Pakistani Beef Kabob in the Oven
What's better than lounging out on your patio, flipping burgers and hot dogs on the grill ? I'll tell you what is. Making Seekh Kebabs at home. In your oven. With meat that is marinated in Pakistani spices and grilled to perfection. With the month of fasting coming to an end to welcome Eid in just a few days, I decided to embrace the spirit of summer and show you how barbeque is done the right way… sorry I meant to say how it's done back home in Pakistan.
Seekh kebab, which literally means kebab on a skewer, are traditionally made on an outdoor grill over coals that add as much color as it does flavor to the kebabs. I live in an apartment and don't have a grill. So I was a little hesitant making these in the oven. But let me tell you that when these kebabs came sizzling out of the oven with much adulation from the fire alarm which just would not stop singing (check out my video for demo), my sister and I just could not have enough. The yogurt raita is simple and a must to go with these kebabs. I will do 100 squats if you tell me you made these and failed. It's that easy to make.
Pakistani Seekh Kebab + Yogurt Raita
Hey, try a barbeque that's full of flavor and spices. Pakistanis sing songs of the Seekh Kebab!
Servings: 5
Ingredients
Seekh Kebab
- 1 lb beef chuck 80% lean 20% fat
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 tsp ginger and garlic paste
- 1/4 cup mint finely chopped
- 1/4 cup coriander finely chopped
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 1 green chili grind into paste
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 3/4 tsp cumin powder
- 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper I add 1 tsp because I like it real spicy
- 1 tsp salt
Raita Chutney
- 1 cup yogurt
- 2 tbsp mint leaves
- 2 tbsp cilantro leaves
- 1 green chilli
- salt to taste
- water add to desired consistency
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F when you are ready to bake the kebabs.
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Into your beef, add coriander powder, cumin powder, cayenne pepper, salt along with the onion, ginger and garlic paste, mint, coriander and green chilli paste and melted butter. Be sure to squeeze the onions in your hands to drain its juice otherwise there will too much moisture in your beef and they won't stick to the skewer.
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Mix with hand until everything is incorporated but don't overwork it.
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Cover with foil and let marinate in refrigerator for at least an hour and up to six hours.
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While kebab is marinating, make yogurt raita. Grind 2 tbsp each of mint and coriander along with the green chilli in an electric grinder with a touch of water to make a paste.
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Pour this paste into the yogurt.
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Add water to get the desired consistency. If you like the raita more liquidy, add more water. Season with salt and keep aside.
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To make the kebabs, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
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Scoop out a big ball of the meat mixture and pierce it through the skewer. Working quickly but gently, spread the meat on the skewer with your hands.
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Press you middle finger in a diagonal angle down the beef skewer to make the signature grooves on the kebab.
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To grill the kebabs in the oven, place the rack in the upper third of the oven in a roating tin that has a grill on it (edit made per viewer suggestions).
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Bake kebabs for 20-25 minutes, rotating as needed to brown the kebabs all around. If you find that your kebabs are getting dry, brush oil as needed. However, I don't think you will need to add oil because unlike the heat from an outdoor grill, the oven keeps the kebabs cooking in its own juices.
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Once cooked, slide of the kebabs onto a plate and serve with raita and pita bread.
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This makes 6 really big kebabs.
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*Note: if the meat mixture is too moist and doesn't stick to the skewer, add a few teaspoons of gram flour (besan). The flour will dry out the moisture. This tip was shared by a reader!
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Hi, excited to try this but when you say cayenne do you mean using Indian lal mirch or actually using cayenne? Also, which oil and butter (salted or unsalted) are you using? Thanks
You can use lal mirch or cayenne, just make sure it isn't kashmiri lal mirch. I used salted because i add salt separately
Would the measurements for the remaining ingredients stay the same if you were to make it with chicken mince instead? Please advise – many thanks…
I would reduce salt and cayenne by 1/4 tsp for chicken
If you are adding butter, your smoke point is around 300 F. Since you are cooking at 450 F , you may want to try ghee or some other oil that is stable at higher temperatures. Looking forward to trying it next weekend.
So excited to try this recipe! If I am using salted butter, can I omit the salt? Also how many kebabs does 1 lb of beef make? Thank you!
