Spiced Beef Kofta with Tzatziki and Pita

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-27 · Updated 2026-04-27

Tender ground beef kofta seasoned with warm spices, grilled to perfection, and served with cool cucumber tzatziki and warm pita bread. This middle eastern-inspired father’s day ready in about 40 minutes pairs ground beef, onion, garlic cloves for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 520 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small finely grated onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/2 peeled and grated cucumber
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 minced for tzatziki garlic clove
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 4 pieces pita breads
• 1/4 tsp for tzatziki salt

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a large bowl, combine 1 lb ground beef, 1 small finely grated onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Mix gently with hands until just combined.
2. Step 2: Shape the beef mixture into 8 evenly sized oval koftas, about 3 inches long and 1 inch thick. Place on a plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up.
3. Step 3: Meanwhile, prepare tzatziki by squeezing excess liquid from 1/2 peeled and grated cucumber. In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, 1 cup Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir until creamy and refrigerate.
4. Step 4: Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (about 400°F). Grill koftas for 4-5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through to an internal temperature of 160°F.
5. Step 5: Warm 4 pita breads wrapped in foil on the grill for 2 minutes. Serve koftas inside pitas with a generous spoonful of tzatziki for a delicious Mediterranean meal.