Smashed Beef Kebab with Cucumber Yogurt (Printable)
Crispy smashed beef kebabs with cool cucumber yogurt sauce, ready in 35 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Smashed Beef Kebabs
01 - 1.1 lb ground beef (80% lean)
02 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
03 - 1 small onion, grated
04 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
05 - 1 tsp ground cumin
06 - 1 tsp ground coriander
07 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
08 - ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)
09 - 1 tsp salt
10 - ½ tsp black pepper
11 - 1 tbsp olive oil (for frying)
→ Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
12 - 7 oz Greek yogurt
13 - ½ cucumber, grated
14 - 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
15 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
16 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
17 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ For Serving
18 - Sliced red onion
19 - Warm flatbreads or rice (optional)
20 - Fresh herbs (parsley or cilantro)
# How To Make It:
01 - In a large bowl, combine ground beef, minced garlic, grated onion, parsley, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overwork the meat.
02 - Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a thick oval patty, then gently flatten with your palm to approximately ¾ inch thickness for the classic smashed kebab form.
03 - Squeeze excess moisture from the grated cucumber using your hands or a clean towel. Combine with Greek yogurt, dill, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
04 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add kebabs and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side until deeply browned and cooked through to an internal temperature of 160°F.
05 - Arrange the hot kebabs on a platter with generous dollops of cucumber yogurt sauce. Garnish with sliced red onion, fresh herbs, and serve alongside warm flatbreads or rice if desired.
# Tips from dashanddishes:
01 -
- The spice blend is dead simple but tastes like you spent hours marinating something complex.
- That crispy smashed crust on the outside with juicy meat inside is genuinely hard to stop eating.
- The yogurt sauce comes together in about three minutes and works on everything from rice to flatbread to a spoon.
02 -
- Grating the onion instead of dicing it is the single trick that keeps these kebabs tender and prevents them from falling apart in the pan.
- If you do not squeeze the cucumber dry, your sauce will be watery by the time you sit down to eat, and that discovery is disappointing every single time.
03 -
- Let the shaped kebabs rest in the fridge for fifteen minutes before cooking because cold patties hold their shape better and develop a superior crust.
- The hottest pan you can manage without burning the oil is the real secret to that restaurant quality sear everyone keeps asking about.