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Persian

Kabab Koobideh (Persian Minced Meat Kebabs)

Classic Persian minced meat kebabs made with finely grated onion, simple spices, and smoky grilling.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 6 September 2026Updated

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Kabab Koobideh (Persian Minced Meat Kebabs)

1 hr 5 mintotal

35 min hands-on30 min hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 15 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Mild
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Grill.

Includes 30 minutes chilling time for the kebab mixture.

Method

  1. Grate the onion finely and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. This helps the kebabs hold together.

  2. Mix mutton mince with squeezed onion, salt, black pepper, turmeric, and saffron water.

  3. Knead the mixture firmly for a few minutes until sticky and cohesive. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

    30 min

  4. Shape the mixture onto flat skewers or form long kebab logs if using a grill pan.

  5. Brush lightly with olive oil and grill over medium-high heat, turning carefully, until browned and cooked through.

  6. Grill the tomatoes alongside until softened and lightly charred.

  7. Rest the kebabs briefly before serving so the juices settle.

How to tell it's done

The kebabs should be juicy inside, lightly charred outside, and firm enough to lift without breaking.

Getting it right

Tip

The mixture should feel tacky before shaping. If it feels loose, knead it longer and chill it well before grilling.

What to serve it with

Serve with grilled tomatoes, steamed rice, fresh herbs, onion slices, or flatbread.

Common mistakes

The kebabs slide off the skewer.
Squeeze the grated onion as dry as you can and knead the mixture until it is genuinely sticky, then chill it. Wet mince has nothing to grip with, and this is the single most common koobideh failure.
They are dry and crumbly.
Use mince with a decent fat content and do not overcook. Koobideh is thin and cooks in minutes; a few seconds past done and there is no fat left to hold it.

Substitutions

  • Mutton Mince can be replaced with lamb mince if available.
  • If using chicken mince, add a little extra fat or oil because lean mince can become dry.
  • Do not skip squeezing the onion; excess onion water can make the kebabs fall apart.

Storing and reheating

The kneaded mixture keeps a day in the fridge and improves for the rest. Cooked kebabs keep two days and reheat best wrapped in foil in a low oven. They freeze raw on skewers for two months.