This Beef Kofta Bake recipe takes all of the traditional goodness of kofta and kicks it up a notch with smoky paprika and spicy jalapeños. Plus, we’ve made it even easier to make by skipping the skewers and cooking everything over a bed of nutritious veggies. It’s a mouthwatering blend of savory spices, tender beef, and wholesome vegetables that will have everyone asking for more!
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What Is Beef Kofta Bake?
Traditional beef kofta is a popular dish in the Middle East and India. It combines ground beef with warm spices and is skewered and grilled, similar to a kabob.
For this recipe, we turned the classic dish into a more hands-off baked version that requires only a few minutes of prep. Instead of skewering and grilling the meat, we make simple meatballs that are baked with an array of veggies all in one dish. It’s a complete meal that’s as absolutely delicious as it is easy!
Ingredients You Need
- Zucchinis – Zucchinis add a pop of color and healthy nutrients to the kofta bake.
- Medium potatoes – We love using potatoes to make this dish nice and hearty. Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes are good options but you can use red potatoes, too.
- Large carrot – Carrots add a bit of natural sweetness. Plus, they still retain a little crunchiness which adds texture to the bake.
- Large red onion– Red onions bring a nice savory kick to the kofta bake — plus they add bright color!
- Garlic cloves – Garlic gives the kofta an aromatic punch that makes your kitchen smell amazing and your kofta bake taste incredible.
- Canned diced tomatoes – These tomatoes add a tangy twist to your kofta.
- Salt – Salt brings out the best in all your ingredients. Be sure to divide it ahead of time for adding to the veggies first, then to the beef.
- Pepper – Pepper adds a little kick without being overwhelming. Also measure it out separately so that it’s ready to be added to the vegetables and meat.
- Smoked paprika – This is where the smoky magic happens! Smoked paprika gives your kofta a rich, earthy flavor.
- Olive oil – A drizzle of olive oil adds a bit of flavor and heart-healthy fat.
- Ground beef – The star of the show! Ground beef is what makes your kofta hearty and satisfying.
- Chopped parsley – Parsley adds a pop of freshness and color.
- Chopped cilantro – Cilantro brings a bright, citrusy note to the kofta. It’s that extra layer of flavor that makes it irresistible.
- Jalapeño – These little peppers add just the right amount of heat to your kofta without overpowering the other flavors.
- Large egg – The egg is the binder that keeps everything together. It ensures your kofta meatballs stay perfectly formed while cooking.
- Breadcrumbs – These crumbs do wonders for texture. They absorb excess moisture and give your kofta that tender, melt-in-your-mouth consistency.
How To Whip Up This Easy Beef Kofta Bake
- Combine the veggies and seasoning. Add the zucchini, potatoes, carrots, red onion, garlic cloves, diced tomatoes, and paprika to a large baking dish.
- Toss. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with a portion of the salt and pepper, then toss until all of the ingredients are coated.
- Mix the beef and seasonings. Place the ground beef, parsley, cilantro, jalapeño, egg, breadcrumbs, and remaining salt and pepper in a separate bowl. With your hands or a wooden spoon, combine the ingredients together.
- Form. Make the meatballs and add them to the baking dish.
- Bake. Once all of the meatballs have been formed and placed in the dish, cover it with aluminum foil and bake.
- Remove. When the vegetables are tender and the beef is cooked, remove the dish from the oven.
- Rest and serve. Let the meatballs rest briefly before serving.
Ways to Switch Up Beef Kofta Bake
- Squash – Instead of zucchini, try adding squash. The texture will stay the same but it will add bright yellow color to the dish.
- Tomatoes – Swap out the canned variety for fresh, small grape tomatoes.
- Cilantro – If you don’t enjoy the taste of cilantro, try using Thai basil or more parsley.
- Heat – Want more spicy flavor? Increase the amount of jalapenos or sprinkle in some cayenne pepper powder.
Can I Store Leftovers?
What we love about this easy bake (outside of how delicious it is!) is that it’s easy to store which makes it perfect for
Store the kofta bake in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and reheat in the oven or in the microwave.
Transfer the meat and veggies to a freezer-safe container or resealable plastic bag and store for up to 3 months. You can thaw it overnight in the fridge or just heat it straight from the freezer.
More Beefy Recipes
Want more beefy goodness in your recipe repertoire? Check out more of our easy and hearty beef recipes!
