This Seekh Kebab is the quintessential BBQ item you will find all over 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. But we are making this in the oven!
Where did Seekh Kebabs Originate:
Seekh Kebab traces its roots back to the Mughal era in the Indian subcontinent, where it was introduced to serve the royal courts of the Mughal emperors. The name "Seekh" refers to the skewer on which the kebab is traditionally cooked, while "Kebab" refers to the delicious blend of minced meat and aromatic spices. The traditional method of preparing Seekh Kebab involves shaping the seasoned meat mixture onto long metal skewers and cooking them over a charcoal grill or open flame, imparting a smoky flavor that enhances its taste.
Tips to Make The Best Seekh Kebab:
- Use Quality Ingredients: Start with high-quality beef chuck, preferably with an 80% lean to 20% fat ratio, to ensure juicy and flavorful kebabs.
- Proper Kneading: Combine finely chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste, fresh mint, coriander, green chili paste, and melted butter with the meat mixture to infuse it with layers of flavor. You will need to mix the meat till you see the webs of fat run through the mixture.
- Drain Excess Moisture: Squeeze the onions to remove excess moisture before adding them to the meat mixture, as too much moisture can AND will prevent the kebabs from sticking to the skewers.
- Cooking Method: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and grill the kebabs in the upper third of the oven elevated on a baking tray. It's super important you keep the kebabs elevated so the heat can cook the underside.
What is the difference between Seekh Kebab and Persian Kebabs:
While Seekh Kebab shares similarities with its Mediterranean counterparts like Koobideh and Adana, it stands out for its unique blend of spices and cooking method. Unlike Koobideh and Adana, which is typically made with ground lamb or beef and seasoned with minimal spices, Seekh Kebab is infused with a medley of aromatic spices like coriander, cumin, and red chili powder, giving it a bold and spicy flavor profile.
Watch How to Make Seekh Kebab
How to Make Pakistani Seekh Kebab:
Ingredients:
- 1 lb beef chuck (80% lean, 20% fat)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
- ¼ cup mint, finely chopped
- ¼ cup coriander, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 green chili, ground into paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¾ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Raita Chutney:
- 1 cup yogurt
- 2 tablespoon mint leaves
- 2 tablespoon cilantro leaves
- 1 green chili
- Salt to taste
- Water (as needed for desired consistency)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a bowl, combine the beef chuck with all the seasoning ingredients, including onions, ginger-garlic paste, mint, coriander, melted butter, green chili paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, cayenne pepper, and salt. Mix well.
- Squeeze the onions to remove excess moisture and incorporate the mixture thoroughly without overworking it.
- Cover the bowl with foil and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare the yogurt raita by grinding mint leaves, cilantro leaves, and green chili into a paste. Mix it with yogurt, add water as needed for desired consistency, and season with salt. Keep aside.
- Once marinated, skewer the meat mixture onto metal skewers, shaping it into cylindrical kebabs.
- Create grooves on the kebabs using your fingers and place them on a rotating tin with a grill in the upper third of the oven.
- Bake the kebabs for 20-25 minutes, rotating them as needed for even browning. Brush with oil if they start to dry out.
- Once cooked, slide the kebabs off the skewers onto a plate and serve hot with yogurt raita and pita bread.
Pakistani Seekh Kebab + Yogurt Raita
Ingredients
Seekh Kebab
- 1 lb beef chuck 80% lean 20% fat
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
- ¼ cup mint finely chopped
- ¼ cup coriander finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 green chili grind into paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¾ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper I add 1 teaspoon because I like it real spicy
- 1 teaspoon salt
Raita Chutney
- 1 cup yogurt
- 2 tablespoon mint leaves
- 2 tablespoon cilantro leaves
- 1 green chilli
- salt to taste
- water add to desired consistency
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F when you are ready to bake the kebabs.
- 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.
- Mix with hand until everything is incorporated but don't overwork it.
- Cover with foil and let marinate in refrigerator for at least an hour and up to six hours.
- While kebab is marinating, make yogurt raita. Grind 2 tablespoon each of mint and coriander along with the green chilli in an electric grinder with a touch of water to make a paste.
- Pour this paste into the yogurt.
- Add water to get the desired consistency. If you like the raita more liquidy, add more water. Season with salt and keep aside.
- To make the kebabs, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
- 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.
- Press you middle finger in a diagonal angle down the beef skewer to make the signature grooves on the kebab.
- 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).
- 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.
- Once cooked, slide of the kebabs onto a plate and serve with raita and pita bread.
- This makes 6 really big kebabs.
- *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!
Geet
I've made this several times over the years! I served this with rice pilaf, basic cucumber and tomato salad and the yogurt sauce. Absolutely delicious and a keeper! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Rookie With A Cookie
thank you for the love!
