This Comforting Slow Cooker Kafta Stew is rich, hearty and chunky, filled with perfectly seasoned Lebanese kafta meatballs, potatoes and carrots. Serve it over rice!
I can’t think of a food more perfect to cozy up with on a chilly autumn evening. This Comforting Slow Cooker Kafta Stew is rich, hearty and chunky. Filled with perfectly seasoned kafta meatballs, potatoes and carrots, it doesn’t get any more satisfying than this.
The recipe
Add all the kafta meatball ingredients except the beef, egg and breadcrumbs to a food processor and pulse a few times, just enough to roughly chop. (You don't want the mixture to get liquidy.)
In a large bowl, add the chopped mixture to the ground beef, egg and breadcrumbs. Mix until well combined. Shape into bite-sized balls.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, OR bake for on each side at 350°F.
Add all the stew ingredients to the slow cooker and mix until well combined.
Transfer the browned meatballs to the slow cooker and cook on high for or on low for .
Taste and add more salt or seasonings to your liking.
Top with freshly cracked pepper and chopped parsley. Serve over rice.
If you'd like to thicken the stew, dissolve 1-2 tbsp of flour in a bit of water and add it to the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
5.1g protein per 100 calories
Balanced
Nutrition is an estimate per serving, calculated from USDA ingredient data and will vary with brands and portions. Optional items not included: black pepper to taste; chopped parsley to taste for serving. The recipe serves 8–10; this label uses 8 servings. Calculated with 80/20 ground beef; ground lamb is similar but a bit higher in fat. Seven spices is approximated with allspice values. Assumes regular (not low-sodium) chicken broth, a 60 g bunch of parsley and a 50 g head of garlic. The cinnamon stick is not counted. Use it as a guide, not medical advice.
Step 1 of 7
Add all the kafta meatball ingredients except the beef, egg and breadcrumbs to a food processor and pulse a few times, just enough to roughly chop. (You don't want the mixture to get liquidy.)
You'll need
Step 2 of 7
In a large bowl, add the chopped mixture to the ground beef, egg and breadcrumbs. Mix until well combined. Shape into bite-sized balls.
You'll need
Step 3 of 7
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, OR bake for on each side at 350°F.
Step 4 of 7
Add all the stew ingredients to the slow cooker and mix until well combined.
You'll need
Step 5 of 7
Transfer the browned meatballs to the slow cooker and cook on high for or on low for .
Step 6 of 7
Taste and add more salt or seasonings to your liking.
Step 7 of 7
Top with freshly cracked pepper and chopped parsley. Serve over rice.
You'll need
Behind the recipe
My husband and I took last Friday off for a date ‘day.’ We like to do that every once in a while. Our little one goes to daycare as usual, and we take the day off from work for some us time. It was so much fun, and after a long day, we came home to a bowl of this comforting goodness.
Comfort foods and long weekends are some of the best things on earth! Seriously, is there anything better than warm recipes that take you back to childhood, or knowing that you have a 3-day weekend?!
They both make me feel warm and cozy on the inside. And if my husband knows anything about cold weather and his wife, it’s that if he hears the word cozy one more time…
Kafta is spiced ground meat (beef or lamb) mixed with onions and parsley. I grew up eating it in stews, casseroles, barbecued skewers or as pan-fried patties. Kafta is so tender and impressively versatile that you’re likely to see it on most Middle Eastern restaurant menus. To my husband and me, kafta brings back endless childhood memories filled with hummus, tabbouleh and fries!
I wanted to re-create this famous Lebanese stew using my Crock-Pot. I added garlic to both my kafta and the stew for that extra garlicky breath, and I let the slow cooker do the rest of the work.
This stew is packed with so much comforting goodness and flavor that your day can only get better with a bowl of this stuff. Time to feel warm and cozy on the inside with Comforting Slow Cooker Kafta Stew!
What I’ve used in this recipe:
Here’s a complete list of my kitchen essentials.
Keep cooking
The Colorful Crew newsletter
Questions & comments 9
Leave a commentDo I add one entire head of peeled garlic or a clove? If it is a head, do the cloves tame down a bit? Seems like lots of garlic. It smells delicious. My family loves Kafta!
Hi Allison – How did it turn out? Sorry for the delayed response and yes it’s the entire head of garlic. I know it sounds like a lot but yes they definitely do tame down being cooked slowly for a long period of time in the slow cooker.
I was seduced by the pic, I made this and it was delicious. Thanks. I don’t have a slow cooker but 120°C in dutch oven with lid on worked well, my first go at adapting a slow cooker recipe.
3 hours
Thanks for the feedback, Al! Dutch oven is a great idea. Glad you enjoyed my recipe!
This sounds delicious and the perfect winter dish! Where do you find the 7 spices?
Hey Ruth – Thanks so much! Here’s a link to the 7 spice blend on Amazon: http://www.colorfulrecipes.com/lebanese-7-spices
I have never tried Kafta before, so I’m very excited to try something new! This looks perfect for the Fall weather! Looking forward to tasting it, it looks and sounds delicious. pinned!
Thanks Susan!