With barbecue season in full swing, ground beef kebabs (also spelled kabobs and kebob) are a summertime must. This recipes has only five ingredients and takes minutes to mix into the ground beef. Thanks to ready made mixes like those from Shan Foods and other south asian companies, adding a few tablespoons to the ground beef makes it a breeze to marinate the meat.
Ready-Made Spice Mix
Although ingredients may vary slightly by brands, the Shan package for seekh kebabs (typically seekh kebabs are made on a skewer but these don’t have to be) contains paprika, red chili, salt, coriander, ginger, all-spice, black pepper, cumin, cloves, bay leaf, roasted chicpea and more.
Tips for Making Ground Beef Kebabs
You can marinate the ground beef for as little as one to two hours. However, the meat tastes best when it rests overnight so that the seasoning get better infused in the meat. I like to use my hands to really mix it well together. When shaping the kebobs, grease your hands so the meat doesn’t get too sticky and get stuck all to your hands. Shape in kebobs like flat patties or long like kebobs making sure they are all approximately the same in shape and size.
You can either pan fry or grill the kebabs.
Kebab Grilling Tips
It’s best to get the grill hot first, around 450-500 degrees F with the lid closed. Then place the kebabs on the grill while keeping the dial on the bbq at medium-high. Close the lid for 3 minutes to let kebabs sear. Then flip and close lid again for 3 minutes. Open the lid and turn the kebabs again leaving the lid open. I usually flip the kebabs every 3 to 4 minutes until they are done. Overall it should take around 10 minutes to cook them.
Storage
If you want to store the kebabs for later place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Then place them uncovered in the freezer for 2 hours and afterwards toss them into a freezer bag for later use. This way they won’t stick together.
Ingredients for Kebabs
2 lbs ground beef
1 egg
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 bunch of fresh chopped cilantro leaves
2 or 3 tablespoons of Shan mix Seekh Kebab
1. Use hands or a big mixing spoon to combine the ingredients in the ground beef well.
2. Marinate the meat for 1 to 2 hours or overnight for more flavorful meat.
3. Before forming kebabs, add a little oil to hands so that the meat doesn’t stick too much to your palm. Try to make the kebabs the same shape and size.
4. Grill or pan fry.