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    Home » Persian Recipes

    Kabab Tabei - Persian Pan Kebab

    Published: Jan 31, 2019 · Modified: Jun 19, 2020 by Shadi HasanzadeNemati · This post may contain affiliate links .

    2511 shares
    • 528
    Jump to Recipe

    Kabab Tabei is a delicious dish that you can make if you like to have kebabs but you don't want to use a grill or you don't have one. It's simple and can be ready in an hour with a handful of ingredients!

    There are so many delicious Persian recipes that you can make with the ingredients you have at hand. Some of the common Persian recipes are Joojeh Kabab (Persian Saffron Chicken Kebab), Zereshk Polo Morgh - Persian Barberry rice with Chicken, and Persian Split Chickpea Stew - Khoreshte Gheimeh.Kabab Tabei is a delicious dish that you can make if you like to have kebabs but you don't want to use a grill or you don't have one. It's simple and can be ready in an hour with a handful of ingredients!

    That's what I love about Persian food: homey, simple, delicious and full of love!

    THE COMPLETE PERSIAN FOOD BUNDLE INCLUDES…

     Persian and kebab are two concepts that cannot be separated. Weekends and holidays come with families gathering together and make kebabs, usually on the grill. As many people don't have a grill at home or just don't want to use it, we also have this version of Kebab that is called Kabab Tabei which mean "pan kebab". It's cooked in a pan and served with white and saffron Persian style rice as all kebabs are served. I personally like Mehr Saffron the best in the US. The flavor, aroma and color is just on point and how I like saffron to be.Kabab Tabei is a delicious dish that you can make if you like to have kebabs but you don't want to use a grill or you don't have one. It's simple and can be ready in an hour with a handful of ingredients!

    Kabab Tabei is very simple to make if you know a couple of notes and techniques:

    • Meat: Traditionally my maman makes kabab tabei with a mixture of ground beef and lamb, I have made mine with only ground beef and the results are almost identical. It's very important that the ground beef be as lean as possible and contains very little fat.
    • Onion: Must be grated and then squeezed very hard so all the excess juice (which we don't need) is out
    • Mixing: All the ingredients should be mixed perfectly together and kneaded well. My maman always takes the mixture out of the bowl with her hand and drops it back in the bowl forty times. Works perfect every time!

    That's it! If you pay attention to these three key notes, there is no way you can't make this delicious kabab tabei!

    Kabab Tabei is a delicious dish that you can make if you like to have kebabs but you don't want to use a grill or you don't have one. It's simple and can be ready in an hour with a handful of ingredients!

    I love Persian food because it's very nutritious, always made with fresh and seasonal ingredients and is also simple to make. It tastes like heaven and takes me back to my maman's kitchen back in Tehran where my most beautiful memories were born.

    How to make Kabab Tabe i

    Grate the onion, squeeze it and discard the excess water. Add in turmeric, salt and black pepper. Mix and knead very well until everything is well combined.

    Pour a little olive oil in a large pan and spread the beef mixture at the bottom of the pan using a spatula or simply the tip of your fingers. Divide the beef mixture into kebab pieces 2 inch wide using a spatula.

    Place the pan over medium heat and cover the pan with a lid. Once the beef mixture starts releasing its juice, uncover and let the juice evaporate. Using a spatula, flip the kebabs and let the other side cook as well until it's brown. Fry tomatoes in another pan and serve Kabab tabe i and fried tomatoes with some rice.

    Well I've also got some news for you! We will be visiting Turkey soon, and my maman and baba will hopefully be there too! That means I'm going to meet my parents  soon! I'm so excited and happy because I have some plans for the blog once I see my maman and baba! Stay tuned because you are about to see some good homemade Persian food! And well, maybe some Turkish food, too!

    More ground beef recipes:

    • Quick Korean Beef and Rice Recipe
    • Korean Beef Bowls

    Tools and ingredients to make Kabab Tabei

    • turmeric
    • Black Pepper
    • Pan

    Kabab Tabei is a delicious dish that you can make if you like to have kebabs but you don't want to use a grill or you don't have one. It's simple and can be ready in an hour with a handful of ingredients!

    Kabab Tabei is a delicious dish that you can make if you like to have kebabs but you don't want to use a grill or you don't have one. It's simple and can be ready in an hour with a handful of ingredients!

    Kabab Tabei - Persian Pan Kebab

    Shadi HasanzadeNemati
    Kabab Tabei is a delicious dish that you can make if you like to have kebabs but you don't want to use a grill or you don't have one. It's simple and can be ready in an hour with a handful of ingredients!
    4.97 from 29 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Persian
    Servings 4
    Calories 180 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 lb ground beef 93% lean is the best
    • 1 medium onion
    • 1 teaspoon turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 2 to matoes cut into quarters

    Instructions
     

    • Grate the onion and squeeze fully so the juice is all out. Discard the juice.
    • Put ground beef in a bowl, add grated onion and spiced to it. Mix and knead very well.*
    • Coat the bottom of a pan using one tablespoon olive oil.
    • Spread the beef mixture in the pan using a spatula or just your hands.
    • Using a spatula, divide the mixture into strips.
    • Place the pan on medium heat and cover with a lid.
    • When it starts to release its juice, uncover and let the juice evaporate.
    • Flip the kebabs using a spatula and let the other side brown, too.
    • In a small pan, heat some olive oil and fry the tomatoes.
    • Serve with white and saffron rice.

