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This Sheet Pan Kofta Meatballs Recipe features tender, spiced meatballs with roasted veggies, chickpeas, a green tahini sauce, and turmeric rice. Packed with flavor, it’s ready to eat in about 30 minutes and tastes even better than takeout!
Versatile and kid-friendly, this recipe is gluten-free, nut-free, and a great addition to your meal prep lunches lineup!
What is a Kofta Meatball?
If you’re unfamiliar, kofta is a Middle Eastern dish that is made with ground meat (usually lamb or beef), warm spices, and onion. The mixture is then shaped into meatballs or formed into skewers and grilled, baked, or fried.
If you know me, you know I’m all about a good sheet pan recipe with options like sheet pan chicken fajitas, sheet pan honey mustard chicken and veggies, and sheet pan kielbasa sausage. So, when I found out I could make sheet pan kofta meatballs, I jumped at the chance!
Paired with vibrant turmeric rice and a zesty green tahini sauce, it’s a takeout-worthy meal you can feel good about. Plus, it’s ready in a lot less time than it takes to order out! Prepare a large batch to enjoy for dinner, and save extras for later.
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
*Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient list!
For the Sheet Pan
- Veggies: Bell peppers, tomatoes, red onion, and white or yellow onion add nutrients, color, and a sweet, pungent flavor.
- Chickpeas: I like to keep it simple with a can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed. If you prefer to cook your chickpeas, feel free to do that! You will need 15 ounces.
- Salt and Pepper: Adjust to taste, but don’t skip them. Otherwise, your veggies will be bland!
For the Kofta Meatballs
- Ground Lamb: I like to use ground lamb for a more authentic recipe, but lean ground beef will also work. I recommend using at least 80% or leaner.
- Aromatics: White or yellow onion and garlic add a sweet, savory flavor.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley adds a bright, peppery taste.
- Feta: For the best taste and texture buy a block of feta, and crumble it yourself. Goat cheese also tastes great! I don’t recommend omitting the feta completely, or your meatballs are likely to fall apart.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, and paprika add a warm, savory flavor with a hint of sweetness.
Green Tahini Dressing
- Tahini: If you’re unfamiliar, this is a thick paste made from ground sesame seeds and forms the base of the dressing, creating a slightly bitter, nutty taste.
- Lemon Juice: The acidity cuts through some of the heaviness of the fats for a bright, well-rounded flavor. Freshly squeezed is best!
- Olive Oil: This combines the ingredients, creating a smooth dressing. Start with a little bit, and add more as needed to achieve your desired consistency.
- Honey: Adds natural sweetness. Feel free to substitute maple syrup, if preferred.
- Parsley: This is what creates the bright green color, adding a pop of bright, slightly peppery flavor.
- Salt and Pepper: Adjust to taste.
Turmeric Rice
- See the full recipe post!
Where I Buy My Meat
- 100% Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished Beef
- Free-Range Organic Chicken
- Humanely Raised Pork
- Wild-Caught Seafood
Delivered to your door! The latest ButcherBox deal can be found right here!
How to Make Baked Kofta Meatballs and Veggies
Before you begin, preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Combine: Spread the sliced peppers, onions, tomatoes, and chickpeas on a large sheet pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.
- Mix: Add the lamb, onion, garlic, parsley, feta, and spices to a large bowl. Mix well to combine.
- Shape: Use your hands to portion the meat mixture into 8 oval balls, and arrange them evenly across the sheet pan. Make sure each meatball touches the bottom of the pan!
- Bake: Transfer the ingredients to the oven, and bake until the meat is cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 145°F.
Prepare the Dressing
- Combine: While the kofta meatballs bake, add all the dressing ingredients to a small blender or jar (if using an immersion blender).
- Blend: Pulse until smooth, adding more olive oil as needed.
- Season: Add more salt and pepper to taste. Then, plate the kofta meatballs and veggies with turmeric rice, and drizzle the dressing on top before serving.
FAQs
Make sure to mince the ingredients finely, combine the meat mixture well, and keep it cold!
Store leftover meatballs separately from the rice and sauce. They will keep fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or, you can freeze them for up to 3 months!
Thaw in the fridge overnight, and reheat in the microwave or in a skillet over medium heat.
As mentioned, I love to serve this recipe with turmeric rice, green tahini sauce, and extra cucumbers, cilantro, and feta. However, you can also use the meatballs in salads, in grain bowls with cooked quinoa or couscous, or add them to pita bread pockets.
Serve With:
- Turmeric Rice
- Hummus
- Cucumbers
- Feta
- Cilantro
More Sheet Pan Recipes To Try
- Sheet Pan Curry Chicken and Vegetables
- Sheet Pan Salmon with Sage Pesto and Root Vegetables
- Sheet Pan Marinated Steak Tips with Veggies
- Sheet Pan Chorizo and Egg Bake
Watch The Video:
Sheet Pan Beef Kofta with Veggies and Tahini
Ingredients
Sheet Pan
- 3 medium bell peppers chopped
- 1 red onion chopped
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 tomatoes chopped, or use grape tomatoes
- 1 can chickpeas rinse and drained
- Salt and pepper for veggies
Kofta
- 1 lb ground lamb or ground beef
- 1/2 yellow or white onion grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Green Tahini Dressing
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup olive oil plus more as needed — start with 1/4 of a cup and add more as needed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup lightly packed parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste (another tsp)
- 1/2 teaspoons pepper plus more to taste
(Optional) For Serving:
- Turmeric Rice
- Chopped cucumbers
- Hummus
- Cilantro
- Feta
Instructions
Sheet Pan Kofta Meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 425 and line sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Spread peppers, onions, tomatoes, and chickpeas on large sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.3 medium bell peppers, 3 tomatoes, 1 red onion, 1 yellow onion, 1 can chickpeas, Salt and pepper
- Add lamb, onion, garlic, parsley, feta, and spices to large bowl and mix well to combine.1 lb ground lamb or ground beef, 1/2 yellow or white onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp fresh parsley, 1/2 cup crumbled feta, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon paprika
- Using your hands, shape meat mixture into 8 ovalular balls and spread across the sheet pan, ensuring each ball can touch the bottom of the pan (will have to push veggies around!).
- Bake for 20 minutes until meat is cooked through and enjoy.
(OPTIONAL but recommended) Green Tahini Sauce:
- Add all ingredients to a small blender or a jar if using an immersion blender.2 tablespoons tahini, Juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup lightly packed parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoons pepper
- Blend until smooth. For a thinner dressing, add more olive oil a tablespoon at a time.
- Add more salt and pepper to taste.
