Harissa-spiced Beef Koftas with Quinoa Tabbouleh, Charred Lemon Yoghurt & Almond Dukkah

Harissa-spiced Beef Koftas with Quinoa Tabbouleh, Charred Lemon Yoghurt & Almond Dukkah

These Middle Eastern-inspired koftas are homemade with flavourful British beef. Serve with light quinoa tabbouleh and creamy baba ganoush. A sprinkling of nutty dukkah is the final flourish. It doesn't get more delicious than this!

High protein 6 plants

Serving size

Cook time: 25 mins
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Food group: Beef
Allergens: Nuts, Milk
Smiling woman in a kitchen holding an open Mindful Chef delivery box filled with fresh vegetables.

Getting hungry?

Find 56 recipes a week just like this one at Mindful Chef, that are all:

Delicious, high quality food - and lots of it
No stodgy refined carbs - no food comas here
Goodness from natural food - full of fibre
Explore this week's menu

Cooking Instructions

The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.

As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.

Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.

Before you start

  • Preheat the grill to high (240C)
  • Line a baking tray with silver foil
  • Bring a medium saucepan filled with salted water to a boil
  • Pull out a small frying pan, a medium bowl, a small bowl & a grater

Make the koftas & cook the quinoa

  • In the medium bowl, combine the beef mince with the harissa paste, half the dukkah and a pinch of salt and pepper. Shape the beef mince into 6 koftas, 2cm thick (3 koftas for 1 person). Dice the pepper into 1cm chunks
  • Add the koftas and pepper to the lined baking tray. Drizzle with 1 tsp oil, a pinch of salt and pepper. Grill for 19 mins, until the beef if cooked through and the pepper is soft
  • Add the quinoa to the saucepan and boil for 13-14 mins, until cooked, then drain and return to the pan

Make the lemon yoghurt

  • Zest and halve the lemon
  • Heat the small frying pan with 1 tsp oil on high heat. Once hot, add the lemon, cut-side down, and cook for 4-5 mins, until charred. Remove from the pan and allow to cool slightly
  • In the small bowl, combine the yoghurt with the juice from half the lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper

Prep the rest & build the tabbouleh

  • Pick the mint leaves from the stalks and finely chop, along with the parsley. Roughly dice the tomatoes. Halve the cucumber lengthways, run a spoon down the centre to remove the seeds, then dice into 1cm chunks. Quarter the remaining lemon
  • Once cooked, season the quinoa with salt and pepper, add a pinch of lemon zest and the juice from 2 lemon wedges. Stir in the tomatoes, cucumber and three-quarters of the herbs. Taste and season if needed

Make the dukkah topping

  • Reheat the small frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the almonds and toast for 2-3 mins, until golden
  • Stir the remaining dukkah through in the final 1 min
  • Once grilled, allow the pepper to cook slightly, then stir into the quinoa mix

Plate up

  • Check your meat is cooked through; it should be golden brown, steaming hot, the juices should run clear when cut and there should be no pink / rare meat inside
  • Spread the yoghurt onto the base of two plates and top with the koftas. Serve the quinoa tabbouleh alongside and garnish with the dukkah topping and remaining herbs. Garnish with the remaining lemon wedges

Looking for more recipe inspiration?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get delicious seasonal inspiration and recipes, plus 25% off your first 4 boxes with us!

By signing up to our mailing list you agree to the terms of our Privacy Policy.

Mindful Chef

Take a seat at our table.

Food is personal at Mindful Chef. We use cookies and similar technologies to tailor recipes and content to your tastes, just like our delicious weekly menus. We also use this tech to enhance your experience and help our website run smoothly.

You're in charge - accept or reject nonessential cookies, and feel free to change your preferences at any time.

Cookie Policy

Making changes?

Are you sure you want to continue?