Mediterranean Beef Kofta Bowls

Name: Mediterranean Beef Kofta Bowls
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 47 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 3 lb lean ground beef; 1 large yellow onion; 8 cloves garlic cloves; 0.5 cup fresh parsley; 2 tbsp ground cumin; 1 tbsp ground coriander; 1 tsp ground allspice; 3 cups basmati rice; 0.25 cup toasted vermicelli noodles; 4.5 cups chicken broth; 0.75 cup tahini; 0.33 cup lemon juice; 4 whole Roma tomatoes; 2 whole English cucumber; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp kosher salt

Sheet-pan baked cumin-spiced beef kofta over rice pilaf with tahini-garlic sauce

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 22 min
Serves 8
Difficulty: medium

Ground beef mixes with cumin, coriander, allspice, and grated onion, shapes into oblong kofta directly on a sheet pan, and roasts hot until deeply browned, served over toasted rice pilaf with a tahini-garlic sauce and a fresh tomato-cucumber salad.

Why crews like it: Warm-spiced and smoky-edged straight from the oven, not another meatball. Tahini sauce is a totally different flavor lane from tzatziki, so it never feels like a repeat night—and the whole batch bakes hands-off on one pan.

909Cal

56gProtein

71gCarbs

47gFat

Ingredients

3 lb lean ground beef
1 large yellow onion
8 cloves garlic cloves
0.5 cup fresh parsley
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground allspice
3 cups basmati rice
0.25 cup toasted vermicelli noodles
4.5 cups chicken broth
0.75 cup tahini
0.33 cup lemon juice
4 whole Roma tomatoes
2 whole English cucumber
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Mix and shape the kofta: Combine beef, grated onion, half the garlic, half the parsley, cumin, coriander, allspice, and 1 tsp salt. Mix gently and shape into oblong logs directly on a parchment-lined sheet pan—no skewers needed. Chill 20 minutes to firm up.
Toast and cook the rice pilaf: Toast vermicelli in 1 tbsp oil until golden, add rinsed rice and stir 1 minute to coat. Add broth and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 15–18 minutes until tender and fluffy.
Whisk the tahini sauce: Whisk tahini with remaining garlic, half the lemon juice, and cold water 1 tbsp at a time until pourable and smooth—it will seize before it smooths out, keep whisking.
Toss the tomato-cucumber salad: Combine diced tomato, cucumber, remaining parsley, remaining lemon juice, and remaining oil with a pinch of salt. Salad should taste bright and fresh, not soggy.
Roast the kofta: Roast at 425°F for 18–20 minutes, flipping once, until deeply browned outside and 160°F at the center. Oven heat is far more forgiving than a grill grate—kofta won't dry out if the timing slips a few minutes.
Build the bowls: Portion rice pilaf, top with kofta, a generous scoop of tomato-cucumber salad, and a drizzle of tahini sauce. Kofta should be smoky-edged and juicy inside.

Tonight's spread

Warm pita on the side.
Extra tahini sauce for drizzling.

Hall tips

A finish under the broiler for the last 2 minutes adds real char if you want a grill-like crust.
A pinch of cinnamon in the meat mix is traditional and adds real depth without tasting sweet.
Reheat leftover kofta in a 350°F oven rather than the microwave to keep the edges from turning rubbery.

Meal prep

Shape kofta ahead and refrigerate on the sheet pan—they hold their shape better going into a hot oven cold. Station: Squeeze the grated onion dry before mixing it in, or the kofta mixture will be too loose to hold its shape on the pan. Station: Roast on a wire rack over the sheet pan if you have one, so kofta brown on all sides, not just the bottom. Station: The pan can hold in a turned-down oven (200°F) if a call interrupts—kofta stay juicy far longer than they would on an unattended grill.

Leftovers

Chop kofta and toss into the rice pilaf for a fast next-day bowl—they reheat cleanly in the oven.
Tahini sauce keeps 5 days refrigerated—thin with water before reusing.

Half-sheet pan
Wire rack (optional)
Medium pot