Chicken Kofta with Yogurt Sauce
This chicken kofta dish combines juicy ground chicken blended with warm, earthy spices, pine nuts, and fresh herbs, all finished with a creamy, tangy garlic yogurt sauce. A quick and deeply flavorful Middle Eastern meal, perfect for weeknights.
Equipment
- 1 Mixing bowl large
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 lbs Ground Chicken
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¾ cups Pine Nuts toasted
- 1 Small Yellow Onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon Cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cloves
- ½ teaspoon Sumac
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ¾ teaspoon Cumin
- ¼ cup Parsley minced
Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup Plain Yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Lemon juiced
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Parsley minced
To Serve
- Pitas
- Red Onion thinly sliced
- Tomato cut into wedges
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat your grill or oven to 400°F.
- Chop the yellow onion and garlic finely. Toast pine nuts until golden in a dry skillet.
- In a large bowl, mix ground chicken, salt, onion, garlic, spices, pine nuts, and parsley until well blended.
- Wet hands and shape the mixture into kofta logs or meatballs.
- Place on a lined baking sheet or grill and cook for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway, until cooked through.
- In a bowl, mix yogurt, olive oil, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, salt, and parsley to create the yogurt sauce.
- Refrigerate the sauce until ready to serve for best flavor.
- Serve cooked koftas hot with yogurt sauce.
- Garnish with sliced red onion, tomato wedges, and warm pitas.
- Optional: Finish kofta in a hot pan with oil for added crust before serving.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently with splash of water for best results.