Description
Savoring chicken kofta with friends brings pure joy right to your dinner table. Tangy garlic yogurt sauce creates the perfect companion for these tender, spiced meat morsels that dance with Middle Eastern flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1 lb ground chicken
Aromatics and Herbs:
- 1 medium onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
Seasonings and Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Gather ingredients and mix 1 lb ground chicken with finely chopped onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, ¼ cup chopped parsley, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper in a large bowl. Blend thoroughly with your hands until everything is evenly distributed.
- Dampen your hands with water to prevent sticking. Form the chicken mixture into 10-12 elongated oval shapes, ensuring each kofta is compact and uniform.
- Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high temperature, around 425°F. Brush the surface with 2 tbsp olive oil to prevent sticking and add flavor.
- Place kofta on the heated grill, cooking for 5-6 minutes on the first side. Rotate carefully to create nice grill marks and ensure even cooking.
- Flip kofta and cook an additional 5-6 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Check doneness by using a meat thermometer in the thickest part.
- While kofta grills, whisk 1 cup plain yogurt with 2 tbsp lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Add minced garlic for extra zesty flavor if desired.
- Transfer grilled kofta to a serving platter. Drizzle generously with prepared yogurt sauce and sprinkle with additional fresh parsley for brightness.
Notes
- Keep hands slightly damp when shaping kofta to prevent the mixture from sticking and help create smooth, uniform shapes.
- Use ground chicken with a bit of fat (around 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio) for juicier, more flavorful kofta that won’t dry out during grilling.
- Check internal temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure chicken reaches 165°F, which guarantees safe and perfectly cooked kofta.
- For gluten-free version, serve with cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles instead of traditional grains and confirm all spices are certified gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 256 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 645 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg