These restaurant style beef seekh kebabs are a delicious, flavor-packed way to use humble ground beef. This popular street food is packed with bold Indian and Pakistani flavors. These juicy, tender kebabs are sure to be a family hit any day of the week!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Different cooking methods: These kebabs taste delicious no matter how you make them. You can bake them in the oven, grill over an outdoor grill or open flame, or even air fry them. If you have one, these kebabs are perfect for a tandoor oven which is a popular clay oven in the Indian subcontinent.
- Easy to shape: Some kebab recipes can be difficult to skewer and shape properly. This recipe method is foolproof and will ensure your kebabs stay intact and on the skewer.
- Great make-ahead option: These kebabs can be made in bulk in advance, and frozen for later use. This makes for great meal prep or delicious kebabs on demand.
Ingredient Notes
Get Your Pantry Ready to Cook!
For more detailed information on many of the ingredients used in this recipe, check out this guide to 20 pantry staple ingredients in Indian cooking!
- Ground beef: It is best to use ground beef that has a decent amount of fat. An 80/20 ratio of ground meat to fat is ideal. This keeps the kebabs moist and juicy and also binds the kebabs together.
- Jalapeno pepper: You can adjust the heat to your personal preference by keeping the seeds in the pepper. If you prefer milder kebabs, remove the seeds and the ribs from the pepper.
- Tandoori masala: Tandoori masala is a mix of several aromatic spices, including coriander powder, kasuri methi (fenugreek), amchur (dried mango powder) and cardamom, mixed into a fine powder. It is much easier to use a pre-mixed tandoori masala than to use each spice individually.
- Chaat masala: Chaat masala is a blend of spices, including mango powder, black salt, and dried pomegranate. It adds a tangy flavor to the kebabs.
- Kashmiri red chili powder: Kashmiri red chili powder is a combination of sweetness and subtle heat.
- Garam masala: This is a mix of warm Indian spices that include cinnamon, cardamon, peppercorns, coriander, clove, mace, and nutmeg.
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
Substitutions
- Ground beef: Try a different type of meat to make these kebabs. This kabab recipe can be made with ground lamb instead of ground beef. You can also use a combination of the two meats for extra flavor.
- Yellow onion: Red onion will work in place of yellow onion.
- Jalapeno pepper: For more heat, you can use serrano pepper or Thai green chilies.
- Kashmiri chili powder: Regular red chili powder can be used. Do not confuse this with American chilli powder which is a blend of spices.
Variations
- Smokey: Charcoal smoke the raw kebab meat mixture by heating a charcoal brickette until it's red-hot on a gas stove or using a lighter, then place it in a small bowl or foil pouch alongside the meat mixture. Drizzle a little oil or ghee over the charcoal and quickly cover the dish to trap the smoke for 5-10 minutes.
- Appetizer: Make these main dish kebabs into mini bites by rolling them into smaller kebabs. Alternatively, cut cooked kebabs into quarters and serve alongside your favorite appetizers.
- Different meats: If you are not a fan of red meat, try making chicken seekh kebabs using ground chicken breast (chicken keema) or using ground turkey instead.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all ingredients: This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Grate onion: Grate the onion on the large side of a box grater. Squeeze out and dispose of the excess moisture.
Preheat oven: Turn the oven on the highest broiler setting.
Mix the minced meat with the grated onion, chopped chilies, and dried spices in a large bowl. Mix the ground beef mixture with your hand until the fat starts to stick to your palm as you mix the meat.[photo 1]
Take a ½ cup portion of the meat and roll a smooth ball between your two palms. [photo 2]
Place the ball of meat onto a flat surface, and start to roll the meat into a log, sausage shape. Keep rolling the meat until it is the same thickness all around. [photo 3]
Once the kebab is your desired shape, length, and thickness, carefully push the flat skewers through the middle of the rolled kebab. Once the skewer is in, give the kebab one more gentle roll to seal the meat around the skewer. [photo 4]
Arrange the skewers on a large baking sheet, and spray lightly with cooking spray or olive oil. Place the tray under the preheated broiler.
