These Middle Eastern tofu kebabs are my new favourite quick and easy week day dinner. They’re ready in no time and you can enjoy leftovers as a nutritious and protein packed snack!
Tofu, made from soybeans, is a popular plant-based protein source and has several health benefits. It’s my favourite source of plant-protein. Half a regular block (around 140g) offers over 22g protein! Which is an easy way to bump up the protein content in a meal without having to try hard. It contains all essential amino acids needed by the body.
Tofu is also nutrient-rich – it’s a great source for things like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamins like vitamin K and folate. It is also low in saturated fat and cholesterol-free.
As well as the above, the other reason I love using tofu in so many of my recipes is because it’s so versatile. Its neutral flavour and soft spongy texture means it has the ability to absorb other flavours making it great in so many different dishes. Savoury as well as sweet!
These tofu kebabs are inspired by the Middle Eastern kebabs I grew up eating. Usually made with minced lamb or chicken and packed with so many aromatic spices and fresh herbs. There are so many different variations of it enjoyed throughout Asia, Europe and Africa.
They’re best served with rice/pitta bread, some hummus and salad. I’m serving mine up with some homemade pitta bread, a simple parsley, radish and onion salad and a tahini yoghurt sauce. You can enjoy them as a main meal, but I also love snacking on leftovers. They make an amazing high protein snack in between meals!
I shallow fry my kebabs, but you have the option of baking them in the oven or even in the air-fryer. I do think the frying process adds a little extra something to the flavour (as frying always does!), but they will still taste delicious baked.
What you need to make these Middle Eastern tofu kebabs:
Tofu – you’ll need firm tofu so the kebabs can hold their shape. Some brands of tofu need pressing before you can use them – I use the variety that doesn’t require pressing. Make sure you follow the pack instructions for preparation instructions before following this recipe.
Onions & garlic – both have strong and distinctive flavours that can enhance the taste of almost any dish. They really are the backbone to most savoury recipes. Even when a recipe doesn’t traditionally call for garlic or onions, I usually add them in anyway.
Spices – I’m using a mixture of spices typically used in kebab recipes like cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli powder. I also added some sumac, which is sometimes used to flavour kebabs. You can easily find it now in most major supermarkets.
Salt & pepper – also used to enhance all the flavours.
Tomato paste – I love using it to add a bit of sour and sweet notes, but it also adds a lovely colour.
Flour – you can either use plain or chickpea flour (for extra protein!). This will help the kebabs hold their shape when you’re frying them.
Fresh herbs – fresh parsley and coriander are heavily used in the Middle East. They add a lovely bright green colour, but also a fresh flavour that balances out all the spices. Of course they’re also packed with nutrients and antioxidants, so why not!
These Middle Eastern tofu kebabs are:
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Healthy
- High protein
- Packed with nutrients
- Easy and quick to make
- Great as a main meal or a snack
- Absolutely delicious!
If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy these Vegan Tofu Patties.
Middle Eastern Tofu Kebabs
Ingredients
- 450g firm tofu prepared according to pack instructions
- 1/4 red onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp sumac
- 1 tsp dried mint
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2-1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp tomato puree
- 65g plain flour/chickpea flour
- 15g fresh parsley finely chopped
- 15g fresh coriander finely chopped
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Break up the tofu into small pieces into a large bowl, then add the remaining ingredients.
- Use your hand to mash everything up together until you have a mixture that holds when shaping.
- Shape into small kebabs in the palm of your hand. You also have the option of shaping them into round patties. Don't make them too big or they won't hold together as well. I made 12 mini kebab shapes.
- Heat a little bit of neutral oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry for a minute or so, then turn them over and do the same until all sides are browned.
- Serve with rice/pitta bread, salad and hummus or tahini sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
The recipe was fairly straightforward and the tofu kebabs tasted great. But I did have a lot of trouble forming them into shapes and frying without half of the kebabs crumbling or falling apart and this was a real shame.