Hi, can I air fry these kebabs?
Just Beautiful, tasty, my children finished them all, thanks for the receipe
The butter is to drizzle on top right? Not to add to the meat?
You add the butter to the meat
My family loved it, any recs to make stay on the skewer and not fall off
I've made these kebabs so many times now, and they come out on point every single time! I've used the exact recipe for ground lamb, so yumm! I don't paste the green chillies, I just chop them fine. I also let the meat stay in the fridge for a few hours. So good! Thanks Izza
So glad this is a regular recipe you make and love. Thanks for your lovely review Titiksha!
In your video, I didn't see you adding melted butter but your recipe calls for it. I made mine with butter and my kebabs fell apart. Did not stay together. What can I do to improve for the rest of my marinated beef? Please advise.
Thank you.
Usually, the ground beef you get from the stores has a lot of moisture so definitely more work to keep the kebabs from following. I would recommend adding an egg as a binder for meat you are not grinding yourself. This trick helps alot!
Hie maybe u can just squeeze the moisture out of minced meat, remove all excess water keep minced meat in strainer for sometime then press it really nicely
Hey do you think I have to add a beaten egg for binding or is it not necessary?
I don't add an egg, however, depending on how much moisture is in your ground beef you may need to. Typically if you mince the meat yourself, you wouldn't but a lot of storebought mince beef have too much liquid. Hope this helps.
Hey,
I can't wait to make these and enjoying them with my family. I know you say you should only leave in fridge for up to 6 hours, but what do you think would happen if i left the meat overnight??? Iam hoping the meat will take on more of the flavors.
Thanks again. Maria
Overnight is okay, but I would avoid going more then 8-10 hours.
These were so good! I made them with ground chicken breast to keep the calories low and it was just perfect!
Can't wait to make this tomorrow. Not to nit pick, but aren't cilantro and chopped coriander the same thing?
yep one and the same, cilantro is the American variant 🙂
Hi! I used this recipe to make kebabs using Beyond meat and it worked really well! My family loved it and had no idea it wasn't meat, but I upped the spices a bit. Now that our backyard mint is growing back in, I will be trying with Impossible meat now, hoping for equally amazing results!
Oh that's fantastic to hear. My sister is vegan so maybe I should surprise her soon with this haha
Great!! Just a heads up, since Beyond and Impossible have added sodium, I would experiment using a bit less salt than your recipe calls for. I used the 1 tsp and it was a tad too salty for my liking. But otherwise amazing! 😊
I'll keep that in mind. Thanks Sarah!
I made this recipe tonight it was so delicious! My family loved it! The kebab had amazing flavor but the yogurt sauce is a must, it pairs so well with kebab and enhances the already amazing flavor. I can't wait to make this again! Thank you for this great recipe!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the kebabs and yes the raita is a must! It's used in every Pakistani dish pretty much.
This was my first attempt at a barbecue party. It was well liked except I thought it was bit too dry. Maybe because I cooked it at an open indoor restaurant grill. I did drizzle it with butter while cooking.
Any suggestions?
Hi Sharma, I'm sorry that the kebabs were dry. Did your meat have enough fat? There is plenty fat in the meat to keep the kebab moist. Also did you mix the meat well?
I have 5stars not 4stars
Hahah thank you my friend!
Oh, I made these!!!! And all am going to say is wow! You've got to try them to know how delicious they are. Thanks for sharing 🤗
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I formed them into sausage shaped lengths without a skewer, and they came out fine. Actually, not just fine- they came out really, really good! I added thinly sliced cucumber to the raita, and that worked out well, too. Again, thanks for your kindness and generosity in posting such a great recipe- I'm certain I'll make this many, many times.
I'm so happy this recipe was a success in your kitchen Sunny! Thanks for leaving a review. Give my koobideh Kebab recipe a spin as well if you like slightly mellow flavors–the tomato hack is amazing!
I have been making a recipe very similar to this for several years, kind of cooked it up on my own. I add some lemon and some black pepper to it with a bit more chilli and a bit more mint.
