These easy sheet-pan beef patties are inspired by kofta and seasoned with plenty of herbs and spices. They roast alongside spiced potatoes for a simple, satisfying dinner with minimal cleanup. Serve everything with cucumber herb salad and creamy yogurt sauce, or tuck the beef into warm pita with the salad and sauce for an easy pita sandwich.
Ingredient highlight
Beef! Is an extremely nutrient-dense animal protein with lots of iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and selenium to name a few. Look for “100% grass-fed” on the label for the highest quality beef.
Servings 4
Prep Time 20 minutes 
Cook Time 10 minutes Ingredients
For the patties:
- ½ small red onion, grated
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1-2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp finely chopped mint (optional)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the cucumber salad:
- ¼-½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 large English cucumber, chopped or thinly sliced (about 2+ cups)
- ½ cup loosely packed parsley leaves, torn or chopped
- ¼ cup mint leaves, torn or chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the lemony yogurt:
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼-½ tsp kosher salt
- Water, to thin
To serve:
- Warm pita/flatbread or other starch – roasted potatoes, cooked grains, tortilla, toast, etc…
- Lemon wedges
- Crumbled feta cheese (optional)
- Note: ~ you can skip both the yogurt sauce and salad to save time/prep work. Instead, just top the beef with yogurt and a squeeze of lemon + salt. Serve with chopped cukes and herbs.
- Nutrition tip! ~ Grill a bell pepper with the patties to add to your plate (or tomatoes). The vitamin C from the peppers help you absorb more iron from the beef.
- No grill? ~ Brush patties with oil and bake at 425 convection for 10–15 minutes, or until the centers reach 160°F.
Instructions
- Add the sliced red onion for the cucumber salad to a medium bowl with the lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon salt. Toss and let sit for at least 10 minutes to soften.
- Place the grated onion for the patties in a clean kitchen towel or a few layers of paper towel and squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible.
- Add the squeezed onion to a large bowl along with the beef, garlic, parsley, mint (if using), cumin, salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Mix with your hands until evenly combined.
- Divide the mixture into 4 portions and shape into sturdy oval patties about ¾-inch thick. Lightly brush both sides with olive oil. Refrigerate for 15 minutes if the mixture feels especially soft.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high. Clean and oil the grates well.
- While the grill heats, to the bowl with the onion, add the cucumber and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Then toss in the parsley, and mint. Adjust the lemon juice and salt to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and toss once more.
- In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, and salt until smooth. Add a splash of water if you prefer a thinner, drizzleable sauce.
- Grill the beef patties for 4–5 minutes per side, or until nicely browned and the centers reach 160°F.
- Serve the patties with the cucumber salad, lemony yogurt, and warm pita or starch of choice.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Grate and squeeze ½ small red onion
- Finely chop ½ cup parsley + 2 tbsp mint (if using)
- Make the patties
- Thinly slice ¼-½ small red onion
- Chop 1 large English cucumber
- Prep ½ cup parsley leaves
- Prep ¼ cup mint leaves
- Make the salad
- Make the lemony yogurt
Substitutions:
- If you want to make this vegetarian, make these falafel in place of the beef patties.
- To make vegan, see above + use a vegan yogurt or skip the yogurt and be sure to squeeze with lemon and add avocado.
- You can use any ground meat in place of beef, though any leaner meat will be a bit more dry.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Patties: up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze up to 1 month
- Salad: up to 5 days in the fridge
- Yogurt sauce: up to 7 days in the fridge
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Chop up leftover patties and warm them up in a covered skillet with a bit of oil (or microwave it). Serve with cucumber salad, yogurt sauce, and starch of choice
- Make it a taco, grain bowl, or eat it as is for a lighter meal
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