Paul
Hello Izza,
I arrived at this recipe via a link from a lady of Pakistani heritage who lives in the uk…Fatima Cooks. I subscribe to her.
I followed your recipe almost to the letter but had earlier made up a freshly ground Tandoori masala for some chicken (which is marinating with said masala, yoghurt, ginger and garlic.) for tomorrow. I used that instead of the cayenne, cumin and coriander powders.
Absolutely beautiful! Juicy and full of flavour!
I don’t have an oven or grill/ broiler so cooked them in their own fat in a frying pan on the hob/ stovetop. Went perfectly with the veggie Sambar on the side.
Paul
Rookie With A Cookie
Thanks for stopping by Paul and sharing your feedback. I'm glad that this recipe turned out great!
Giselle
This is a long love story for your Pakistani Seekh Kebabs, with some "sticky meat" tips -- it started a long time ago with the first time trying "middle-eastern kabobs" as a teenager and liking them so much -- and after that always trying to get kabobs that were Lebanese, Greek, Syrian (at a "Hittite" food cart, LOL!), Persian, Iranian, etc. BUT THEN in Denver I had some Pakistani "Kefta" kebabs --- oh WOW, the flavors were so much MORE delicious than anything before! I don't live there, so I had to find a recipe and yours is SUPER FABULOUS! Even without a restaurant-style grill -- came out super-good in the oven. To make it stickier, I either add some soft fluffy unprocessed psyllium-seed fiber (like 1/2 teaspoon) to the food processor when chopping the onion so it will absorb the excess liquid and make the meat gummier and it sticks to the skewers or keeps together better when baking. Or I use fresh golden flaxseed put into the blender to fine-grind and then sifted thru a fine-mesh strainer to keep out the hard seed-coats. BUT - as you wrote in the instructions - the meat mixture also needs to be well-worked when combining into the green-herb-spices -- that is so the meat gets that sticky "myosin" protein all around the mixture!
To save time now, I make a big batch, bake the whole batch flat in a big baking pan, then cut into rectangular "kebab" shapes and freeze. To serve, just run it under the broiler or grill until hot (or microwave) and eat with tomatoes slices, mild onions on pita or ciabatta and homemade Tzatziki (base of cream cheese, greek yogurt, LOTS of de-seeded medium-grated cucumber, fresh garlic, dried or fresh dill & oregano, and a bit of vinegar + sugar or erythritol plus salt/pepper to taste - be sure to refrigerate tzatziki for at least an hour before eating).
Thank you for this great recipe -- I'm telling all my friends about how easy and delicious it is! (And they can use any ground meat or meat-substitute.)
Rookie With A Cookie
Oh wow, that's some serious love letter! thank you so much for sharing your feedback 🙂
Susan
Can you prep the meat and then freeze?
Gigi Al Ali
I haven’t made this (yet) but I’m reading what you’ve typed and you’re funny walla 🤣 you sound like you’d make an amazing host
Shanzeh
Phenomenal recipe. Thank you!
NIGHAT
can we use chicken or mutton instead of beef chuck?
Harmony
You have 2 tablespoons of melted butter listed in your Ingredients however in the instructions there’s no mention of adding 2 tablespoons of melted butter. I have made these without the butter and they are delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
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It was nice to go through your post. Thanks for sharing the recipe here. Keep up the good work.
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Rekha
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
Rookie With A Cookie
You can use lal mirch or cayenne, just make sure it isn't kashmiri lal mirch. I used salted because i add salt separately
SaL
Would the measurements for the remaining ingredients stay the same if you were to make it with chicken mince instead? Please advise - many thanks...
Rookie With A Cookie
I would reduce salt and cayenne by 1/4 tsp for chicken
Faisal
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.
Kainat
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!
Anam Zahid
Hi, can I air fry these kebabs?
James Pinto
Just Beautiful, tasty, my children finished them all, thanks for the receipe
Shahzad Shah
The butter is to drizzle on top right? Not to add to the meat?
Rookie With A Cookie
You add the butter to the meat
Shahzad Shah
My family loved it, any recs to make stay on the skewer and not fall off
Titiksha Fernandes
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
Rookie With A Cookie
So glad this is a regular recipe you make and love. Thanks for your lovely review Titiksha!
Mama Thepla
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.
Rookie With A Cookie
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!
Sakina Siraj bhori
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
Rabeea
Hey do you think I have to add a beaten egg for binding or is it not necessary?
Rookie With A Cookie
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.
Maria
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
Rookie With A Cookie
Overnight is okay, but I would avoid going more then 8-10 hours.
AZN
These were so good! I made them with ground chicken breast to keep the calories low and it was just perfect!
