Chicken Kafta

You’ll love these tasty and moist Chicken Kafta Kabobs, whether you’re grilling for a summer BBQ or cooking them in the oven year-round.  They use a few simple ingredients you probably already have at home, and they’ll sure be the hit of your next potluck or dinner!

Lebanese Chicken Kafta:

Get ready to fire up your grill because you’re going to love this minced chicken Kafta, also known as chicken Kofta! These healthy Chicken Kafta Kebabs are delicious, easy to make, and packed with flavor.

Grilling is one of my favorite healthy cooking methods. I make everything from, Steak Shish Kabob, Beef Kafta Kabob, Salmon Kabobs, & Steak Salad.

If the weather doesn’t cooperate, you can still cook these kafta kabobs baked in the oven, in your air fryer or in a grill pan on the stove top until cooked through.

What is Kafta?

Kafta, Kefta or Kofta is a popular Middle Eastern dish, made with a very simple mix of ground meat, — usually beef, lamb, or chicken (like this recipe) — Middle Eastern spices, finely chopped onions and parsley.

I have lots of different Lebanese Kafta recipes on the blog, including: Kafta bil Sanieh- Baked Kafta, Arayes Kafta, Beef Kafta Kabob and Lebanese Kafta Stew.

Ingredients to Make Chicken Kafta:

• Ground Chicken. I like 93% lean. You can also use ground turkey instead.
• Spices. A combination of Middle Eastern spice, cinnamon, all spice, black pepper, garlic powder and salt.
• Onion. One small onion diced thinly or processed using a food processor.
• Parsley. Fresh parsley leaves, chopped thinly or processed using your food processor.

How to Make Chicken Kafta Kebab:

• Soak your wooden skewers in water for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• In your food processor, add parsley, onion, salt and pulse until finely minced.

• In a large bowl, add ground chicken, spices, and the minced onions and parsley mixture – Mix by hand until incorporated.

• Take a small handful of the mixture, and mold it around the wooden skewer. Repeat for the rest of the mixture. Pre heat the grill to 350° F.
• Spray your grill with grilling/cooking spray, and place on the grill for 5-7 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
• Serve immediately with with a Lebanese salad and homemade hummus, and you will have a delicious, low-carb meal!

Why you’ll Love Chicken Kafta Recipe:

• The answer to your ” what’s for dinner?” dilemma.
• Perfect for any cookout, weeknight dinner, or even meal prep.
• Quick & easy: It require less than 15 minutes to prep.
• They cook perfectly on the grill in 10 minutes, but can also be baked or cooked on stove top or in the air fryer!
• Will please grownups and kids alike (including your pickiest little ones).

Tips For Ground Chicken Kabobs:

• If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop the onion and parsley with a knife. I would recommend grating the onion on a box grater.
• Prep your skewers. If you are using wooden skewers, allow them to soak in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling so they don’t burn. You can also get a set of metal reusable skewers.
• Prep your grill. Make sure that your grill is clean before you get cooking. Residual grease or fat from your last bbq can cause flare ups that will burn your kabobs! Use a grill brush to do a quick scrub.
• When grilling these chicken Kafta kebabs, ensure your grill is preheated to medium-high heat. Keep the lid closed to maintain temperature, and turn the skewers half way though cooking.
• Spray you grill grates with grilling oil very well, to avoid the skewers from sticking to the grill.
• If you try to flip the chicken kebabs and they are sticking to the grill just give them another minute or so on that side. once the char marks form on the chicken kafta skewers, it should release itself and flip easily. 
• Make sure the chicken kebabs are well cooked. Use an instant-read digital meat thermometer to make sure that the internal temperature of your chicken has reached at least 165°F (74°C). 

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do you keep chicken kafta moist?

There are a few tricks to keep your kafta moist.

• Mix the minced chicken thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients, so the mixture is evenly combined.
• Use minced chicken that is 93-95% lean so that the meat has moisture.
• Don’t over cook the kafta kabobs. Remove from the grill when they are cooked through and the tops are browned.

How do I stop my kafta from falling apart?

Refrigerating the chicken kafta mixture before threading, will allow them to hold together nicely. 

Storage Tips

• To Store. Store cooked and cooled chicken Kofta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• To Reheat. Warm leftover kafta in your oven, at 350 F, until heated through. You can also reheat in microwave for a few minutes. However, reheating kafta chicken in my air fryer is my favorite. Place in air fryer basket at 350 F, until warm.

More Grilling Recipes:

Salmon Kabobs

Steak Shish Kabob

Kafta Kabob

Steak Salad

These Chicken Kafta Kebabs are perfectly grilled on the outside and moist on the inside. They make the perfect addition to any Middle Eastern dinner or as a party appetizer. The possibilities are endless!

If you love this Chicken Kafta Recipe, or any other recipe on Salt & Sweet, be sure to rate it and give a review or a comment to let me know how it turned out for you! Snap a picture it and tag me on Instagram @TheSaltandSweet.

Continue to Content

Chicken Kafta

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

You’ll love these tasty and moist Chicken Kafta Kabobs, whether you’re grilling for a summer BBQ or cooking them in the oven year-round.  They use a few simple ingredients you probably, and they’ll sure be the hit of your next potluck or dinner!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 cup parsley- stems removed
• 1 small yellow onion- halved
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon all spice

Instructions

1. Soak your wooden skewers in water for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. In your food processor, add parsley, onion, salt and pulse until finely minced.
3. In a large bowl, add ground chicken, spices, and the minced onions and parsley mixture – Mix by hand until incorporated.
4. Take a small handful of the mixture, and mold it around the wooden skewer. Repeat for the rest of the mixture. Pre heat the grill to 350° F.
5. Spray your grill with grilling/cooking spray, and place on the grill for 5-7 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
6. Serve immediately with with a Lebanese salad and homemade hummus, and you will have a delicious, low-carb meal!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 231Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 359mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 27g

Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.

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