Lebanese Kafta Bake: A Traditional Family Dish with a Beautiful Modern Twist

Lebanese Kafta—Lebanese seasoned ground beef or lamb mixed with parsley, onions, and spices—is one of the most beloved staples of our cuisine. The kafta in my dish is inspired by Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine and her delicious grilled kafta kebabs, but I’ve adapted the flavors into a hearty oven‑roasted main dish.

I combine the kafta with layers of tomatoes, potatoes, and onions, letting everything roast together until the vegetables soften and the meat becomes tender and richly seasoned. It’s a comforting, traditional Lebanese meal my mother made often when I was growing up. Her version used horizontal layering, a classic approach that creates a rustic, homey presentation.

I’ve added my own twist by arranging the ingredients in vertical lines instead. It’s a small change, but it transforms the dish into something visually striking—still deeply traditional, but with a modern, elegant look that makes it perfect for serving guests.

For the Lebanese kafta :

4 lbs 93% grass fed ground beef
4 medium onions
2 bunches of chopped parsley
1 Tsp Allspice
1 Tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp salt
a pinch of cayenne pepper

I put the onion in the food processor. After blending, I removed most of the water and tossed the onions over the ground beef into a bowl. I added parsley, spices and mixed all ingredients well. I then divided the meat into small patties.

Other ingredients you will need:

Medium sized yellow potatoes, washed and sliced
Medium size tomatoes (I used vine tomatoes) washed and sliced
Medium size sweet onions, sliced
2 28oz jars of crushed tomatoes
olive oil
1 Tbsp Aleppo peppers (to taste)

Assembling the Lebanese kafta bake

I covered the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of olive oil. Then I topped the oil with 1/2 a can of crushed tomatoes before layering slices of tomato, potatoes,onion, kafta as shown in the photo.

When the pan was filled, I mixed Aleppo peppers, salt, black pepper with the remaining crushed tomatoes and spooned it on top. I covered with aluminum foil and baked in the oven on 400F for an hour. I then removed the foil, poured out a bit of the liquid and baked uncovered for another 30 min.

I served the roasted kafta with a side of vermicelli rice, tabouli and blanched asparagus.