Smashed Beef Kebab with Cucumber Yogurt (Printable)

Hand-shaped beef patties seared until crispy, served with cool cucumber yogurt sauce and warm flatbreads.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef Kebabs

01 - 1.1 lb ground beef (80% lean)
02 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
03 - 1 small onion, grated
04 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
05 - 1 tsp ground cumin
06 - 1 tsp ground coriander
07 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
08 - ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)
09 - 1 tsp salt
10 - ½ tsp black pepper
11 - 1 tbsp olive oil (for frying)

→ Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

12 - 7 oz Greek yogurt
13 - ½ cucumber, grated
14 - 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
15 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
16 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
17 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ To Serve

18 - Sliced red onion
19 - Warm flatbreads or rice (optional)
20 - Fresh herbs (parsley or cilantro)

# How to Prepare:

01 - In a large bowl, combine ground beef, minced garlic, grated onion, parsley, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined—do not overwork the meat.
02 - Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Shape each into a thick, oval patty. Gently flatten with your palm to approximately ¾ inch thickness for the classic smashed kebab form.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add kebabs and cook 4–5 minutes per side, until deeply browned and cooked through to an internal temperature of 160°F.
04 - While the kebabs cook, squeeze excess moisture from the grated cucumber. Combine with Greek yogurt, dill, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir well and chill until ready to serve.
05 - Arrange hot kebabs on a platter with generous dollops of cucumber yogurt sauce. Garnish with sliced red onion, fresh herbs, and serve alongside warm flatbreads or rice if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The smashed shape creates way more crispy surface area than regular kebabs, and that crust is where all the flavor lives.
  • The cucumber yogurt sauce comes together while the kebabs cook, so nothing sits around waiting.
  • It is naturally gluten free and uses pantry spices you probably already have.
02 -
  • Do not skip squeezing the cucumber dry, wet sauce ruins the whole experience and I learned this the soggy way.
  • Let the skillet get fully hot before adding the kebabs, a cold pan means boiled meat instead of seared.
03 -
  • Wet your hands slightly before shaping the kebabs and the meat will not stick to your palms at all.
  • Let the shaped patties rest in the fridge for ten minutes before cooking and they hold their shape much better in the pan.

Go Back