Spicy Beef Seekh Kabab Recipe | Ground Beef Skewers

Ready in just 20 minutes, these deeply flavored Beef Seekh Kababs are spicy, flavorful and juicy. Perfect as a snack or a sandwich filling.

What are Seekh Kababs?

"Seekh Kabab" or "Shish Kababs" is grilled meat kabab made with spiced minced meat and shaped into skewers in the form of a cylinder or sausage. This dish is common in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh and the Middle East.

Seekh Kababs are tender and contain a variety of spices like ginger, garlic, green chilies, onion, cilantro, and mint. In addition to being spicy and tender, an EPIC Seekh Kabab is also very juicy. Each household and region have their own carefully guarded secret on achieving this texture. Techniques range from adding strained onion (India and Pakistan) to smashed grilled red peppers (Iran).

Building the perfect Seekh Kabab flavor profile

For maximum flavor, the traditional ingredients used in authentic beef seekh kabab were very fresh and organic. This resulted in a strong umami flavor and is mouthwateringly delicious.

To reproduce the same type of flavor profile in the home kitchen with typical grocery story ingredients, this Beef Seekh Kabab recipe uses freshly minced garlic, ginger, cilantro leaves and onions for texture and maximum aromatics in addition to fish sauce and soy sauce to up the umami flavors.

Ingredients

• 80-85% lean ground beef or lamb works best for this recipe. The ground meat needs some extra fats to stay juicy. If substituting ground chicken use a binder like a a piece of soaked and squeezed bread or about 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs.
• Onions add a light sweetness and crunch to the Beef Seekh Kababs. All types of onions work - I like using red onions because they tend to be sweeter.
• Fresh minced garlic cloves and ginger add more crunch as well as sweet, complex flavor and aroma to the kabab.
• Sliced cilantro leaves give the kababs a fresh 'herby' taste and smell.
• The egg acts as a binding agent and enhances the umami taste of the kabob. Substitutes for egg as a binder include mayonnaise, yogurt, and tomato paste.
• The fish sauce and soy sauce add additional umami. Since both these ingredients contain salt, I do not normally add additional salt for flavor.
• Green chilis are optional and adds more heat. Green chilis are commonly added to many savory dishes in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh as this type of chili pepper is widely available. You can also substitute with Thai bird chilis or red chili pepper flakes.
• Ketchup adds sweetness and rounds out the flavor.
• Cumin, coriander, chili, black pepper and garam masala are used to add additional flavor to the kabab. These spices are standard pantry ingredients in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. You can also substitute the spice powder mix with your favorite ground spokes.

How to make this Beef Seekh Kabab recipe

Combine the Kabab Mix

• Combine the ground beef, red onion, cilantro, ginger, garlic, green chili, egg, soy sauce, fish sauce, black pepper, chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, ketchup and garam masala in a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. I typically mix by hand, but you can also use a food processor with a dough blade or a stand mixer with a dough hook to mix the beef mince mixture. Marinate if desired, in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or overnight. Be sure to cover the large bowl containing the mixture for the shish kebabs.

Form the Kabab on the Skewers

• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment for easy cleanup. Place a wire rack on top.
• Grease your hands with a small amount of oil and form a small portion of the mixture into a ball. Place the ball onto a barbecue skewer and form a sausage-like shape around the skewer. Place the kebabs on the wire rack. If using bamboo skewers be sure to soak them for at least 10 minutes prior to using them.

Grill the Kababs

• Place the oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler. Turn on the broiler. Baste the kebabs with melted butter and place under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Each side is done when the kebab turns a golden reddish brown. Baste with melted butter and garnish with minced cilantro leaves and lemon wedges, prior to serving.

Chefs Tips

• Mix the ground beef thoroughly with the ingredients. The final kabab mix should feel smooth and uniform. If using a food processor, be careful not to over blend - it could cause the meat mixture to fall off the metal skewer while cooking.
• Make the kabab mix the day before. While not necessary, marinating the mixture in the refrigerator overnight further intensifies the flavors.
• Grease your hand when shaping the kababs. A little oil really helps the mixture from sticking.
• Do not overcook the kababs. It really is just a few minutes on each side.
• Serve immediately. The kababs are at their absolute best when served immediately.

