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A traditional Lebanese recipe, this Kafta Stew recipe is so easy to make! Made with simple ingredients found in any kitchen, this hearty stew is so rich, hearty, and delicious! Your whole family will love it! Not to mention it’s a one pot dish!
As a child I wasn’t fond of many Lebanese dishes. As I grew older, I loved every single one of them. But kafta was also so special from the beginning. There wasn’t anything about it that good. It was so flavorful and can be eaten with both rice and bread.
If you’d like to try more authentic and delicious Lebanese recipes like this kafta stew, here are a few that my family loves for me to make: Lebanese Spinach Pies, Vermicelli Rice, and my Baba Ghanouj. They’re super easy to make and are so delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Kafta Stew Recipe
- It’s filling. This beef and potato stew is so filling, and you don’t need to spend a lot of time making side dishes when serving this kafta stew. A bowl of this with a side of vermicelli rice will leave you so full!
- Made with healthy ingredients. This kafta is made with everyday ingredients you find in your kitchen.
- It can be made ahead of time. You can cook this dish ahead of time and simple warm it when ready to serve.
Kafta Ingredients
- Potatoes — use Russet or Yukon potatoes
- Onion — you’ll need onions for the stew and kafta patties
- Tomatoes
- Olive oil light tasting
- Ground beef — 90-96% lean ground beef preferred
- Parsley
- Salt and pepper
- Tomato sauce
- Dry mint
- Bell pepper or Jalapeño pepper for flavor (optional)
How to Cook Kafta Stew
- Prepare the stew ingredients: Peel the potatoes, wash and slice into round slices which ever shape you like. Rinse and set aside. Peel and slice the onion. Also slice the tomatoes. Set aside for the stew later.
- Make the kafta patties: To make the patties, combine chopped onion and parsley mix, along with the ground beef, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Form the patties into oval shapes and set on sheet pan without overlapping.
- Fry the patties: In a “deep” large skillet, bring 2 tbsps. of olive oil to medium-high heat. Fry the patties on each side until a golden brown crust start forming. It does not have to be fully cooked. Work in batches if needed and return the patties back into the pan when done.
- Make the stew: Start assembling the kafta stew by adding in the sliced potatoes, onions,bell pepper and tomatoes to the pot.
- Make the sauce: In a bowl, add in the kafta sauce ingredients. Whisk to mix well and pour over the kafta stew. You can also just dump all the ingredients in the dish at once. No way to go wrong here.
- Bring the stew to boil and then reduce the heat to medium low to allow the stew to cook. Cook for about 45 minutes, or 10 minutes more if you like your potatoes to be extra soft.
- Cool and serve: Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve with a side of vermicelli rice and garnish with some freshly chopped parsley and toasted almonds.
Frequently Asked Questions
When stored properly, your beef kafta and potato stew can last for 4 to 5 days. Be sure to use an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. To reheat your kafta, you can warm it up on the stovetop or microwave if you’re in a rush.
I like using 85 to 95 % lean ground beef. A little extra fat is ok as it helps flavor the meatballs.
You can also make this kafta in the oven if you’d like. The ingredients are the same but instead of simmering it on the stovetop, you bake it! Add to an oven safe dish your kafta, the stew ingredients (but pre-cook your potatoes, life frying), and then the sauce ingredients. Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes.
I do not recommend freezing this recipe because the texture of the potatoes changes completely.
More Lebanese Recipes You’ll Love
- Maghmour (Lebanese Moussaka)
- Lebanese Tabbouleh Salad Recipe
- Lebanese Fattoush Salad
- Lebanese Rice Pudding
If you try this recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave a star rating in the comment section below. Also follow me at Cookin’ With Mima on Facebook |Instagram |Pinterest for all of my latest social posts and recipes.
Easy Lebanese Kafta Stew
Equipment
- Deep Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 large potatoes, or 3 mediums
- 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
- 2 large vine tomatoes
- ¼ bell pepper, any color
- 2 tbsps. olive oil, light tasting
- toasted almond, for topping, optional
Kafta Patties
- 2 lbs. ground beef, 85-90% lean
- 1 small onion, cubed
- 1 cup parsley, washed, lightly packed
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. salt
Sauce
- 1 14 oz. tomato sauce, See notes for substitution
- 2 full tablespoons tomato paste, normal spoon
- 3-4 cups hot water, or more to almost cover all ingredients
- 1 tsp dry mint
- ¾ tsp. black, or more to taste
- ¾-1 tsp. salt , more or less to taste
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes, wash and slice into round slices. Rinse and set aside.
- Peel and slice the onion. Also slice the tomatoes. Set aside for the stew later.
- To make the patties, add 1 small cubed onion into the food processor. Pulse for a few times until the onion is finely chopped. Then add in the parsley and pulse to chop until finely chopped.
- In a bowl, add in the chopped onion and parsley mix, along with the ground beef, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Form the patties into oval shapes as shown in the blog post and set on sheet pan without overlapping.
- In a "deep" large skillet, bring 2 tbsps. of olive oil to medium-high heat. Fry the patties on each side until a golden brown crust start forming. It does not have to be fully cooked. Work in batches if needed and return the patties back into the pan when done.
- Once the patties have cooked, start assembling the kafta stew. Add in the sliced potatoes, onions,bell pepper and tomatoes.
- In a bowl, add in the kafta sauce ingredients. Whisk to mix well and pour over the kafta stew. Bring the stew to boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low to allow the stew to cook. Cook for about 45 minutes, or 10 minutes more if you like your potatoes to be extra soft.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve with a side of vermicelli rice and garnish with some freshly chopped parsley and toasted almonds.
Notes
- Add in some sliced jalapeno peppers to amp up the flavor.
- You can also use some kafta spices for the patties if you like but I do not use any.
- Toasted or fried almonds are not required but they taste so good with the dish!
- Store leftover in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