I usually get my ground meat from Costco and it is usually very lean, so I do have to add fat. I have tried butter, margarine, olive oil, sunflower oil, etc. for taste surprisingly margarine works better than other fats but it is perhaps the least healthy out of all of them.
A small *slightly* unriped tomato can also help this recipe.
If for whatever reason my qeema turns out too runny I add a bit of cornflour and that fixes everything.
Really tasty recipe, better than my local takeaway! Thank you
Last edited 1 year ago by Steve
Thanks for your feedback! Glad you enjoyed it.
Hi can you deep fry these kebabs???
Hi There, you can definitely make this into a chapli kebab style and shallow fry or deep fry even if you like.
Really loved yr recipie I've tried a lots of other recipies of seekh kabab but this one is the simplest and perfect jazakillah Khair for sharing
Thank you so much! I'm really glad you love it!
Aslam-O-Aliakmon !!
I have spent about Three years in Islamabad and had enjoyed authentic Seekh-Kebab at Manal Restaurant on the hills (in Islamabad).
This recipe brings back me good memories of my assignment back in Pakistan.
In winter I have enjoyed a lot the "egg-soup" from Karachchi Company. Does any one know the recipe.
Hi Sam, thank you for the lovely message! I'm so glad my recipe hit close to home:) I'm not sure which soup you are referring to but take a look at my Pakistani Chicken Corn Soup. That may be the egg soup you're looking for. Let me know if do try that
Hi
After making the mixture can I keep the remaining part in the freezer for next weekend
It should be okay, although I would recommend making patties and then freezing. Let them thaw when you're ready to make them.
PerfeCt????
Again an awesome recipe!!
First attempt made a mistake, did not stick to the seekh, but taste was excellent
@nd attempt, was perfect, finger licking good!!! Beats any snack, any day!!
Ah yes, I've always found more fat fixes the stickiness issue. People have also recommended egg for binding, but personally I'm not a fan of using egg.
I will definitely be trying this. Do you make matar paneer? It's one of my fave dishes but don't have a good recipe
I need to create a recipe for it! Thanks for the suggestion; I'll definitely get to it soon, Debbie.
I haven't put up a recipe for it yet, but going to add that to my list!
[…] Seekh Kabab (Pakistan) […]
[…] Seekh Kabab (Pakistan) […]
[…] Seekh Kabab (Pakistan) […]
This is a great flavour profile but this makes it better. I am Pakistani and have eaten mountains of kebabs. I usually make 5-10lbs at a time.
1. Skip the butter. It's too much moisture. Baste with ghee instead on the grille. Those commenting that the beef falls off, this is probably why. For oven kebabs on a rack, this is probably fine.
2. Drain the ginger too. Lots of water in there.
3. Add 1 egg for every 3lbs of meat.
4. Add lots more green chilli.. 2-3 per pound.
5. When grilling, turn the skewer after 30 seconds and again after a minute. This will set the meat on the skewer and it won't fall or droop. Then keep turning to keep the juices from dripping and keeping the kebab moist.
6. Cook to 150deg F if you are going to eat immediately or within 5min. Use a thermometer! Cook to 140 if they will sit in foil or something for 10-15min. Cook to 125 if you plan to reheat and eat later.
7. Use flat skewers.
Omars tweaks worked beautifully. I too am used to lots more green chillies. Super recipe!
[…] These Beef Seekh Kebabs are among easy beef recipes and are super tender. […]
I have been itching to make a kebab ever since I bought a rotisserie. Your recipe is delicious. With the spare prepared blend I made some burgers without the fresh ingredients which I can freeze. I have a feeling I will not need to worry about best before dates though. Thank you
Thank you for taking the time to message. I'm so glad this was a hit!
My fav recipe
Thank you!
I used to work with shahi nan kebab in southall west london he was the best kebab maker in west london..but also your kebab is fantastic ..
Thank u sister
Thank you!
This was by far the best homemade beef kebab recipes I've ever tasted. My sister in law came across your website and decided to make them. She said they turned out fantastic! We had a cookout and then made them at our house and they were a crowd pleaser. Unfortunately we didn't have any luck baking the kebabs as they were falling apart but decided to fry them instead and we're equally tasty. I'll be putting these on my food rotation for sure and look forward to making them for friends and family. Thanks for especially putting the video together!
