This Turkey Kofta Kebab Recipe is the perfect Mediterranean meal that you can eat on its own, in a pita sandwich, hummus or rice bowls. Ground turkey is mixed with fresh herbs, warm spices, garlic, onion and breadcrumbs to create a delicious kebab. This is the perfect summer grilling recipe! 

TURKEY KOFTA KEBAB RECIPE 

We love kebabs in my house!

My kids love all of kebabs from these Chicken Kofta Kebabs, to these Grilled Beef Kafta Kebabs, Lamb Kofta and these Mediterranean Beef Kabobs. There are a lot of options in middle eastern cuisine.

Today I am excited to share this Turkey Kofta Kebab Recipe in partnership with Ohio Poultry Association. You will often see traditional kofta in turkish cuisine and Lebanese cuisine.

Today’s Turkey Kofta Kebab Recipe is one I make often for my family and one of the best turkish kebab recipes.

It is easy to make, packed with protein to keep you feeling full and a great meal to pair with your favorite sides.  The warm spices mixed with the ground turkey are perfect together.  I especially like pairing it with a Fattoush Salad,Lebanese Salad or this Tabbouleh.

I also will serve this kofta on pita bread or pita pockets with greek yogurt, dill yogurt sauce, hummus or a tahini sauce.

You could also add them to a rice or quinoa bowl along with your favorite mediterranean ingredients like red onion, chopped tomato and chopped cucumbers.

Ground turkey is something I use in my family meals on a weekly basis.

I love using it in Instant Pot Turkey Taco Pasta, Turkey Sausage and Egg Puff Pastry Pizza, Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps or these Crock Pot Turkey Meatballs. 

Turkey is a nutrient-rich protein that is lower in fat and calories than many other protein sources which makes it a great options when making meals for your family. 

Eating protein-packed foods, like turkey, can help promote a healthy weight by keeping you feeling fuller longer. 

Turkey provides fewer calories than many lean, red meats, less than one-fourth of the maximum daily-recommended intake of cholesterol, minimal total fat and saturated fat, and is a protein that is naturally low in sodium, containing less than 30 mg per ounce, on average.

I also love supporting Ohio farmers when feeding my family.

Ohio’s turkey farmers are proud to work 365 days a year to ensure the turkey you and your loved ones enjoy year-round is safe and high-quality.

Meet the Ohio turkey farmers who work hard to provide nutritious turkey for families like yours. 

Ohio is BIG on turkey farming! Each year, the state’s turkey farmers produce nearly 278 million pounds of turkey, ranking Ohio 9^th in the nation for turkey farming. 

Ohio turkey production is responsible for the creation of 21,846 jobs annually and $1 billion in earnings.

U.S. turkey consumption has more than doubled since 1970 due to consumers’ recognition of turkey’s good taste and nutritional profile. Americans of all ages love turkey because of its healthful, “comfort” food profile.

A national study on turkey consumption found that nearly half of U.S. consumers eat turkey at least once every two weeks with more than a quarter eating turkey deli meat. I know for my family this is true for us! 

In 2019, approximately 230 million turkeys were raised on about 2,500 U.S. farms.

 Recipe Ingredients

• Lean Ground Turkey
• Garlic
• Onion
• Fresh Herbs: Fresh Mint and Fresh Parsley
• Spices: Cumin, Coriander, Cinnamon, Allspice, Cloves, Red Pepper Flakes, Oregano
• Egg
• Lemon Juice
• Breadcrumbs

HOW DO YOU MAKE TURKEY KOFTA KEBABS?

1. Prepare the Skewers: If you are using wooden skewers or bamboo skewer you will want to soak them for an hour before you grill. If you are using metal skewers set about 6-8 aside depending on how big you want to make your kebabs.

Preheat the grill on medium-high heat for 10- 15 minutes before you start grilling.

2. Make the Kofte Mixture: In a food processor chop the onion and garlic until finely chopped.

Add the ground meat, parsley, mint, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, oregano and give it a few pulses. Add the egg and process until the turkey starts to become a thick mixture and everything is pretty well mixed together.

Add the breadcrumbs and process until everything is combined. Remove the turkey mixture from the food processor and put it into a large bowl. If the mixture feels very wet and sticky and hard to work with you can add a bit more breadcrumbs.

3. Form the Turkey Kofta: Use your hands to form the meat mixture into a 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick kofte kebab or meatball shape around the skewers making them as long as you want. Do this using each of the skewers until your turkey is done.

4. Grill the Kabobs: Place kebabs on the grill or grill pan and grill them over the medium heat for about 4-5 minutes on one side, flip and grill another 4 to 5 minutes. Serve the kebabs with your favorite pita, hummus, tabbouleh and a drizzle of the tahini garlic sauce.

Recipe Tips and Modifications

• Ways to Cook Kofta: I personally like grilled kofta but you could also make this in the oven. Bake it at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes and check to make sure it is cooked through. 
• Spices: There are a variety of other spices you can add to these kebabs. Try sumac, za’atar or Greek seasoning. 
• Herbs: Fresh herbs are a great addition to the turkey mixture. I love the parsley and mint but you can also use oregano, dill or basil.
• Heat: If you like spice try adding red pepper flakes or cayenne red pepper.
• Breadcrumbs: As far as the breadcrumbs you can use regular or panko.

What to Pair with these Kabobs

These kebabs work nicely paired with hummus like this Lebanese Hummus Recipe, Lemon Hummus, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and this Spicy Hummus. 

I also like to serve a Mediterranean style salad with them like this Easy Lebanese Salad, Mediterranean Eggplant Salad or this Mediterranean Bean Salad. 

These kebabs work nicely as an addition in grain bowls like in these Mediterranean Buddha Bowls, Beef Kafta Meatball Bowls or this Chicken Shawarma.

Vegetables are a nice addition with these kebabs like these Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables, Za’atar Roasted Carrots or this Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower.

Today’s post is sponsored by Ohio Poultry Association. As always, opinions are 100% my own.