, you can add ½ teaspoon of baking soda to help it stick on the skewer. Only use this if absolutely necessary, because this will change the texture of the final kabob to a slightly rubbery one.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 650mg | Potassium: 296mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did you try this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and/or comment! And tag @ProportionalPlate on TikTok or Instagram... I'd love to see what you're making.
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    1. Sil

      February 19, 2024 at 5:25 am

      5 stars
      Great authentic recipe.

      Reply
    2. Hunter

      January 31, 2024 at 12:01 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! These were so flavorful. Definitely a great reason to fire up the grill in cold weather. My partner said that she has had a hard time keeping them together in the past, but your tip about being sure to get the water out of the onion solved that.

      Reply
    3. Jay Jalali

      September 02, 2023 at 10:24 pm

      5 stars
      Great job. Took step by step of your instructions and made a delicious kobideh kabob

      Reply
      • Candice

        September 03, 2023 at 7:29 am

        I'm so glad you liked it, Jay. Thank you for taking the time to share... Nooshijan!

        Reply
    4. Laura Zakeri

      August 20, 2023 at 2:35 pm

      Question Is it okay to grill on a grill pan with no skewer

      Reply
      • Candice

        August 21, 2023 at 8:41 am

        Yes. You won’t get all the same flavor from the grill, but you can enjoy them as patties/burgers.

        Reply
    5. Claire Elizabeth

      July 17, 2023 at 1:41 pm

      5 stars
      Making these with bison tonight at the Minam!

      Reply
      • Candice

        July 19, 2023 at 7:22 am

        So exciting!! How did it go? I'd love to make them with bison.

        Reply
    6. Salima Benkhalti

      March 14, 2023 at 11:11 am

      5 stars
      10/10 will be making these again! Loved the grilled tomatoes with them.

      Reply

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    Meet Candice

    On this blog, I get to share the food that I love, and get to enjoy in my own home. My Persian Jewish heritage influences most of my recipes, and my travels inspire them. And I'm sure you'll notice my love for everything matcha. Welcome, and enjoy!

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