One–pan Lebanese Kafta – with ground beef, onions and potatoes in a rich tomato sauce. This traditional meal is delicious and very easy to make.
This One–pan Lebanese Kafta recipe is one of the very first few I learned to make, and cooked frequently when I lived abroad. It is a staple dish on every Lebanese menu, and the go–to meal for busy families who want something delicious and nutritious yet simple and easy to make.
Kafta comes in different shapes and forms; however, this recipe is probably the most popular amongst all. Beef patties stacked with fried potatoes, onions and tomatoes, all cooked in a delicious tomato sauce.
Made with simple every pantry ingredients and literary taking very little time to prepare, it is very convenient to cook ahead of time and keep in the fridge for up to three days and heat in portions at a time—making it even more delicious.
This kafta recipe is homemade Lebanese comfort food at its best!
Ingredients
For the kafta, you need Russet potatoes, onions, tomatoes, ground lean beef, salt, seven spice and parsley.
To prepare the sauce you need tomato sauce, concentrated tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, salt, pepper and cumin.
I use Thrive Market Organic strained tomato sauce. It has great flavor and comes in a glass jar.
How To Make One–pan Lebanese Kafta
Step 1:
Preparing the vegetables: Peel the potatoes and cut them roughly into 1/2–inch slices. Heat up some vegetable oil in a frying pan and deep–fry them until golden brown. Alternatively, you can use an air–fryer to do so. While the potatoes are frying, peel and slice the tomatoes and onions. Work on your beef patties.
Step 2:
Preparing the Kafta: In a food processor, pulse the onion and parsley until fine. Place them in a large bowl, and add the meat, salt and spices. With your hand, work them all together until they have mixed well.
Form the kafta into 1/2–inch thick patties, slightly wider than the vegetable slices. Then, Arrange them in the pan. Stack each patty with a slice of potato, onion and finish with the tomato.
Step 3:
Preparing the sauce: In a small bowl mix the tomatoes sauce, tomato paste, molasses, salt, pepper and cumin. Add the sauce to the kafta pan and bring it to a boil on your stove top. Then, cover the pan and let kafta simmer on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until the meat is cooked and the vegetables are tender.
Serve warm with vermicelli rice or green salad on the side.
Making This Recipe Keto–Friendly
You can make this recipe keto–friendly by removing the potato slices and molasses from it. Also, make the vegetable slices less and thinner to avoid extra carbs. In addition, you can use less tomato sauce and add a bit of water instead. This will not affect the flavor much because you will be enhancing it with the extra ghee you use. You can also enjoy a piece of fathead bread to dip in the sauce alongside this great tasting dish.
Try my other kafta variations:
Kebab and Potato Stew
Beef Meatballs with Herbs and Spices
One-pan Lebanese Kafta
One–pan Lebanese Kafta - with ground beef, onions and potatoes in a rich tomato sauce. This traditional meal is delicious and very easy to make.
Ingredients
For the Kafta
- 2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 2 large tomatoes, sliced
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef, 85% lean
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons spices (seven spices)
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 onion, chopped
For the Sauce
- 2 cups (470 ml) tomato sauce, strained
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon molasses (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them roughly into 1/2–inch slices. Heat up some vegetable oil in a frying pan and deep–fry them until golden brown. Alternatively, you can use an air–fryer. While the potatoes are frying, peel and slice the tomatoes and onions. Work on your beef patties.
- In a food processor, pulse the onion and parsley until fine. In a large bowl, add the meat, the parsley and onion mixture, the salt and spices. With your hand, work them all together until they have mixed well.
- Form the beef into 1/2–inch patties and arrange them in a pan. Stack each patty with a slice of cooked potato, fresh onion and tomato.
- In a small bowl mix together strained tomato sauce, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, salt, pepper and cumin. Add the sauce to the pan and bring it to a boil on your stove top. Then, cover the pan and let the kafta simmer on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until the meat is cooked and the vegetables are tender.
- Garnish with a sprig of thyme or chopped parsley and serve hot.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 184Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 1043mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 5gSugar: 11gProtein: 8g
It sounds delicious. How much of the onion goes into the meat mixture? Is some of it saved for stacking or do you use 1 for the meat and another for slices? Thanks!