Middle Eastern Meatball Stew is the dish my kids' grandmother in Egypt made for me on repeat! And I have been making it ever since! Spiced ground beef kofta browned until deeply caramelized, simmered in a rich beef broth and tomato sauce. Everything is cooked until tender, and the broth reduces into something deeply savory and completely comforting.
This is also one of my favorite meal prep recipes. Brown the kofta, let them cool, and freeze them before they are fully cooked. This ensures they stay perfectly juicy when you finish them in the broth later. Future you on a tired Tuesday will be very grateful haha.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Egyptian grandmother approved. This recipe comes directly from my kids' grandmother in Egypt and the spice blend is the real thing.
Freezer-friendly from the start. Brown the kofta, cool, and freeze before fully cooking so they stay juicy when finished from frozen.
Bold Flavors: The Middle Eastern spices—like cumin, coriander, and garlic—give this dish its signature warm, comforting flavor.
Simple Ingredients: With pantry staples like tomato paste, garlic powder, and ground beef. You can whip up this flavorful stew without needing anything fancy.
Middle Eastern Meatball Stew (Kofta) Video
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This is part of my Future Me video series, where I make a dish for today and freeze the rest for my future self! Check out the other episode: Ricotta Meatballs, Crispy Homemade Falafel, Homemade Freezer Pizza and Savory Sheet Pan Pancakes!
Ingredient Notes
85/15 Ground Beef: 85/15 ground beef has enough fat to keep the kofta juicy. Leaner beef will give you drier kofta that can turn tough during the 10-minute simmer at the end. The fat is what keeps them tender all the way through.
The Herb and Onion Base: Finely chopped, then mixed directly into the ground beef with the seasonings. This technique distributes the herbs and aromatics evenly through every single kofta so every bite is flavored all the way through rather than just on the surface. The same approach I use in my Crispy Homemade Falafel.
Tomato Paste and Tomato Sauce: The tomato paste adds depth and a concentrated richness. The tomato sauce adds body and a gentle acidity that rounds out the broth and gives it a beautiful deep red color. Together they create a broth that tastes far more complex than a simple beef and broth situation. The same technique I use in my Stuffed Pepper Bowl and my Stuffed Cabbage Bowl, and it makes a real difference every time.
Beef Broth and Beef Bouillon: The broth simmers with the potatoes for 20 minutes uncovered which concentrates it slightly and creates a sauce that is rich and deeply flavored by the time the kofta go back in.
Yukon Gold Potatoes: Yukon Golds absorb the spiced beef broth beautifully and stay creamy rather than falling apart. Even-sized pieces are important here. Unevenly cut potatoes mean some are overcooked before others are done.
The Bay Leaf and Cumin in the Broth: One bay leaf and half a teaspoon of cumin are added to the broth along with the beef bouillon and garlic powder. The bay leaf adds a subtle herby depth. The cumin in the broth ties the sauce back to the spice blend in the kofta and makes the whole dish taste cohesive.
Substitutions and Variations
No ground beef? A combination of ground beef and ground lamb is the more traditional Egyptian kofta blend and gives you a deeper, slightly gamier flavor. Use half and half in the same total quantity.
No fresh cilantro? Flat-leaf parsley only works beautifully in the same total quantity. The herb flavor will be slightly different but still very much at home in a Middle Eastern kofta.
Want to add more vegetables? Carrots or zucchini cut into similar sized pieces as the potatoes work well in this stew and are very much at home in the Egyptian flavor profile. Add them with the potatoes so everything cooks in the same time.
Want more heat? Add a pinch of Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes to the kofta mixture or to the broth. The warmth works beautifully against the richness of the beef and the depth of the tomato paste.
FAQ
Brown the kofta for 2 to 3 minutes per side then remove from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Freeze in a single layer on a parchment lined sheet pan for 2 hours then transfer to a zip lock freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, make the sauce and add the frozen kofta directly from the freezer in step 7 alongside the potatoes and add 5 extra minutes to the final simmer.
Either the mixture was overworked making it too loose, or the pan was not hot enough before they went in. Make sure the olive oil is shimmering before the kofta go in and do not move them for the full 2 to 3 minutes per side. They will release naturally from the pan when the crust has formed.
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⭐️ Recipe
Middle Eastern Meatballs (Kofta)
Ingredients
Kofta
- 1 lb 85/15 ground beef
- ½ white onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1.5 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil for browning
Stew
- ½ white onion chopped
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 1 garlic cloves minced
- 4 cups beef broth
- ½ tablespoon beef bouillon
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 bay leaf
- salt to taste
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and diced into even chunks
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
If freezing the Kofta for meal prep / future you 🙂
- Double the kofta recipe and see further instructions below. The stew can be frozen as well, but I find the potato texture may be slightly off when defrosted.
Make the herb and onion base
- Add the half white onion, garlic cloves, fresh parsley, and fresh cilantro to a food processor. Pulse until everything is finely chopped and combined. Do not over-process into a paste. You want a finely chopped mixture not a puree.½ white onion, 2 garlic cloves, ⅓ cup fresh parsley, ⅓ cup fresh cilantro
Make and shape the kofta
- Add the ground beef to a large bowl. Add the herb and onion mixture, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. Mix with your hands just until combined. Stop the moment everything is evenly distributed. Do not overwork.1 lb 85/15 ground beef, 2 tsp cumin, 1.5 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp cinnamon
- Divide the mixture into equal portions and roll each into an oval or elongated kofta shape, pressing firmly to hold it together. You should get about 16 kofta, depending on size.
Brown the kofta
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the kofta in a single layer without overcrowding and brown for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deeply caramelized on the outside. They do not need to be fully cooked. Work in batches if needed. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for browning
- Meal prep note: If you are making these for the freezer, let the browned kofta cool completely on a wire rack (the kofta doesn't need to be fully cooked and it's better that it's not so it maintains it's juiciness when you cook it from frozen). Once fully cool, freeze in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan for 2 hours, then transfer to a zip-lock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Build the sauce
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped half onion to the same pan with all the kofta drippings. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes stirring occasionally until softened and translucent. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes stirring constantly until the paste darkens to a deep brick red and smells sweet and rich.½ white onion, 3 tbsp tomato paste
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds stirring constantly so it does not burn.1 garlic cloves
Add sauce, broth and potatoes
- Pour in the tomato sauce. (If following the recipe video, it doesn't show this because it didn't record lol)½ cup tomato sauce
- Then pour in the beef broth and add the beef bouillon, cumin, garlic powder, and bay leaf. Stir to combine and scrape up any caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the diced Yukon Gold potatoes and stir to submerge in the broth.4 cups beef broth, ½ tbsp beef bouillon, ½ tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 bay leaf, 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
- Bring to a gentle boil then reduce to medium heat. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Do not cover the pot. The uncovered simmer is what concentrates the broth into a rich flavorful sauce.
Finish with kofta
- Add the browned kofta back into the pot, nestling them among the potatoes. Cook for another 10 minutes on medium heat until the potatoes are completely fork-tender, and the kofta are cooked through to 160F. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste for salt and adjust as needed.
Serve
- Ladle the stew generously over bowls of Lebanese vermicelli rice. Top with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately. Spoon the broth generously over everything. That sauce is too good to leave in the pot.Fresh parsley for garnish
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!