Mike McKenna
Can't wait to make this tomorrow. Not to nit pick, but aren't cilantro and chopped coriander the same thing?
Rookie With A Cookie
yep one and the same, cilantro is the American variant 🙂
Sarah
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!
Rookie With A Cookie
Oh that's fantastic to hear. My sister is vegan so maybe I should surprise her soon with this haha
Sarah
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! 😊
Rookie With A Cookie
I'll keep that in mind. Thanks Sarah!
johanna campbell
I made this with impossible and I preferred it to regular beef! Texture was softer.
Shirley
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!
Rookie With A Cookie
I'm so glad you enjoyed the kebabs and yes the raita is a must! It's used in every Pakistani dish pretty much.
Sharma
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?
Rookie With A Cookie
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?
Samina Kauser
I have 5stars not 4stars
Rookie With A Cookie
Hahah thank you my friend!
Samina Kauser
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 🤗
Sunny
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.
Rookie With A Cookie
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!
Bilal
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.
Steve
Really tasty recipe, better than my local takeaway! Thank you
Rookie With A Cookie
Thanks for your feedback! Glad you enjoyed it.
Fareed
Hi can you deep fry these kebabs???
Rookie With A Cookie
Hi There, you can definitely make this into a chapli kebab style and shallow fry or deep fry even if you like.
Iqra Shahzad Shahzad ali
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
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you so much! I'm really glad you love it!
Sam Fernando
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.
Rookie With A Cookie
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
Sam
Hi
After making the mixture can I keep the remaining part in the freezer for next weekend
Rookie With A Cookie
It should be okay, although I would recommend making patties and then freezing. Let them thaw when you're ready to make them.
Hit Clips
PerfeCt????
Capt. Jayant Roy
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!!
Rookie With A Cookie
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.
Debbie
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
Rookie With A Cookie
I need to create a recipe for it! Thanks for the suggestion; I'll definitely get to it soon, Debbie.
Rookie With A Cookie
I haven't put up a recipe for it yet, but going to add that to my list!
Omar
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.
Keith
Omars tweaks worked beautifully. I too am used to lots more green chillies. Super recipe!
Dave Habbick
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
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you for taking the time to message. I'm so glad this was a hit!
Haniya Malik
My fav recipe
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you!
taissear
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
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you!
Nudizzzle
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!
Rookie With A Cookie
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.
Jubayer Hossain Nayeem
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.
Rukhsana Yasmin
How much is 1lb??
Rookie With A Cookie
Hi Rukhsana that would be about half a kilo.
Rukhsana Yasmin
Thank you. How much does half a kilo make?
Ralph A. Croning
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.
Siddiqa
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??!!
Rookie With A Cookie
So happy to hear that Siddiqa and I'm glad you found me:)
Shahul
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.
Rookie With A Cookie
haha yes! Welcome back
Cate
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?
TJ
2.2 lbs is equal to 1 kg
Pooja Shah
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
Salma
My kebabs seemed to fall of skewers whilst cooking what can be added to avoid this?
Rookie With A Cookie
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
Miran
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.
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you for trying Miran! Please let me know when you try more recipes. Love hearing from all of you 🙂
lori
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?)
Rookie With A Cookie
AH that can happen if there is too much moisture in the onion. I would recommend grating the onion and squeezing out the juice.
Rukhsana Yasmin
Could I make this on a pan instead?
Rookie With A Cookie
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.
Jenny
I didn’t quite understand the oven part. Do I just place them on the rack and rotate every few minutes?
Jen
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!
Rookie With A Cookie
I'm so happy to hear this! Yay, happy cooking 🙂
ray
I shall be making this on Saturday 30-12-2019.
I'll let you know how it turned out.
Tom
Hi! Can I leave to marinate overnight, or does it have to be 6 hours or less? Many thanks!
Rookie With A Cookie
I like to marinate for a few hours but you can cook without marinating if you are pressed for time.
Rs
Longer the better for more flavor fusion. A few hours is enough but overnight is fine
Anna A
Should I cover with foil amd bake or leave uncovered and grill?
Rookie With A Cookie
Uncovered. Wrapping it in foil will trap on the steam. Seekh kebab are ideally cooked on an open charcoal grill.
Christina
What kind of green chili do you use?
Rookie With A Cookie
Hey Christina I use Serrano chillies. You can also use Thai chillies but be careful cause they’re really spicy.
Vikas Arya
Have you tried substituting fried onions for raw onions? They don't have any moisture and add wonderful flavor to the meat. I made lamb seekh kebabs the other day and found that the lamb dried up too quickly.
Rs
Also can add salt to onions and let them sit a bit and drain.
Rookie With A Cookie
Yes, that's a great tip!
