You're going to love this Chicken Kofte (or Kofta) Recipe! It's super easy to make, ready in just 20 minutes, and packed with delicious Mediterranean flavors. You can pan fry, bake, grill, or air fry them—they all turn out fantastic.
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Made with lean ground chicken, grated onion, garlic, parsley, and spices, these deliciously moist chicken meatballs are my lighter version of Grilled Lamb Kofta - Izgara Kofte recipe.
You have options to enjoy juicy Chicken Kafta! You can serve it on its own with a bowl of Greek Cucumber Salad for a refreshing lunch, or pair it with Lebanese Rice Pilaf with Vermicelli, or Sourdough Flatbread for a delicious family weeknight meal.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Ground chicken - You can make your own ground chicken using breast or buy ready made ones. Alternatively, you can also use ground turkey.
- Onion - It adds flavor and moisture in the chicken kaftas. I like grating it into the mixture, but you can also finely chop and sauté them if you prefer. If you're out of onions, you can use two banana shallots instead.
- Garlic - It's another fantastic flavoring for kofte dishes and is absolutely necessary. You can crush fresh garlic cloves into a paste with a mortar and pestle or grate it with a Microplane. If you don't have fresh garlic, you can use garlic powder as a substitute.
- Egg - It is necessary to bind the meat, breadcrumbs, spices, and herbs.
- Spices - I use a blend of black pepper, paprika, and chili, but you can also use other spices such as cumin, cayenne pepper, or a touch of cinnamon.
- Bread crumbs - They soak up the juices from the meat as it cooks, locking them inside the meatball. Additionally, they contribute to a pleasant, soft texture for the chicken kafta.
- Olive oil - I add a tablespoon of olive oil to mixture since ground chicken is a very lean meat.
How to Make Chicken Kofta?
Making these delicious chicken kofta meatballs is very simple and straightforward.
While pan-frying is traditional, you can also bake, grill, or air fry your chicken koftas for a healthier alternative with different flavor profiles.
Prepare the Chicken Kofta Mixture
In a mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, grated onion, garlic, egg, olive oil, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, freshly ground black pepper, paprika, and chili flakes.
Mix the ingredients thoroughly until well combined. Take small portions of the mixture and form 14-16 equally sized patties using the palm of your hands.
Dampen your palm with water slightly to prevent the meatballs from sticking to your hand.
Pan-Fry Chicken Kafta
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan or grilling skillet over medium heat, and add the shaped koftas to the pan. Don't overcrowd the pan, do it in batches if necessary.
Cook the koftas for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
Once cooked, remove the koftas from the pan and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
Baking Method
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the chicken kofta patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-18 minutes, or until they are cooked through and golden brown.
Grilling Method
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Ensure that the grill is thoroughly hot and nicely greased to prevent the kofta patties from sticking. Place the kofta patties on the grill grate and cook for approximately 4-5 minutes on each side, or until they are cooked through and have grill marks.
Air Frying Method
Preheat your air fryer to 375°F or 190°C. Place the prepared kofta patties in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving some space between each patty.
Cook the kofta patties in the air fryer for about 10-12 minutes, flipping them halfway through the cooking time, until they are golden brown and cooked through.
Top Tips From the Chef
- You need to add a little olive oil to the kofta mixture since chicken can be lean and tend to dry out.
- Dampen your palm with water slightly to prevent the meatballs from sticking to your hand.
- You can transform your chicken kofta into chicken kofta kebabs by threading the mixture onto skewers.
- If you have time, let your chicken kofta mixture rest for a minimum of 2 hours, ideally overnight for the flavors to meld.
- You can prepare the chicken kofta mixture ahead of time and refrigerate it until you're ready to cook.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Store leftover chicken koftas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
If you plan to store them for longer, consider freezing them. Place the uncooked or cooked koftas in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat leftover chicken koftas, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the kofta patties on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
What to Serve with Chicken Kafta?
There are endless delicious options to serve with chicken kofta:
Serve chicken kofta with fragrant Lebanese Rice Pilaf with Vermicelli, or Bulgur Pilavi (Turkish Bulgur Rice Pilaf) and a bowl of fresh salad such as Persian Shirazi Salad or Gavurdagi Salatasi (Turkish Tomato Walnut Salad).
Warm Middle Eastern Lavash Bread or Garlic Naan (Indian Flatbread) is perfect for wrapping chicken kofta.
Creamy Mediterranean Hummus or Toum - Lebanese Garlic Sauce makes a tasty dip or spread for chicken kofta.
Whatever you serve your koftas with, don't forget to serve a glass of cold Ayran (Turkish Yogurt Drink) to wash them all down!
Recipe FAQs
Kofta is a popular Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dish made from ground lamb meat flavored with various spices and fresh herbs.
They can be shaped in patties, sausage-shaped, or on skewers
To prevent chicken kofta from drying out, consider adding ingredients like grated onion and olive oil.
Chicken kofta is typically seasoned with a blend of spices and shaped into patties or balls, whereas chicken kebabs are often marinated chunks of chicken skewered and grilled.
Related Recipes
For more delicious kofta (or kofte or kafta) recipes, why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this deliciously soft and juicy Chicken Kofta Recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
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Chicken Kofta Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 600 g ground chicken
- 1 medium onion (grated)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 small egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 25 g breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 tablespoon oil for frying
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, grated onion, garlic, egg, olive oil, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, freshly ground black pepper, paprika, and chili flakes.
- Mix the ingredients thoroughly until well combined.
- Take small portions of the mixture and form 14-16 equally sized patties using the palm of your hands. Dampen your palm with water slightly to prevent the meatballs from sticking to your hand.
Pan Frying Method
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and add the shaped koftas to the pan.
- Cook the koftas for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
- Once cooked, remove the koftas from the pan and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
Baking Method
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Place the chicken kofta patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-18 minutes, or until they are cooked through and golden brown.
Grilling Method
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
- Ensure that the grill is thoroughly hot and nicely greased to prevent the kafta patties from sticking.
- Place the kofta patties on the grill grate and cook for approximately 4-5 minutes on each side, or until they are cooked through and have grill marks.
- Make sure to keep an eye on them to prevent burning.
- Once cooked, remove the kofta patties from the grill and serve immediately.
Air Frying Method
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
- Place the prepared kofta patties in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving some space between each patty.
- Cook the kofta patties in the air fryer for about 10-12 minutes, flipping them halfway through the cooking time, until they are golden brown and cooked through.
Notes
- You need to add a little olive oil to the mixture since chicken can be lean and tend to dry out.
- Dampen your palm with water slightly to prevent the meatballs from sticking to your hand.
- You can transform your chicken kofta into chicken kofta kebabs by threading the mixture onto skewers.
- If you have time, let your chicken kofta mixture rest for a minimum of 2 hours, ideally overnight for the flavors to meld.
- You can prepare the chicken kofta mixture ahead of time and refrigerate it until you're ready to cook.
Elaine Reeta
Absolutely delicious! This recipe deserves 6 stars!
Ayla Clulee
Thank you so much Elaine!
We also love chicken kofte very much.