Crispy Lebanese Beef Kofta Tacos

Ingredients

• 1.1 lb Ground beef (500-700 g)
• 1 Yellow onion (finely chopped)
• Fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp Garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp Paprika
• 0.5 tsp Salt
• 0.5 tsp Black pepper
• 7 spices (or allspice) (to taste)
• 8 Mini Lebanese bread (or mini taco tortillas)
• Oil (for frying)
• 1 Cucumber (chopped)
• Fresh parsley (salad) (chopped)
• 1 Red onion (sliced)
• 1 tsp Sumac
• 0.5 tsp Salt and black pepper (salad)
• Shredded mozzarella cheese (for topping)
• Harissa or sriracha (to taste)
• 0.5 cup Mayonnaise
• 0.25 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp Garlic powder
• 0.5 Lemon juice (the juice of half a lemon)
• 0.5 tsp Salt (sauce)
• Dried parsley
• 2.5 Garlic cloves (2-3 cloves, finely grated or crushed)
• 1.5 tbsp Water (1-2 tablespoons to thin out the texture)

Steps

1. 1

   Finely chop or process the yellow onion, fresh parsley, and garlic until well combined.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, mix the ground beef with the onion-parsley mixture, paprika, salt, pepper, and 7 spices (or allspice) until everything is evenly distributed.

3. 3

   Take a portion of the meat mixture and press it into a thin layer over one side of each mini Lebanese bread.

4. 4

   Heat a skillet with a little oil over medium-high heat.

5. 5

   Place the bread in the skillet with the meat side down. Press down lightly with a spatula.

6. 6

   Cook until the beef is well browned and slightly crispy.

7. 7

   Add a bit of shredded mozzarella cheese over the meat and fold the tacos in half.

8. 8

   For the sumac salad, mix the cucumber, parsley, sliced red onion, sumac, salt, and pepper in a bowl.

9. 9

   For the garlic sauce, combine the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, garlic powder, lemon juice, salt, dried parsley, and crushed garlic cloves. Gradually add water until you reach the desired consistency.

10. 10

    Slightly open the warm tacos and add the garlic sauce, the sumac salad, and tomato slices if desired.

11. 11

    Fold again and serve immediately while they are crispy.

Notes

You can use mini pita bread if you can't find Lebanese bread. The key is to press the meat very thin so it cooks quickly and the bread doesn't burn.

Nutrition per serving

• main dish
• quick dinner
• lebanese food
• tacos
• beef
• kofta
• easy