Mahesh Singh
Hi Izza,
Used your recipe a 3rd time - and thankfully, they came out delicious. I say thankfully because the one area I have always had trouble with making the meat stick to the skewer 🙁 Earlier I have used eggs to be the binder. But depending on the water in the onion (and other stuff like the ginger/ garlic paste), it can still be a challenge. Just wanted to share with you and your readers that yesterday I used some besan (yellow gram flour?) to dry up a somewhat wetter than expected kheema-mix (and this AFTER having squeezed the onion to remove water till my hands hurt!). The besan definitely helped, without affecting the taste of the kebab!
Thanks again for your recipe - my go to recipe for seekh kebab 🙂
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you for the wonderful tip Mahesh! I will add this to the recipe.
Ayesha tai
Hey Rookie with a cookie,
I want to stay a huge thank you for sharing your super tasty recipies. I had my in laws over at my house for the first time for dinner and they never tried my cooking. I tried Multiple recipies before and none of them were as good as yours. I made the tandoori chicken and Seekh kebab. Amazing recipie:) I will be making this again!
Rookie With A Cookie
wohoo! love hearing that my recipes are traveling the world:) Thanks for sharing your feedback and happy cooking!
Hussain
Can I use meat instead of beef? Would ingredients be same?
Rookie With A Cookie
What kind of meat? Chicken should be fine.
Haniff
Will definitely try your recipe. want to surprise my wife !!! I am looking for a chilli sauce recipe for samoosas
Preeta
Hi,
Tried the seekh kebab with lamb mince and it was absolutely brilliant! I just added a bit of lime juice and fresh ground pepper to the marinade- and cooked the kebabs at 200C for about 20 mins. I basted the kebabs with its own juices ie. the liquid that ran from the skewers. They were perfect! Thanks so much for the recipe and looking forward to many more!
banazer noor
The best recipes website well is done
Bheki Emmanuel
Wow I did this recipe for the 1st time and it came perfect and I was douting my self I'm a chef and I have a guest.from so I had to cook Indian food or dishes so add this as well and it was a hit so put more recipes .im a South African but I love spice food
Rajiv
Thank You for the recipe. I tried this today and it came out good. I was not sure about the cooking time, so one of the batches I took out earlier than it should be, but the next one onwards it was crispy. Everyone in the family loved this!
thanks again
Rookie With A Cookie
Thanks for trying it out Rajiv. The meat cooks very quickly so you'll just to adjust the time accordingly.
Bheki Emmanuel
Wow I did this recipe for the 1st time and it came perfect and I was douting my self I'm a chef and I have a guest.from so I had to cook Indian food or dishes so add this as well and it was a hit so put more recipes .im a South African but I love spice food
Rookie With A Cookie
So glad to hear that!
Daryl
Great recipe!!! should proof read list of ingredients to avoid conflicting ingredient amounts in triplicate.
Indra mistry
Awesome comments, Actually I also thought the cooking time was too little. I did cook the kabobs using lamb mince for like 25 minutes. I served 2 lamb mince kabobs, naan, plain Indian yoghurt, kachumba and lemon and lime wedges for husband and myself. So good. It's a huge celebration dinner for tonight. ??
Tahira Sheikh
I am going to try this with mutton. Can I freeze them after they're baked?
Rookie With A Cookie
I wouldn't freeze if you're looking to make them on skewers. There will be too much moisture that will prevent the meat from sticking together
Rehana Shaur
Looks so perfect. Tomorrow 4th of July we have big family get to gather , so I want to try this recipe.
My question is that can I use pot for Seekh kabaab? I mean I have heavy iron pot . Can I put kabaab in that and then cover it and then put it in oven?
Rookie With A Cookie
I have not tried that method so I won't be able to share the results. I think the kebabs may not be as crisp but should still taste good. Let me know if you try this out.
Anne
I have to say,Great recipe.I have never had luck trying different recipe for seekh kebab.I will definitely try your other recipes.Thank you for posting it.
Mahesh Singh
I searched for Seekha Kabeb recipe and yours came on top. So I tried it the last weekend, with mutton (goat meat). The kebabs were FABULOUS to say the least - and a big hit with everyone who ate them. The only thing I added was a couple of eggs (for 2 lbs meat) to get the meat to bind and stay on the skewer. Awesome recipe and great results - thank you!!
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you so much for leaving your feedback! It's always a joy reading success stories! The traditional method doesn't call for eggs but I must admit making these kebab stick without a binder like eggs can be a challenge. I will try incorporating egg into the mix and update the recipe with my results.
Razi Ahmed
great work.. Do we need to wash the minced meat?
Rookie With A Cookie
The heat while cooking will kill all bacteria so I don't wash minced meat. The only thing I wash is Chicken pieces (again not minced), to remove the blood that clots in the nooks.
