Mini Kafta Kabobs With Garlic Yogurt Sauce

Sue and I recently made a Lebanese Dinner (Click here to see that post) . 

We fell in love with the flavors and decided to make more Lebanese dishes. I started with a traditional kafta kabob and turned it into appetizers for a family get together. 

FYI - it is fairly garlic-y. Just warning you. 

Probably not a good date night dish. 

We did make it as full size kabobs for a catering job we did...

You can get the recipes for the rice and the bean dishes HERE. 

*Sigh*

It was sooooooooooo good. 

Mini Kafta Kabobs with Garlic Yogurt Sauce

(Ever-so-slightly adapted from Simply Heaven) 

Ingredients

Garlic Yogurt Sauce 

1 cup 0 fat Greek yogurt, plain

1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, finely diced (or grated)

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp salt

Kabobs

2 lbs lean ground beef

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 whole bunch parsley, finely chopped

1/4 tsp all spice

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp salt

30ish wooden skewers, soaked in water

Directions

Prepare Garlic Yogurt Sauce - Whisk together all ingredients until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (FYI - the longer it sits the more the flavors mingle and the better it gets!) 

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and then place cooling racks on top of the parchment paper. Set aside.

Prepare kabobs - In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients until well combined - I find using your hands mixes things better than a spoon. (FYI - make sure your onion is finely diced, if it is too big then you may have difficulty pressing it on the skewer.) 

Break off golf ball sized pieces of the mixture and press firmly around a wooden skewer that has been soaked in water. Lay the skewer on the cooling racks on the cookie sheet. Continue until all the meat has been used up. 

Bake at 350 until meat is cooked through - about 30 minutes, rotating at the half way point.

Serve hot with the Garlic Yogurt Sauce. 

If you are making larger kabobs then you may want to finish them off under the broiler or on a grill to get those pretty blackened grill marks. Totally not necessary though. 

You can also cook these completely on the BBQ instead of in the oven. 

Served with the garlic yogurt sauce for dipping these are very addicting and just a little fancier than meatballs. 

Who doesn't love eating food off sticks?

Especially savory, Lebanese, garlic-y beef with tangy garlic sauce.......

We're sharing over at Carol's Chatter. Be sure to stop by and say hi!