This oven-baked chicken koobideh tastes like it came from your favorite restaurant, but made weeknight-easy. Juicy, golden, and packed with saffron and flavor, it’s the kind of recipe that turns a simple ground chicken into something swoon worthy.
Getting dinner on the table can be a challenge any day of the week, let alone to deliver a meal that tastes amazing and will appeal to the whole family. And when your family’s comfort food is Persian kabob, well, the challenge seems monumental!
I have already shared with you my baked chicken kabobs, which emulates grilled jujeh kabab in the fraction of the time. Today I am sharing another family favorite, minced chicken kebab.
We typically order kabob koobideh at restaurants, because it is a bit labor intensive and grilled over fire. This recipe creates an incredible kabob, but baked in the oven.
Laura says :
Why this recipe works
- Quick: Enjoy juicy, flavorful chicken koobideh without firing up the grill. This oven-baked version comes together fast and is perfect for easy weeknights.
- Perfect Texture: These ground chicken kabobs stay tender and moist, with a touch of broiler-kissed char that mimics traditional grilling. Saffron and turmeric give them that signature golden color.
- Big Flavor: Freshly grated onion, warm spices, and classic Persian seasoning pack every bite with authentic koobideh flavor, and no skewers or special equipment required.
- Meal-Prep Friendly: The mixture can be shaped ahead of time and baked when you’re ready, making it great for weekly meal prep or quick dinners.
Ingredients you need
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- Ground chicken: Because we are baking this ground chicken kabob in the oven and not skewering it for the grill, I am not concerned about the fat content. You can use any variety of ground chicken (homemade or store bought) or even ground turkey.
- Onion: Use yellow or white onions.
- Seasonings: Turmeric, saffron, paprika, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried mint, salt and pepper.
- Extra virgin olive oil: You will brush the baking sheet and the meat mixture with olive oil. You can also use avocado or any vegetable oil.
Step-by-step directions
- Grate the onion. Either by hand or with a food processor, grate the onions and squeeze out the water.
- Mix the ingredients. Mix together the ground chicken, grated onions and spices until fully incorporated.
- Form the kabob. Spread and flatten the meat mixture onto a greased baking sheet until it is a rectangle of about ½-inch thick. Cut the mixture lengthwise into four long and even strips, then score horizontal indents about every inch along each strip.
- Bake. Brush the top with olive oil and bake. Place the baking sheet on the lower part of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Broil on high until the edges are golden with a touch of crisp.
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Expert tips and recipe FAQs
Traditionally koobideh kabob is served with grilled tomatoes and sumac over a big bed of basmati rice. You can broil tomatoes in the oven, if you like. You can also wrap strips of kabob in lavash or pita bread to make sandwiches.
We like to enjoy our chicken kabob with Shirazi salad, mast o khiar (Persian yogurt with cucumbers) and a plate of fresh herbs, onions and radishes (sabzi khordan).
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftover kabob in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
Yes! This recipe is designed specifically for the oven. Baking keeps the kabobs juicy, and a quick broil at the end adds that classic charred, grilled flavor.
No skewers needed! You can shape the meat into long kabob logs and bake them directly on a lined baking sheet or on a rack placed over the sheet.
Saffron and turmeric are key in giving this chicken koobideh its signature golden hue and warm, aromatic flavor.
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Easy Baked Chicken Koobideh
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- 1 medium onion
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground saffron
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried mint
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- In a small bowl, combine the seasonings and set aside.
- Grate the onion, discarding any big chunks and squeeze out the water. This is very important. Place the squeezed out onions into a mixing bowl.
- Add the ground chicken and spice mix with the onions. Use your hands and mix everything together until fully incorporated.
- Brush 2 teaspoon of olive oil all over a half sheet baking pan then place the ground chicken mixture onto it.
- Spread and flatten the mixture until it is a rectangle of about ½-inch thick. Using a butter knife, cut the mixture lengthwise into four long and even strips. Using the blunt end of the knife, score horizontal indents about every inch along each strip.
- Brush the top of the meat mixture with the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
- Place the baking sheet on the lower part of the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Move the baking sheet to the top rack and broil on high for another 10 minutes, or until edges are golden with a touch of crisp.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
This recipe was great and indeed very easy! I made it ahead, put it in the fridge and popped it into the oven when it was time to eat. I followed the recipe exactly but just cut it in half to make enough for two people. I think it had a bit too much mint and saffron for our liking (as that was almost all we could taste). I will continue to make this recipe and just tweak those two spices to our liking! Thank you!
Thank you for trying my recipe! If your dried mint was already powdery and crushed, you would definitely need to use less. My dried mint is not so I measure it first and then crush it. You can easily adjust the seasonings to your taste.
Laura