Matthew
The chicken was already ground and did not specify on the label. I find beef does not taste so well as lamb or chicken.
Matt
Mita Majumdar
Yes, it doesn't say anywhere on the box if the ground chicken is made from breast or thigh. I love thighs and I never use chicken breast in my cooking as I find it chewy but there is no way to know what cut of chicken is used for ground chicken.
Matthew
I have made it with ground chicken. I added extra on the spices along with ginger, garlic, fresh coriander. Amazing taste!
Matt
Rookie With A Cookie
Thanks for leaving you comment Matthew. Did you try with ground chicken thighs or chicken breast? Would help out other readers who don't want to cook with beef.
Mita Majumdar
If I were to make this with ground chicken or turkey, would you change anything in the recipe? Like add more fat or something else so that it doesn't dry out?
Rookie With A Cookie
The only thing I would do is use chicken thighs because they tend to be juicier. I you use chicken breast, you can add 2 more tbsp of butter.
Michelle Moran
I am going to make this today! Haven't had Seekh kabob since 2003 when I lived in Virginia. Can't find Pakistani out here in Seattle. Cheers and thank you for the recipe!
Rookie With A Cookie
Hope you love it!
Srecipe
I am a kabab lover. Seekh kabab is my favorite kabab. Thanks for your recipe dear. I'll try your recipe.
Rookie With A Cookie
Will definitely need to try your recipes. Hari kebab looks delicious!
Heidi
Can't wait to make this tonight for father's Day!
Are you using the oven to bake or the grill setting on the oven ? Thanks!
Rookie With A Cookie
Hey Heidi! I bake this in my oven in the second level of the grill. Hope this helps
Damaris Sandoval
I come from a Hispanic background and I always veer toward making food from my own culture. I wanted to surprise my family with something new. So, it was my first time making and tasting seekh kebab. We were not dissapointed! I made the mince using ground chicken and it was so delicious! Oh! And the raita too! I will definitely be making some of your other recipes. Thank you!!!
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you for trying my recipe Damaris! It truly makes my day to read such sweet comments!
Nisha
I made this dish exactly except for a few deviations: 1) Added two eggs (because I doubled the recipe) to assist as a binding agent and 2) Did not let sit for the recommended 1-6 hours because of time constraints and let me please share my gratitude..... the kababs were delicious and had my fiancee and roommate simply raving about it! Next time, I'll plan my meals out better and leave myself enough time so it can sit in the fridge longer. Even though I doubled the recipe, all the kababs I made were gone. I was sad there were no leftovers but a food that is quickly consumed is a huge compliment any foodie can ever ask for! Once again, thank you!
Rookie With A Cookie
Nisha! I'm so glad you tried the recipe and tool time to give me your feedback. I hope you get a chance to try more recipe. My Tandoori Chicken is a beast of a dish on the dinner table:P
GN
Hi,
Can I sub beef for ground chicken?
Thanks!
Rookie With A Cookie
Hey yes, that should be a-okay!:)
samira
Hi, I would like to use this for my packed lunch at school but I was wondering whether I could freeze it then cook it or cook it then store in the fridge
Rookie With A Cookie
Hi Samira, I wouldn't recommend freezing marinated meat.
Rajeev
Will these seeks kebabs taste different if I make these in a rotisserie? My rotisserie is an electric one and has kebab skewers. Thanks., Rajeev.
Rajeev
I meant seekh kebabs....autocorrect is a pain!
Rookie With A Cookie
Hi Rajeev, I haven't tried in a rotisserie but it should not be too different. You may need to adjust the temperature accordingly. Good Luck!!
Aliza
Made these last night for hubby and I and they turned out amazing!!!! Thank you for making such an easy to follow recipe 🙂 Can’t wait to try your tandoori chicken tonight.
Rookie With A Cookie
So happy to hear that Aliza! You'll love the tandoori chicken! thanks for leaving your feedback.
James Chapman
Trying the recipe now. A word of warning though, keep a close eye on the oven. I was in another room and was like..."wow, that really smells strong." The oven was smoking from all the grease on the foil and I am now sitting with all my doors and windows open in a smoke-filled house. Maybe the 450* is a little excessive and I'm surprised there is not a fire yet.
Rookie With A Cookie
Thanks for letting me know. It may be because of brushing the grill with oil, which in retrospect sounds very hazardous. The oven temp otherwise is fine.
Nitasha
Hiya , made the recipe today , smoke in kitchen & all . Turned out very well indeed , it's the only recipe which advises adding butter into the mince & that makes all the difference ! I didn't have skewers so I turned it into thin mince patties , it tasted wonderful and the shape held ! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us .