Broil the kebabs for 5-7 minutes per side, turning carefully with tongs to char all sides of the kebabs. The beef should have an internal temperature of 160°F on an instant read thermometer.
Carefully remove the skewers from the kebabs using tongs or a tea towel, and serve. Optionally squeeze fresh lime juice over the cooked kebabs, with a sprinkling of chaat masala and fresh cilantro.
Expert Tips
Use cold ingredients: It is best to use cold ground beef when making the kebab meat mixture. This will help bind the meat together which makes for easier shaping and skewering, also resulting in succulent kebabs.
Let the meat mixture rest: If you find the kebab meat mixture is too soft, cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 30-45 minutes. This will chill the meat and solidify some of the fat.
Soak skewers: I recommend using long metal skewers as they conduct heat into the middle of the kebabs. If using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them for at least 1 hour before using them to avoid burning in the oven.
Use a food processor: Instead of grating the onion, you can use a food processor to finely chop the onion and jalapeno.
Make Ahead & Storage
- The kebab mixture can be mixed 2-3 days in advance. Store the meat mixture in an airtight container in the fridge. Keep cold until you are ready to shape the kebabs.
- Leftover cooked kebabs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
- Reheat cooked kebabs wrapped in foil to prevent them from drying out. Reheat in the oven or air fryer.
Serving Suggestions
- Dips: These kebabs go perfectly with homemade yogurt mint chutney, spicy chili garlic sauce, or toum garlic sauce, too. For a fusion cross-over, try these kebabs with sour cream tzatziki which is almost like cucumber raita!
- Breads: Serve kebabs with homemade plain or garlic naan or cheesy stuffed naan.
- Side Dishes: Homemade kachumber salad is an obvious pairing to seekh kebabs, but you'll love tangy pickled red onions or chaat masala fries.
More Indian Recipes
Restaurant Style Beef Seekh Kebabs (Oven Baked!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb Ground beef - 80/20 fat content
- 1 Yellow onion - grated, liquid drained
- 1 Jalapeno pepper - finely minced
- 2 tablespoon Ginger & garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon Garam masala
- 1 tablespoon Chaat masala
- ½ tablespoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ tablespoon Amchur powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Tandoori masala
- ½ tablespoon Kosher salt - or to taste
Instructions
- Mix the ground beef with the grated onion, chopped chilies, and dried spices in a large mixing bowl. Mix the ground beef mixture with your hand until the fat starts to stick to your palm as you mix the meat.2 lb Ground beef, 1 Yellow onion, 1 Jalapeno pepper, 2 tablespoon Ginger & garlic paste, 1 tablespoon Garam masala, 1 tablespoon Chaat masala, ½ tablespoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder, ½ tablespoon Amchur powder, 1 ½ teaspoon Tandoori masala, ½ tablespoon Kosher salt
- Take a ½ cup portion of the meat and roll a smooth ball between your two palms.
- Place the ball of meat onto a flat surface, and start to roll the meat into a log, kebab shape. Keep rolling the meat until it is the same thickness all around.
- Once the kebab is your desired shape, length, and thickness, carefully push the skewer through the middle of the rolled kebab. Once the skewer is in, give the kebab one more gentle roll to seal the meat around the skewer.
- Arrange the skewers on a large baking sheet, and spray lightly with cooking spray. Place the tray under the preheated broiler. Broil the kebabs for 5-7 minutes per side, turning carefully with tongs to char all sides of the kebabs.
- Carefully remove the skewers from the kebabs using tongs or a tea towel, and serve.
✱Recipe Notes
- Use cold ingredients: It is best to use cold ground beef when making the kebab meat mixture. This will help bind the meat together which makes for easier shaping and skewering.
- Let the meat mixture rest: If you find the kebab meat mixture is too soft, cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 30-45 minutes. This will chill the meat and solidify some of the fat.
- Soak skewers: I recommend using metal skewers as they conduct heat into the middle of the kebabs. If using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them for at least 1 hour before using them to avoid burning in the oven.
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