Recipe: Turkey Kefta Kebabs with a Quick Yogurt Sauce

For WL‘s 50th anniversary, we revisited and updated recipes from a very-1980s cookbook that the magazine published in 1988.

Kefta is typically made with lamb or beef in Moroccan cuisine; here, we’ve opted to use ground turkey as a more sustainable choice. The milder flavour of the turkey allows the spices to shine through and the quick cooking time makes for a light, easy, no-fuss dinner.

Ingredients

Turkey Kefta Kebabs

1 lb ground turkey thigh
¼ cup minced shallot or onion
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp crushed garlic
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika, mild or hot
1 tsp sumac
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Quick Yogurt Sauce

1 cup Greek yogurt
½ cup seeded and grated cucumber
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
½ tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp sea salt

Accompaniments

Butter lettuce leaves
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Persian cucumbers, sliced
Feta cheese, crumble
Red onion, thinly sliced
Pita bread

Make It

Start by soaking 12 4-inch flat bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes.

Mix all turkey kebab ingredients in a bowl. Set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the sauce.

For the yogurt sauce, mix Greek yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, mint, lemon juice and salt and set aside. Cut up and prepare your accompaniments.

Take the kebab mixture out of the fridge. Wet your fingers so the meat doesn’t stick to your hands, then form mixture into oblong, egg-sized portions onto and around each skewer.

Pre-heat and oil your grill or seasoned cast iron stovetop pan, or prepare a charcoal BBQ. Grill kebabs for 5 to 8 minutes, turning a few times, until browned and cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.

Serve with yogurt sauce and accompaniments. Makes 12 kebabs.

Originally published May 14, 2021.