Rookie With A Cookie
So happy you enjoyed the recipe Nitashsa! Thanks for trying!
Marvin
What a cute video! 🙂
I’ve got a house party coming up on the 9th of December and I’m totally trying this.
Will let you know how it turns out.
Rookie With A Cookie
Well... did you try the recipe, Marvin?:)
Ahsan
This is a great recipe. I followed the the recipe to the T and it tasted really good. Honestly, one of best kebabs I had and it tested better than restaurant. Flavors were very pronounced and it will become one of my favorite recipes.
I would like to caution all viewers on making this in the house oven. My entire apartment was covered with smoke and I was not even able to see across the living room ( more than what I expected than what I saw on the video) Even though I had the foil setup to catch grease/butter, it got caught on fire and scared the hell out of me. The fire kept increasing and I took a scary chance to take the fire foil out and dumped it into the sink and the oven was still on fire and my wife threw water in the oven to extinguish it. The fire alarm kept beeping and I had to open all the doors, windows and garage to take it out. I thought I was in trouble and fire truck will show up to my apartment. Next time I will just use bbq grill and do it out side.
I thought my kebabs were burnt in the fire, but fortunately they didn’t and tasted great.
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you for leaving this feedback, I will actually edit some parts of my recipe so people use caution with this method.
Ralph A. Croning
I have made seekh kababs in the oven hundreds of times over the past 25 years and have never had a fire. Was your oven electric or gas? Either way, it is never advisable to open an oven to try and extinguish a flare up. Always turn it off and leave the door closed. A fire will burn itself out when there is no oxygen left and that is usually within seconds. Opening the door is asking for trouble.
Also, if you do need to extinguish a fat fire which this was, NEVER use water. A kitchen sized CO2 fire extinguisher is always your best bet. Safety first, live long and healthy, enjoy good food.
Ralph A. Croning
Matt, authentic Pakistani is always with beef. Lamb or goat were rarely used in the eateries because they can be too lean and way too expensive.
If anyone is interested in a good naan recipe I have developed one through years of testing and baking in a conventional oven. If you have one that has a convection fan, that's even better. My earlier failed attempts always rendered them too dry. After much research I got it fine tuned to the point it was as close to authentic as one can get. The key though is to have a food-safe pizza oven tile that is at least 3/4" thick. Otherwise it just won't work.
I would be happy to share that with all, as well as some images if I can post them here.
Rookie With A Cookie
Ralph, I would love a good naan recipe. Please feel free to email me at rookiewithacookie@gmail.com
Nargis Mohammad
Hi, I didn't see it when you put butter on the grill.
Matt
Izza,
Great recipe. a lot of these online do not hit the nail. I always visit the Pakistan restaurants in London, UK for the best kebabs.
I used lamb to make them authentic and increased the spice quantities and came out wonderful....I would send you a picture if I can. Please can you provide a Keema Naan recipe that can be cooked at home without using a tandoor?
regards Matt
Rookie With A Cookie
Hi Matt! Thank you leaving me your feedback. Lamb is even better (good call on increasing the spices!) I haven't yet toyed around with a good naan recipe but I will definitely share as soon as I nail one.
Rahim
Awaiting for Pakistani Nihari and Paya please.
Thank you so much.
Yousef
Hi
I was wondering if you have the recipe for Tandoori chicken !
cheers
Rookie With A Cookie
I do:) Please look at my recipe index for all my recipes. It's a delicious one!:) https://rookiewithacookie.com/pakistani-tandoori-chicken/
Benazir Badsha
Can I make this with lamb ? I am not so fond of lamb but using all of these spices may eradicate that smell it has ? Would it work ? I have already tried it on beef and mutton. It was just amazing. My husband flipped on it.
Rookie With A Cookie
You can definitely make this on lamb too. When I made it once with it, I noticed the color of the kebabs is on the lighter side. Thanks for trying:)
Peter
made these last night, awesomeness, thanks for sharing
pete @cook with love,
ps started following you on insta , 🙂
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you for trying the kebab, Peter! 🙂
JB
I made this today and it's delicious! It tastes just like the ones I get from the paki restaurants. I've been asking my boyfriend to give me recipes from his mom's cooking for years and he still hasn't! So glad I found your blog because I think he'll be impressed with this one! I did broil them the last couple minutes just to get that nice charred flavor. I can't wait til I can throw these on the grill (I'm in the same boat as you with an apartment). I also used 1 tsp of cayenne and 3 green thai chili peppers, because well.. we like it spicy! I can't wait to try your chicken tikka recipe - that's up next! Do you happen to have a kofta recipe you wouldn't mind sharing? Thanks again! Looking forward to more Paki recipes!! 🙂
JB
I meant tandoori chicken! Whoops! That's just how excited I am about it! Haha
Rookie With A Cookie
So happy you liked the recipe! I will definitely hunt down a good recipe for kofta soon:)
Sarah
Thanks so much for this recipe. I buy halal meat from a store close by and he did not have ground meat with fat like u mentioned. Can I add something like shortening to it to make it better and so that they don't break. I don't want to make Chaplin. Please help.