How can I modify this Beef Seekh Kabab recipe to make it even more tender and juicy?

Option # 1: To increase the tenderness and juiciness of kababs made with this Seekh Kabab recipe grate an onion with a cheese grater. Strain the grated onion using a sieve, small piece of muslin or cheesecloth. Add the strained onion to the kabab mixture.

Option #2: Add one teaspoon of blended papaya paste.

Option # 3: Add blended roasted red peppers to the kabab mixture.

Option # 4: Use a filler ingredient like 1-2 Tablespoons of bread crumbs, or gram flour (chickpea flour). Note: Using too much filler will make the seekh kabab taste more like stuffing.

Storage

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), cooked ground meat can last for about 3-4 days in the fridge if stored properly. For optimal results, store these ground meat kababs promptly within 2 hours of cooking. If the Beef Seekh Kabab is frozen, it will last about 4 months in the freezer. To freeze Beef Seekh Kabab, make sure the kababs have cooled down completely, then store in the freezer in a freezer proof container.

How to reheat Beef Seekh Kababs

To reheat Beef Seekh Kabab, place the cold kababs in a saucepan with about 1-3 teaspoons of water. Heat the Beef Seekh Kabab on medium-low heat and cover so that the steam heats the meat through, flipping the kababs occasionally as needed.

Reheating Beef Seekh Kabab in the microwave, while convenient, is not preferable as microwaving may dry out the kababs. For the best results in the microwave, place the Beef Seekh Kabab in a microwave safe container with 1-3 teaspoons of water and cover. Heat the kababs for about 1-2 minutes. If more time is needed, heat in shorter intervals (1 minute to 30 seconds) to avoid over-heating the kababs.

Serving Suggestions

This Beef Seekh Kabab recipe shines as a main dish and is delicious served with side sauces like mint chutney, green chutney, and cucumber raita. For a delicious raita-like sauce see my recipe for Cilantro Yogurt Sauce described in my Chicken Tikka Recipe.

Miniature versions of these delicious kebabs are often served as an appetizer in an Indian party's snack platter, beautifully garnished with fresh cilantro, mint and pickled onions. To make pickled onion, simply marinate sliced red onion and lemon juice overnight.

Seekh Kabab rolls are a great recipe and perfect for a picnic or a lunch to-go. To make this, simply make a Roti or Naan Bread wrap with some succulent kebabs, onion slices and some Tabbouleh Salad. You can also use it as a stuffing for Pita Bread. Drizzle with some mint raita to add a little color and more flavor.

For a keto compliant, low carb meal, serve Beef Seekh Kabab with a light cucumber or green salad on the side. Other tasty sides include curried cauliflower, sautéed spinach in garlic and olive oil and roasted low carb vegetables like zucchini and red peppers.

Nutrition

A single serving of this Beef Seekh Kabab Recipe has about 262 calories, with 37g of protein, 8.6g of fat and 7.4g of carbohydrates. 

This recipe yields approximately four servings. The nutrition guidance is intended for informational purposes only. Please use it as a general guideline. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool.

Beef Seekh Kabab Variations

Here are some ideas for some tasty variations of this Beef Seekh Kabab Recipe:

• Chicken Seekh Kabab - use ground chicken instead of ground beef - add some olive oil to the mix so that the kabob stays moist during the cooking process.
• Lamb Seekh Kabab- use ground lamb instead of beef.
• Lamb and Beef Seekh Kabab - use a mixture of ground lamb and beef.
• Restaurant Indian Shikh Kabob - use ground beef/lamb or chicken. Instead of minced onion use strained grated onions. Substitute half the sliced cilantro leaves with sliced mint.
• Adana Kabob - a delicious kebab variation traditionally made with ground beef or lamb from Turkey. Add a teaspoon of sumac instead of garam masala. Substitute half the sliced cilantro leaves with sliced mint. Add a blend of roasted red bell pepper, garlic and ginger instead of the minced onions, garlic and ginger. Add strained onions instead of minced onions.
• Beef Koobideh - a popular Persian street food, very similar to Beef Seekh Kebab which includes sumac and turmeric and parsley.

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