Grilled Beef Kofta Wraps with Tahini-Yogurt

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Spiced ground beef kneaded until it turns tacky, so it grips the skewer and chars instead of crumbling. Rolled up in warm flatbread with tomato, sumac onions, herbs and a garlicky tahini-yogurt sauce — a fast weeknight version of the wrap you'd grab at a Mediterranean grill counter.

Ingredients

• 1.25 lb ground beef, 80/20
• 1/2 cup grated yellow onion, squeezed dry
• 1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp plain breadcrumbs

• 1/2 cup whole-milk plain yogurt
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 3 tbsp cold water, plus more as needed
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 4 large flatbreads or lavash
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp ground sumac
• 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded romaine or little gem lettuce
• 1/2 cup pickled turnips or dill pickle spears (optional)
• 2 tbsp olive oil, for brushing

Instructions

1. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater, then pile it into a clean kitchen towel and squeeze hard over the sink until it stops dripping — you want about 1/2 cup of dry pulp. Excess onion water is the main reason kofta fall apart.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, squeezed onion, parsley, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, black pepper and breadcrumbs. Now knead: press and smear the mixture against the side of the bowl with the heel of your hand for a full 3 to 4 minutes, until it looks pasty and visibly sticks to your palm when you press and lift. This is the step that makes the kofta hold on the grill.
3. Cover and chill the mixture for at least 15 minutes (up to overnight). Meanwhile, toss the sliced red onion with the sumac and a pinch of salt and set aside to soften.
4. Whisk the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, grated garlic and salt in a bowl. It will seize up and stiffen — keep whisking in cold water a tablespoon at a time until it's smooth and pourable, like heavy cream. Taste and add more lemon or salt as needed.
5. Divide the chilled meat into 8 equal portions. With wet hands, mold each around a flat metal skewer (or shape into a 5-inch log if grilling without skewers), pressing to a uniform 1-inch thickness and pinching the ends firmly to seal. Ridge the surface with your fingertips for extra char.
6. Heat a grill to medium-high, about 425-450°F, and scrub the grates clean, then oil them well. Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high for 5 minutes.
7. Grill the kofta undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes, until a deep crust forms and they release cleanly from the grates. Turn once and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, to an internal temperature of 160°F. Move to a plate and rest 5 minutes.
8. While the kofta rest, brush the flatbreads lightly with olive oil and warm them on the grill for 20 to 30 seconds per side, until pliable and lightly blistered.
9. Build each wrap: streak tahini-yogurt down the center of a flatbread, add lettuce, tomato slices, sumac onions and pickles, then slide 2 kofta off the skewer on top. Drizzle with more sauce, fold the bottom up, roll tightly, and wrap the lower half in foil or parchment to eat.
10. Serve immediately, with the remaining sauce on the side.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

One-Pot Chicken Creole

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem