When I was a kid, before deciding I’d never eat meat again, we used to have kofta all the time. So, this vegan kofta with tzatziki is a meal after my own heart. It is so easy and so good, you’ll want it all the time. I used vegan beef and spices to mimic the classic flavors of kofta. Baked the skewers first, then put them on the grill. Not only is this vegan kofta delicious for all year, this is a great summer recipe since it is grilling season. I baked them first since they are not quite as firm as real ground beef would be. Then, once they are firm, you can throw them on the grill with some veggies if you want.
What You Need For This Plant-Based Kofta:
- Vegan Beef: I used Beyond Beef.
- Red Onion and Garlic: These are grated for maximum flavor distribution.
- Salt, Pepper, Cumin, Oregano, Cinnamon, Dill and Mint: These create the perfect flavor for our vegan kofta.
- Vegan Greek Style Yogurt: For the base of our tzatziki sauce! I like to use Kite Hill Greek Style Plain Yogurt.
- Cucumber: I grate this as well into the yogurt. I like the consistency better than just sliced cucumbers.
- Lemon Juice and Zest: For a nice tang in the sauce.
- Za’atar Seasoning: I add this to the sauce too, but it is optional. However, I absolutely love it!
This kofta is best served with some warmed flatbread, lettuce, tomatoes if you like, maybe some hummus and this amazing tzatziki. This recipe comes together in no time and can feed a lot. You can double up on the recipe very easily too, if you are grilling for a crowd. You don’t have to have a grill to make these, you can use a grill pan if you want, or just serve after baking. They won’t have as much color on them if you don’t grill them, but they are still amazing.
Why Should You Make These Amazing Skewers?
- Super easy!
- They are seriously incredible.
- The tzatziki, my gosh the tzatziki!
- They are cook really fast.
- Anything that can be served with warm flatbread is perfection in my book.
Vegan Kofta with Tzatziki
Ingredients
Kofta
- 16 Ounces Vegan ground beef, I used Beyond Beef
- 1/2 a Red onion, grated
- 4 Cloves Garlic, grated
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh dill, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh mint, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
- 6 Wooden skewers, soaked*
Tzatziki Sauce
- 1 Cup Vegan Greek style yogurt, I used Kite Hill
- 1 Cup Grated cucumber
- 1 Tablespoons Fresh dill
- 1 Tablespoons Fresh Mint
- 2 Cloves Garlic, grated
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Za'atar seasoning(optional)
For Serving
- Flatbread
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Hummus
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees(F).
- In a large mixing bowl, add the vegan ground beef, grated onion and garlic, the fresh herbs and all the spices. Mix everything together, so it is completely combined. I start with a spoon and then use my hands.
- Divide the kofta mixture into 6 equal portions. Take one portion and wrap it around one of the skewers that you soaked. Pressing around evenly so that is a cylinder up the skewer. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Repeat with the remaining kofta mixture, placing all the skewers on the sheet pan.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are nice and firm.
- While the kofta bakes, make the tzatziki. Add all the tzatziki ingredients to a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set in the fridge until ready to use.
- Once the kofta has baked, remove from the oven and grill either on a grill pan or a grill for 1-2 minutes on each side, just to brown up. Or you can serve them as is, if you don't have a grill or grill pan.
- Serve immediately with the tzatziki sauce, flatbread and veggies if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
We made the kofta last minute to go on pita with Trader Joe’s vegan tzatziki. It is sooo good!!! We had Sweet Earth ground, didn’t have mint, and skipped the cinnamon. But it was delicious!! Super easy to make and cooked so fast. We will definitely be making this again.
The cinnamon adds so much depth to this recipe!
This was really good, yummy flavors, It was simple to make, if not a little messy (I’m prone to mess-making) and even though I chose not to bake it before grilling, it still came out. I used Impossible meat and it did totally want to fall apart, but I also think that had I refrigerated it for an hour or so before assembling it would have been more cooperative. Either way, this is pretty yummy and I’d totally make it again. Thank you for the recipe.
Can I assemble, bake them and then freeze at that point? Or at least refrigerate until use the next day?
Amazing! And so easy! Didn’t make the Tzatziki but I’m sure it’s delicious. Thank you!
Im still very new to vegan cooking.Fantastic recipe with amazing flavours,my only issue is i cannot buy beyond beef or anything similar, when using a prepared tvp i had isdues with getting it to bibd together so i wnded up with a taco style filling lol.still tasted Awsome! The Tzatziki was insane good!
What could i use to help bind it all together if using tvp?
Many thanks from Victoria Australia.
Made for dinner and it was a hit. Fight over left overs good! Thank you!
This was outstanding – so much flavor! I used Simple Truth meatless grind for the “meat”. I put 2 koftas on a naan bread, topped with sliced tomatoes and your tzatziki recipe (which was amazing!) Just delicious!
These were soooo good! I was amazed at how much they firmed up after baking.
How long would you say they would be good for in the fridge? I’d like to make them in my meal prep next time. And there WILL be a next time! I served with Trader Joe’s tzatziki cuz I had some to use up.
Thank you for so many great recipes! Loved this one like all the others… Thank you for making vegan life easy and delicious!!! You are a rock star!!!!
So good! We used Impossible Burger and made it to spec even with the za’atar. Was the best meal we’ve had in a long time. Didn’t have the energy to spark up the charcoal, but using the baked without the grill was still wonderful. I cant imagine how good it would be with some char! Thank you for this. Delicious.
I only made the kofta, and it was SOOO good. Very juicy and full of flavor. I accidentally added an entire red onion (200g), and I was concerned that it wouldn’t cook well because the mixture was very wet. I did have to add an extra 10 minutes to the cook time, but it firmed up nicely. I’ve been reheating them in my airfryer at 400F for 5 min on each side, and it makes them even more delicious because it browns the outside a little more than oven. .
NEXT LEVEL GOOD!! So easy to throw together and full of flavour. The tzatziki was a perfect addition to the kofta . Really incredible and delicious!!!
This was amazing! My omni friends couldn’t believe how good this was. This recipe will be a go-to when I have people over.
This was super easy to make and was SO good! Huge hit with the family and will be making it again.
So good. Boyfriend had two servings and he never goes for seconds.
These were so juicy and tender. We used beyond meat and couldn’t tell it wasn’t meat. Amazing! The flavors were so good! Thank you for the recipe!!
Made this last weekend and it was super yummy and super easy. It was our first time using beyond mince too. Will be making this again for sure. Thanks
So good! This is the second time I have made it. My non-vegan husband really liked it. Everyone said the recipe was amazing, I made it as instructed but used impossible meat because that is what I had. Also made the sauce and served it with hummus and a cucumber tomato salad (Israeli salad). Soooo good! I always love your recipes!
Lovely recipe 😀 Thank you so much for sharing!
This is one of the best recipes of yours I’ve tried. I follow it to the letter, make a double batch when I can and freeze. Grilling it is magical. It was my birthday dinner and I’ve made it probably 10 times. Thank you for being my recipe guru!
This recipe cooks up to be absolutely delicious and a is a new go-to meal. I didn’t have za’atar or skewers (remote rural Alaska), and dill was the dried variety, so I formed flat patties, cooked on stovetop and served them w/vegan tzatziki sauce in gf pita, to rave reviews. Thanks for posting!
Love this recipe. I used a mix of different fresh herbs depending on what I have – dill, cilantro, mint, oregano etc. I found that putting them in the freezer for about 2 hours lets you cook all on the grill which gives a great flavor.