Food Recipes Beef Koftas with Toasted Couscous Be the first to rate & review! Fragrant and flavorful meaty skewers are charred on the grill in this quick dinner. By Nicole Hopper Published on May 13, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Greg DuPree Hands On Time: 30 mins Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 4 Jump to Nutrition Facts You need just 30 minutes to make this satisfying dinner. Koftas are spiced football-shaped meatballs found in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Here, grated onion, fresh herbs, and a fragrant shawarma spice blend infuse every bite of the ground meat. Shawarma blends often contain coriander, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, and turmeric, so you can easily make one at home in a pinch. A fresh couscous salad is a refreshing sidekick with juicy tomatoes and punchy scallions. Add tahini or seasoned yogurt for dipping! Ingredients 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for grill 1 ½ cups pearl couscous 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 ½ pounds 85% lean ground beef ¼ cup grated yellow onion 2 teaspoons shawarma spice blend (such as McCormick) ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh tender herbs (such as parsley and mint), divided ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 4 scallions, sliced Directions Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add couscous; cook, stirring often, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Fill saucepan with hot water; add 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until couscous is al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain couscous and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon oil to prevent sticking. Combine beef, onion, spice blend, 1/4 cup chopped herbs, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Using your hands, mix and knead mixture until smooth. Shape into 12 cylinders (about 2 ounces each); thread a skewer through center of each cylinder. Gently squeeze meat onto skewer to elongate slightly. Oil grates and preheat grill to high (450°F to 500°F). Grill koftas, uncovered, turning often, until browned and cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, scallions, and remaining 2 tablespoons chopped herbs, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper to couscous; stir to combine. Serve with kofta. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 656 Calories 28g Fat 54g Carbs 43g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 4 Calories 656 % Daily Value * Total Fat 28g 36% Cholesterol 111mg 37% Sodium 962mg 42% Total Carbohydrate 54g 20% Dietary Fiber 2g 7% Total Sugars 3g Protein 43g *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.