Rookie With A Cookie
Hi Sarah,
Yes I usually add 4 tbsp of melted unsalted butter to the mix. If you don't have butter, oil works well too. Also, I have noticed that halal meat sticks better to the skewer.
Nick
My wife and I made this for the first time for a dinner party we hosted over the weekend. It was amazing! Tasted delicious, and everyone couldn't stop raving about it. Thank you!
Also - our smoke alarm freaked out as well - you called it.
Rookie With A Cookie
SO glad you tried it! Thanks for leaving your feedback:)
Michelle Graham
Thank you so much for this delicious and new to me recipe! 5 star all the way totally delicious 🙂 the yogurt sauce really adds something special to it and I am glad I didn't skip it! Thank you for sharing your recipe for this is my way to experience your culture! Peace ✌?
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you so much Michelle for your sweet words. Food is indeed the best way to share culture:) I hope you give my other recipes a go as well
Michelle Graham
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe! The yogurt sauce really adds something special 🙂 I want to give a 5 star review but it is only allowing 4 but it is 5 star. 🙂
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you, Mchelle!! You leaving a comment bumps it up to 5 stars for me:)
Faiz
How does besan and egg play a role in the taste of sheekh kebabs when you want to add yogurt into the marinade. Also for bbq does it not fall off the skewer with such a lean meat to fat ratio?(80-20)
Rookie With A Cookie
I don't use it because if you have the right fat to lean ratio, you don't need besan or egg. If you use water to help the met on the skewers, then they won't fall off. But sometimes they do depending on technique.. in that case I make chapli kebab haha
Hinna
I recently got married and wanted to try something different. They honestly tasted amazing and my husband loved them! It was great watching you, thanks for this!
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you Hinna! I'm glad you and your husband enjoyed this recipe:)
Thahira
Thanks for the Recipe. It came out so juicy&tasty.
Rookie With A Cookie
So glad to hear that!
Zain Hasan
I made these kababs and they turned out great. I ve tried many recipes but hands down this was the best and the easiest. Thanks so much for sharing.
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you so much for trying my recipe, Zain! If you haven't already, check out my Tandoori Chicken too:)
Rookie With A Cookie
Yayy!!
Zahid
Hi,
I will try this, in past I had issue with smoke, with 20% fat, you are talking about a lot of smoke. The smoke alarms go crazy and make me tired running up n down.
I'm kind a baffled that no one had this issue?
My kebabs usually break-apart..
Rookie With A Cookie
Yeah, there will be quite a lot of smoke. I usually just stand and fan the fire alarm detector haha
your kebabs shouldnt break apart if you directly place them on the grill..
Rookie With A Cookie
Fire alarm will ring so much, no way to help that ahaha! It's okay if they break apart. Just put them directly on the grill or make chapli kebabs out of them.
Irfan
Rookie with Cookie: I love to cook. Will surely try this recipe. Curious to see what taste mint brings.
Living in Canada and miss the authentic food taste back home.
Ralp: I remember when you introduced me to Dara Bashir in 1985..
Rookie With A Cookie
Thanks for checking it out! Hope you enjoy it.
Ralph A. Croning
Irfan, Dara was a great boss and working for MIL was one of the most interesting jobs I have held. BTW, what's your last name? I remember Irfan Suleri who worked there when I joined....I think. It has been a while.
Saiqa
I never thought 'I' could make SEEKH KABAB!! It was always something bought from a restaurant. But when I saw your video and how doable you made it seem, I gave it a try. I LOVED IT. Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe!! Going to try it on a charcoal grill on Eid. 🙂
Rookie With A Cookie
So glad to hear that it turned out well for you, Saiqa! Please try other recipes on my website and channel!
Ralph A. Croning
P.S. I forgot to add that I make them in the shape they would normally have when skewers are used. They cook really well, through and through.
Ralph A. Croning
Aisha Khan
This is probably a silly question, but I don't have skewers and really want to try these out tonight. Could I go ahead and try without the skewers?
Rookie With A Cookie
You can definitely do them without skewers. I would recommend making them into patties in that case ad pan frying them. Were you able to try this?
Ralph A. Croning
I do seekh kababs without skewers in an oven set to 400F. Cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil, and oiled to prevent sticking. For a final brown I give them about 2 minutes with the oven set to grill. Works great every time.
Rookie With A Cookie
Thanks for sharing your tip, Ralph!