    Video

    Notes

    To make the mixture perfect, my maman takes the mixture out with her hand and drops it back into the bowl forty times.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 180kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 25gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 661mgPotassium: 592mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 512IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 3mg
    Did you make this recipe? Let us know how it was by leaving a comment and a 5-star review!

    This post might contain affiliate links.

     

    Kabab Tabei is a delicious dish that you can make if you like to have kebabs but you don't want to use a grill or you don't have one. It's simple and can be ready in an hour with a handful of ingredients!

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    2511 shares
    • 528

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Benjamin F Keil

      August 17, 2020 at 9:34 am

      5 stars
      This was truly delicious. I also used ground turkey, and I pureed the onion because I'm too lazy to grate it. I plated the kebab with some quinoa and cherries, and I think it was one of the best meals I've ever served!

      Reply
    2. Rani

      June 21, 2020 at 12:41 pm

      5 stars
      I made this today with ground turkey and it is excellent!! I questioned whether something with so few ingredients could be *so* tasty and it really is very delicious. This will be my go-to kebab recipe going forward (I don't know if I'm using the term "kebab" correctly...). Thank you very much for sharing!

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        June 22, 2020 at 6:53 am

        Hi Rani! Yes, you're using the term correctly! Glad you love this recipe, it's our favorite too!

        Reply
    3. Cookilicious

      May 03, 2020 at 10:07 am

      5 stars
      Wow they look delicious! I would love to try a vegetarian version of this

      Reply
    4. Emily Liao

      May 02, 2020 at 4:22 pm

      5 stars
      This persian kebab was the perfect weeknight dinner! The flavors were great and paired perfectly with rice and grilled veggies 🙂

      Reply
    5. Nart at Cooking with Nart

      May 02, 2020 at 4:18 pm

      5 stars
      I love kabab so much but I'm not an expert in Persian food. Anyway, I tried your recipe and it turned out amazing!!!

      Reply
    6. Cathleen

      May 02, 2020 at 4:15 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, I was expecting this recipe to have a lot more ingredients. I seriously need to make this!!! Pinned for later 😉

      Reply
    7. Biana

      May 02, 2020 at 2:27 pm

      5 stars
      I love making kebabs, and your recipe is so simple! I am looking forward to making them soon.

      Reply
    8. KABIR

      December 03, 2018 at 3:44 pm

      5 stars
      Nice kabab

      Reply
    9. Lise - Mom Loves Baking

      August 04, 2017 at 7:52 am

      5 stars
      I used to work for a Persian man who owned a mega yacht. He loved rice cooked with a brown and crispy crust. It was delicious. This recipe looks yummy as well!

      Reply
      • unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com

        August 04, 2017 at 11:58 am

        Tahdig - The crispy crust is every Iranian's favorite! It's really delicious! Thanks Lise! <3

        Reply
    10. Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons

      August 03, 2017 at 7:52 pm

      I DO love how homey Persian food is! So full of love 🙂

      Reply
      • unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com

        August 04, 2017 at 7:07 am

        That's why I'm all about Persian food, it's so full of love <3 <3

        Reply
    11. Hadia

      August 01, 2017 at 3:40 pm

      I enjoyed watching the video of your "KABAB TABei"! They do look so good! And I so love the Persian saffron rice!

      Reply
      • unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com

        August 02, 2017 at 5:07 am

        Hi Hadia! Thank you! Saffron rice is my favorite too!

        Reply
    12. Swayam

      January 24, 2016 at 6:37 am

      Awesome,! I love that your mom used to knead the mince so well.. As u know we Indians have kebabs in our genes too and I totally get how important the mince us. Looks gorgeous and yay.. So good u will b seeing ur folks soon! Can't wait for more "maman " treasures like this one 🙂

      Reply
      • unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com

        January 24, 2016 at 11:23 am

        You have no idea how much I love love love Indian cuisine! The first time I was in the US and we tried Indian food I was like, oh my God this tastes like home!! The spices, the aroma, everything about it is so super delicious! I also would love to try your Indian recipes!! More "maman" recipes will come up! 😀

        Reply
    13. Jenny

      January 23, 2016 at 1:59 pm

      5 stars
      I had kebab for the first and only time a few years ago when I was in Europe. I LOVED it and have thought about it several times since - I can't wait to try your recipe and hear more about your future trip to Turkey!!

      Reply
      • unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com

        January 23, 2016 at 2:19 pm

        Thank you Jenny! You will love this kebab too and you'll see it's just so easy! I will definitely post about the trip to Turkey and hopefully there will be some nice surprises!

        Reply
    14. Farida

      January 23, 2016 at 12:21 pm

      5 stars
      I used to go Iranian restaurants a lot , when I was living in the Arabic gulf. Love this easy kebab, looks so good 🙂

      Reply
      • unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com

        January 23, 2016 at 12:25 pm

        So you know how delicious Iranian food is Farida 😀 Glad you like the recipe! 🙂

        Reply
    15. Tania @ COOKTORIA

      January 23, 2016 at 12:00 pm

      5 stars
      This pan kebab loos fantastic, Shadi! I don't think I ever tried Persian cuisine before, and now you gave me a reason to do so!
      Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!

      Reply
      • unicornsinthekitchen@gmail.com

        January 23, 2016 at 12:24 pm

        Of course Tania! I'm happy you like it! Persian cuisine might seem intimidating at first but once you start making some Persian food, it will be so easy! And delicious!

        Reply
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