Middle Eastern Crockpot Beef Stew
Beef Kofta Bake
Ingredients
- 2 zucchinis sliced
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 large carrot sliced
- 1 large red onion quartered
- 10 garlic cloves
- 1 can (16 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper divided
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeño seeded
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large baking dish, toss together the sliced zucchinis, quartered potatoes, sliced carrot, quartered red onion, garlic cloves, diced tomatoes, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, smoked paprika, and olive oil until the vegetables are evenly coated.2 zucchinis, 2 medium potatoes, 1 large carrot, 1 large red onion, 10 garlic cloves, 1 can, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- In a separate bowl, combine the ground beef, chopped parsley, chopped cilantro, seeded jalapeño, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, remaining 1/4 tsp pepper, egg, and breadcrumbs. Mix until well combined.1 pound ground beef, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 jalapeño, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- Form the beef mixture into balls and place them on top of the vegetable mixture in the baking dish.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the beef is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
Equipment
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Nutrition
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I am trying this tonight for dinner and confused by photo #2. It looks like onion, garlic and paprika are added to the beef mixture but the recipe does not indicate that. Could you clarify? Thank you!
Hi! Apologies for any confusion. We only add it to to the veggies, but can definitely experiment by adding it to the meat, too. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
This recipe sounds delicious and easy.
We hope you enjoy it, Debra!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
The seasoning is delicious! But I preferred to precook the vegetables in water before putting them in the oven, and cook the meatballs in the pan so that they are nicely browned.
Hi – love your recipes!
…to make this gluten-free, can I replace the bread crumbs with almond flour, or what do you recommend?
Hi, thank you! We haven’t tested it and can’t say for sure but think almond flour or rolled oats would work. We’d love to know how it goes if you try it out!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Very good recipe for easy and healthy dinner. My husband and son love it
Thank you, Carmen! We’re so glad your family enjoys it!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
I love your recipes, but this isn’t it. Bland lacking flavor, no texture and just lackluster. Would not make again.
Your tumeric rice is a regular in my house.
Thank you for the feedback! You can always add more spices to suit your preferences. We hope you continue to enjoy our other recipes!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
I liked the idea a lot, but I believe the dish needs the last 10 min to be in the oven without a cover, so the meat balls get some colour and taste a little grilled and not just boiled.
I didn’t have zucchini and I put celery and bell peppers instead, really tasty! Thank you so much, it’s a perfect dish for working moms, it’s healthy, tasty and fast!
Thank you for the feedback, Günay! We’re so glad you still enjoyed it. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Loved this and so easy – I also added a sweet potatoe
Just so tasty
Sweet potatoes would be a great addition! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Vicki!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
We loved this delicious recipe! I used a sheet pan. I did not have potatoes so subbed 8 oz white button mushrooms quartered. I only used 1/2 the garlic and the whole cloves were a bit potent when you got a bite of one. Next time I will slice or mince the garlic. No bread crumbs so subbed flour. No jalapeño but next time my husband has asked to add it. I loved this recipe. We had leftovers and my husband said it was even better the next day. We served it over basmati rice. Thank you for a lovely sheet pan meal.
Thank you, Kelly! We’re so glad you were able to make it work for you and enjoyed it. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
I don’t have an oven, so I’m planning to try this using an airfryer. problem is the temp only goes up to 200°. Should I just cook it for longer?
Easy to make but very poor taste and texture. Would not make again.
We’re sorry to hear this, John? Would you mind sharing what you didn’t enjoy about the taste and texture?
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
My veggies had to bake for longer than the 1hr and 10min. I decided to raise the temperature of the oven and take the meatballs out so they wouldn’t over cook and cooked it for 20 more minutes. I followed the recipe to the T so I’m not sure why it didn’t work as expected.
We’re sorry to hear this, Savannah! If the pan is too crowded, it can require a longer cooking time. Of course, every oven is different, too. We’re happy to help troubleshoot if you ever want to try it out again!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
I don’t have an oven so I’m planning to try this using an airfryer, but the temperature only goes up to 200°. Should I just cook it for longer?
You could try it, but it might become a bit dry. We’d love to know how it goes if you do try it out!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
I was really hopefull it will be delish but it’s ok. i had to cook it for 40min longer as the veg did not cook and were hard. i uncovered it for the 40 additional minutes. and the coftas burned on top.
We’re sorry to hear this, Ewelina. We will retest it and hope you continue to enjoy our other recipes.
Xo,
Alia & Radwa