Aisha Khan
Thanks Ralph, I'll try it this way!
Ralph A. Croning
One of the simplest tricks to keeping the kababs together is to use meat that is not too lean. A bit of fat helps to keep the kabab together. Also, make sure all the other ingredients are chopped really fine. If coarsely chopped they will cause the kababs to break apart.
Aisha Khan
I actually got skewers (drove like a maniac) from my mum's and did it. The taste was awesome but I didn't get the texture right somehow, too soft/limp, they BARELY stayed on the skewers when I tried! I'll let you know when I try them again if I manage to pinpoint where I went wrong the last time! Thanks a lot though, awesome recipe, I'm not Pakistani but my husband is, and he loved them too!
Shehryar khan
Use 30% of fat atleast which will make it much more tasty and will stick at your skewer.
Ralph A. Croning
I have been making seekh kababs in the oven for ages and just skip the skewers. Shape them as they should look - about 3/4" to an inch in diameter and about 6" or so long. Place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil that's lightly coated with oil.
I use extra lean or lean ground beef for mine and without the skewers they don't fall apart and taste just as good. The skewers don't add anything to the taste so you won't be missing much. And don't worry, they cook right through really well.
asifkhanlodhi
nice test
Muhammad Ahmed Bhatti
Great to come across this video. Will appreciate if I can know more about you cooking knowledge, contact if possible, as I am looking towards opening a new pakistani franchise in GCC.
Rookie With A Cookie
Hi Ahmed,
Of course! Not sure where GCC is on the map but You can email me over at rookiewithacookie@gmail.com
Muhammad Ahmed Bhatti
Great to come across this video. Will appreciate if I can know more about you cooking knowledge, contact if possible, thanks.
Anna Asif
Hey, whats the difference between putting them in the oven and grilling them? Or are they pretty much the same thing?
Rookie With A Cookie
Grilling out in the open allows the steam to escape and obviously is the best option. Adds more flavor specially if you have a charcoal grill. Oven is only if you don't have a grill. But the taste is far superior with a grill:)
Sadia
Can I make them without melted butter? How will they turn out then ? Or can I replace the melted butter with something else. ?
Rookie With A Cookie
Hi Sadia,
You can replace butter with oil or raw papaya paste. If you don't add those, the kebabs will be a little tough and hard. Let me know when you try them:)
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you for sharing a bit of your life:) I hope my recipes keep bringing you back to my blog!
Ralph A. Croning
I usually use Shan Seekh Kabab Masala for this but your recipe sound very interesting and definitely worth a try. Looking forward to more of your recipes.
Ralph.
Rookie With A Cookie
You'll love this one! Thanks for checking out my blog:)
Ralph A. Croning
Being a transplanted Karachiite since 1988, I am always looking for different takes on our favourite Pakistani foods. Will let you know how this one goes.
Rookie With A Cookie
You live in Karachi? That's amazing. My family lives in Karachi so I'm always back and forth between the States and Pakistan. And please do report back after you try this:)
Ralph A. Croning
Born, raised, educated and worked there; went to St. Paul's High School. Worked for the Agha Khan Hospital Complex during its construction and after that for the owners. My last job before leaving the country was for Manhattan International Ltd., located at PECHS (Nursery). I came to Canada in 1988.
Irfan
Small world Ralph. I know you. I was one time working with Jehangir Mithani in Karachi and you were the client service rep for our product campaign ' Platinum Dried Peas' This was back in 85 or 86. I am living in Canada now too.
Ralph A. Croning
It's a small world indeed! I remember Jehangir Mithani quite well and working on the Dried Peas account. I spent hours passing around samples and doing surveys. More hours were spent rehydrating them and trying to photograph them so they looked appetizing for the TV commercials. Eventually Dara's brother, Shikoh, decided to try oiling them with engine oil. Man did they ever look tasty then 😉 😉
I don't remember them being called Platinum Dried Peas though. I may be wrong though. It's been 30 years. Jehangir was the local distributor for the American Dried Pea Association. I don't think that product took off well, since we as Pakistanis love our food fresh!!
What ever became of Jehangir?
malika
i want to try all your recipes you are so cute !!
Rookie With A Cookie
Thank you so much! Please try ALL of them!
Navita
Hi there,
I liked your video and upbeat attitude!! I will definitely try your recipe!! Seekh Labab is my favorite.. Can I make it with turkey too?
Rookie With A Cookie
You can definitely make it with turkey or chicken. Just make sure to add 2-3 tbsp of melted butter to the mince. You'll love it!
Serena Ansari
At what temperature are you baking it?
Rookie With A Cookie
Hi Serena, it's mentioned in the recipe index. Oven is preheated to 450F.