Shawarma Meatball Kabobs
Shawarma meatball kabobs are a delicious take on the popular spit-roasted meat and these juicy beef skewers can be cooked on the BBQ or in the oven. Wrapped in some flatbread with your favorite salad and sauces or on their own as a spiced protein side, these meatball kabobs are a must-try!
The whole spit roasting thing can be a bit of a faff when it comes to shawarma and I was looking for an easy 30 minute dinner option that doesn’t involve a lot of leftovers. These shawarma-spiced meatball skewers are quick to assemble and just need 10 minutes to cook in the oven or on the BBQ. Quick, easy, delicious!
Wrap them in my popular cottage cheese flatbread or yogurt flatbreads, add some green salad or slaw, and drizzle over your favorite sauces. I love my harissa yogurt sauce or a minty tzatziki to add some freshness.
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Shawarma Meatball Kabobs
Equipment
- 8 metal skewers or wooden ones soaked in water for 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 egg whisked
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 red onions diced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
Shawarma Spice Mix
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all of the shawarma spices mix ingredients.1/2 tsp sweet paprika, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/8 tsp ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp ground turmeric, 1/8 tsp ground cardamom, 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt
- Add the spices, gound beef, whisked egg, and breadcrumbs to a medium-sized bowl. Mix by hand or with a spoon to fully combine. Divide the mixture into 16 equally sized portions – just under golf-ball sized.1 lb ground beef, 1 egg, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- In a small bowl, add the diced red onions, 1 tbsp of olive oil and salt. Toss to combine. Thread the meatballs and onions onto the skewers, alternating between the two.2 red onions, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tbsp olive oil
Oven Cooked Meatball Kabobs
- Heat the oven to 400F (200C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place an oven rack on top of it. Grease it generously with the remaining olive oil to ensure the meatballs don't stick to the metal when cooked.
- Place the skewers on the rack and bake them for 8 minutes on each side, turning them in between. The inside temperature of the meatballs needs to reach 160°F (71°C).
BBQ Cooked Meatball Kabobs
- Preheat the BBQ to medium-high heat – indirect heat.
- Grill the meatball skewers for 6 minutes on each side, turning them half-way through. The inside temperature of the meatballs needs to reach 160°F (71°C).
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and substitutions
- Meat – Shawarma is traditionally made with lamb or mutton but ground beef is a milder choice. I made these kabobs with ground beef with 15% fat content to keep the meatballs nice and juicy.
- Shawarma spices – I use my small-batch shawarma spice mix, perfect for quick recipes like this.
- Breadcrumbs – I use regular white breadcrumbs but you can also opt for wholemeal or even panko breadcrumbs.
- Egg – A medium-sized egg helps bind the meat mixture. You can substitute it with some milk if needed.
Step-by-step: meatball kabobs
1. Toss the red onion pieces in some olive oil and salt so they roast up nicely.
2. I tend to mix the ingredients by hand to ensure they’re well combined.
3. Make sure you grease the rack so that the meatballs don’t stick to it.
My top 3 meatball kabob tips
- Meal prep: You can make the kabobs 2 days in advance and store them in the fridge in an airtight container until cooking. Make sure you remove them at least 30 minutes before cooking them so that the meat cooks evenly.
- Temp check: Ground beef is cooked through at 160°F (71°C). use a digital thermometer to check the temperature to ensure they’re not drying out are are raw inside.
- Add veg: I kept them simple and just used red onion as a classic shawarma combination but bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, or halloumi make delicious skewer additions too.