Hi Bill 🙂 so glad you liked the recipe and sorry to hear you had a bit of trouble with shaping them. I took my time mushing everything together with my hands and they held together really well. Was the mixture too wet/dry? Depending on the brand of tofu you may need to add more or less flour as the water content varies significantly between brands.
Hi Nadia
I gave this recipe another go and it turned out perfectly. I made sure the tofu was really really crumbled small, almost like mince meat and the onion and garlic very finely chopped/minced aswell. I think these steps made all the difference. I ended up frying for about 2 minutes on all four sides. This is one of the nicest tofu dishes I’ve ever had will be making this on a regular basis.
Thank you
I’m a junk food vegan but every now and then I like to make good quality whole food recipes. This didn’t miss the mark! So good!
So glad you enjoyed them Veronica 😀 It’s still one of my fave high-protein meals! x
Looks so great! Can these be air fried? If so, at what settings?
Hi Aarti 🙂 Yes they’ll work in an air fryer too. It really depends on the setting of your air fryer. I would bake them at 180C for 10-15 minutes, but you’ll need to keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn or if they need turning over half way through if they’re not cooking evenly.
I am a big kebab fan! And this recipe has been on the list for awhile. Made this recipe with pea protein chunks instead of tofu and they stuck really really well. They also taste amazing with all the beautiful spices, herbs and fresh ingredients.
Thank you Nadia, for sharing!
Can you freeze these?
Hi Jennifer 🙂 Yes you can freeze them. I would recommend freezing them before cooking, then taking them out and frying them when you’re ready to serve.
Hi Nadia,
Can I use chickpeas instead of tofu to make this dish & add a little mashed pumpkin/zucchini & whole peas to the mix? I know it wouldn’t be a traditional kebab but just wonder if it could be possible.
Hi Maria 🙂 It might work, but unless I try those subs myself I can’t say for sure how they will turn out. Please do let me know if you do try it though and how you get on! x
Made these for dinner tonight and the whole family (4yo and 18m as well as the adults) loved them – they’ll be on regular rotation in our house! Thankyou for the awesome recipe
That’s amazing Erin 😀 so glad everyone enjoyed them ? thank you for your feedback x
We absolutely loved these!
Amazing! So glad you liked them 😀 Thank you for your feedback Melissa! xx
Just wanted to say I absolutely love this! I don’t eat meat and often struggle with tofu, not because I don’t like but because I don’t have any ideas to cook it, and this was amazing!
Just wanted to give a tip for anyone who says they start crumbling, try and put them for 30 min/1 hour in the freezer before frying them, and they will hold much better. 🙂
Great recipe! I used beyond beef mince meat instead of regular tofu and reduced the chickpea flour to 25g. A little salty but loved them~!
Absolutely delicious! Made these to accompany turmeric rice and these kebabs are so flavorful, it’s insane. The only things I didn’t do was shape them into kebabs and did patty-style instead (it was easier for me to eyeball the same shape). And I also tossed them in breadcrumbs for a crunchy exterior, but that’s just my preference. They will be amazing without it too. But again, probably one of the best tofu kebab/patty dishes I’ve ever had. 10/10, will be making these again 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed them 😀 thank you so much for your feedback. I’ll need to coat them in breadcrumbs next time – such an amazing idea! 😀 xx
Hi. I’m really impressed. That was easy to make , I’m always happy to try something new someting different and this is turned out well. I saved some of your other recepe I can’t wait to make them.
These were ridiculously easy to throw together! I made patties for an aesthetic purpose in relation to the dish I was serving them with. They fried up beautifully and smelled amazing. I will be adding this in to something I cook regularly!
These were amazing, thank you so much! Made them for a dinner party and they were loved alongside the meat ones!
I added red bell pepper and jalapeños to mine, left the mixture without flour in the frig for a few hours to meld. Served on rice with roasted broccoli. I should’ve used a Greek yogurt sauce. Still very tasty!!