I'm so happy you all loved it. It's truly your recreations of my recipes that add sweetness to my day. Thank you for leaving your feedback.
Kebab, is usually a mouth watering food for me, and here the recipe was helpful for me during this lock down situation. because now a days we can't go out for having this delicious food. At evening having kebab with nun and after finishing it, having a coffee will energize an individual.
Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Rukhsana that would be about half a kilo.
Thank you. How much does half a kilo make?
If I may jump in here – it all depends on the size of the kababs you want. usually with 1 kg of ground beef I can get 11 or 12 very large kababs. I could easily get 24 or so small or medium ones if I wanted, but it's extra work with little payoff. So in half a kilo you could get between 6 and 12 kababs, certainly enough for 4 to 6 people if not a main dish. Size is a personal preference. The large ones are great in seekh kabab rolls, in chappatis, parathas or naans.
These are the most delicious Kebab I have tasted . A friend made them for me and I had to aak HOW?? Out of this world liberally!! Got my taste buds buurrnnning??!!
So happy to hear that Siddiqa and I'm glad you found me:)
I should have stuck with this recipe like last year instead of trying the Shan masala. It was yummy last year. Can't wait to try it again.
haha yes! Welcome back
This looks so delicious, I'm excited to try it. I'm a little bit confused about the melted butter, in the video you dont put in inside the meat mixture. Should I put it in or say no to the butter?
2.2 lbs is equal to 1 kg
Thank you for this recipe.
I made it with turkey mince as I don't eat beef and the supermarket didn't have any lamb or pork (sorry I assume you do not eat) mince. I put in an egg as well as the butter, as I wasn't sure if it would stick without the egg.
I also made a tomato, onion and cucumber salad (with salt, chilli powder, jeera powder and lemon juice) and the mint/coriander sauce.
Put it all in some Lebanese bread.
Tasted amazing
[…] Recipe adapted from here and here […]
[…] Seekh Kabab (Pakistan) […]
At what temperature are you baking it?
Hi Serena, it's mentioned in the recipe index. Oven is preheated to 450F.
My kebabs seemed to fall of skewers whilst cooking what can be added to avoid this?
Hi Salma, are you using 20% fat? If not then you would need two more tbsp of butter. If that also does not help, I would recommend using one egg which can work as a binding agent. Usually you shouldn't need egg if you are using meat with a good fatty component. Hope this helps
Hi Izza, I just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I love seekh kebabs and this is the first time I've tried to make them and they were absolutely delicious! Can't wait to try some of the other recipes.
Thank you for trying Miran! Please let me know when you try more recipes. Love hearing from all of you 🙂
The flavor was perfect, but I couldn't get them to stick together, so they turned into meatballs instead. I wonder if my "medium" onion was too large. (Maybe include #grams/oz instead?)
AH that can happen if there is too much moisture in the onion. I would recommend grating the onion and squeezing out the juice.
Could I make this on a pan instead?
Hi Rukhsana, yes you can simply shape them in patties are fry them in a bit of oil. I do that all the time and sandwich it in pita bread.
I didn't quite understand the oven part. Do I just place them on the rack and rotate every few minutes?
I've lost count on the number of times I've made this, it's so good! The only seekh kabob recipe I've come across that comes even close to my Paki bf's mom's kabobs! The only thing I do differently is cook mine on the stove top, rather than the oven. Also, I just started adding plain yogurt (as in the most recent time I made it) for a little extra moisture! Never disappoints!
I'm so happy to hear this! Yay, happy cooking 🙂
I shall be making this on Saturday 30-12-2019.
I'll let you know how it turned out.
Hi! Can I leave to marinate overnight, or does it have to be 6 hours or less? Many thanks!
I like to marinate for a few hours but you can cook without marinating if you are pressed for time.
Longer the better for more flavor fusion. A few hours is enough but overnight is fine
Should I cover with foil amd bake or leave uncovered and grill?
Uncovered. Wrapping it in foil will trap on the steam. Seekh kebab are ideally cooked on an open charcoal grill.
What kind of green chili do you use?
Hey Christina I use Serrano chillies. You can also use Thai chillies but be careful cause they're really spicy.