These baked kabobs are juicy, filling, loaded with hearty bulgur, and bursting with sharp minty flavor. They are so easy to make – simply hand mix all the ingredients together in a big bowl and bake them off in the oven. Being packed with bulgur gives them an amazingly satisfying texture and pleasant bite, making them super versatile. Serve them alongside your favorite pilaf and shirazi salad, wrapped in pita or lavash with fresh or pickled vegetables and labne, or even throw them in vegetable or yogurt soups for extra delicious substance.
Baked mint bulgur kabobs are a sort of hybrid cross between kufteh, stuffed Armenian “meatballs,” and kabobs, and were lovingly created out of nostalgic childhood food memories. I vaguely remember being served something similar to these kabobs during some holiday while at preschool. For years, I carried around the vivid memory of the taste and texture of those kabobs until I finally recreated them to the best of my recollection. My new version satisfied and filled the void of the unidentified mystery meal I longed for. The heavily minty, warm spices combined with the juicy tartness of the tomato and pepper pastes balances beautifully with the richness and density of the beef and bulgur combination. I eat them, and I’m a kid again.
After pining for this flavorful meaty bite over decades, I now make this crowd-pleasing spin on the traditionally-barbecued kabob all the time. They’ve become a fan-favorite and pleasantly surprise those experiencing them for the first time. I feature them at many special occasion dinners, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and they always steal the show, despite the many other traditional standbys. They’re great especially during the colder months of the year when the weather simply isn’t forgiving to firing up the grill. Try them once and you’ll want them in your regular rotation as an exciting and different way to enjoy kabobs!
