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🍽️ DINNER
Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty)
A flat, disc-shaped Pashtun patty of coarsely minced beef packed with coarsely crushed coriander, pomegranate seeds, chilli, and tomato, shallow-fried crisp at the edges.
Afghan (Pashtun) · medium · serves 4
prep 30 min · cook 20 min
~463 cal · 31g protein · 16g carbs · 29g fat · 2g fiber · 4g sugars · 8g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Chapli kebab is the signature kebab of the Pashtun lands straddling eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan, and it is eaten widely across Afghanistan as an Afghan chapli kebab. The name comes from the Pashto word for flat: rather than a thick patty, it is pressed wide and thin so it fries fast, crisps at the edges, and stays juicy in the middle.
What sets it apart is what goes into the meat. Coarsely minced fatty beef (or lamb) is worked with coarsely crushed, not powdered, coriander seeds and cumin, dried pomegranate seeds (anardana) for a tangy note, red chilli flakes, green chillies, cilantro, and little pieces of fresh tomato. A binder of cornmeal gives the crisp edge and holds the disc together without egg, and long kneading develops the natural stickiness that keeps it from breaking.
The kebabs are shallow-fried, traditionally in beef tallow at the Namak Mandi stalls of Peshawar, and served hot with naan, sliced onion, and fresh chilli.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally dairy-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
- 1 lb coarsely ground beef (20 percent fat)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped and squeezed dry
- 1 medium tomato, deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp dried pomegranate seeds (anardana), coarsely crushed
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp red chilli flakes
- 3 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1/4 cup cornmeal (maize flour)
- to taste salt
- 1/4 cup , for shallow-frying
- 4 naan, to serve
- 1 sliced onion, to serve
Instructions
- 1Coarsely crush the pomegranate seeds, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds together in a mortar, keeping visible pieces rather than a powder.✎ Chef’s noteThe coarse crush of the coriander and anardana is the whole texture and identity of chapli kebab, so do not grind them to dust.
- 2Knead the ground beef (or mashed chickpeas and mushrooms) with the salt for about 5 minutes until it turns sticky and stringy.
- 3Work in the crushed spices, chilli flakes, ginger-garlic paste, onion, cilantro, and green chillies, then rest the mixture for 30 minutes.
- 4Just before frying, mix in the chopped tomato and the cornmeal until the mixture is cohesive and holds its shape when pressed.✎ Chef’s noteAdd the tomato only at the end and squeeze it dry first, since extra moisture makes the kebabs break apart in the pan.
- 5With wet hands, press the mixture into flat, wide discs about half an inch thick, making a slight dip in the centre so they cook evenly.
- 6Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat and shallow-fry the kebabs for 4 to 5 minutes a side until deep brown with crisp edges.
- 7Drain on paper and serve hot with naan, sliced onion, and extra green chilli.
Pashtun cooking of eastern Afghanistan and Peshawar.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Kabul. Kabul cooks the food of the Silk Road crossroads: long-grain rice pilafs layered with carrot and raisin, dumplings under garlicky yogurt, and eggplant fried soft and dressed with mint. Yogurt, dried mint, and coriander appear on almost everything.
🗺️
Afghanistan. The details are where Kabuli pulao lives: the carrots are cut into matchsticks and the raisins plumped, both fried in sugar separately and laid over the rice rather than stirred through it. Mantu, the steamed dumplings, come under yoghurt and a split-pea sauce; aushak are the leek-filled cousin; and the bread is naan-e Afghani, slapped long and oval onto the wall of a tandoor.
🌍
Asia. Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, and its food spans the delicate seasonality of Japanese washoku, the chili-fired curries of India and Thailand, and the wheat-and-lamb traditions of Central Asia. Rice, noodles, soy, and fermentation recur across its regions, while ancient spice routes and religious traditions shaped distinct grammars of flavor. Whether from a street-cart wok or a monastery kitchen, eating is deeply communal and ritual-rich.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Afghanistan
Kabuli PulaoAfghanistan's national dish: steamed rice piled over lamb and crowned with candied carrots and raisins.
KhaginaAfghan eggs cooked into a soft, spiced tomato base, a quick, warming Kabul breakfast.
MantuSteamed dumplings of spiced beef and onion topped with garlicky yogurt and a lentil-tomato sauce, an Afghan favorite.
Browse all Afghanistan recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Mortar and pestle.
Storing it: Best straight off the heat. Leftovers keep 2 to 3 days refrigerated and reheat well in a hot oven rather than the microwave.
Make it an Afghanistan meal
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MantuLunch
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Frequently asked questions
What is Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty)?
A flat, disc-shaped Pashtun patty of coarsely minced beef packed with coarsely crushed coriander, pomegranate seeds, chilli, and tomato, shallow-fried crisp at the edges.
Where does Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty) come from?
Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty) is an Afghan (Pashtun) dish from Kabul, Afghanistan.
Can Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty) safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Chapli Kebab (Spiced Flat Beef Patty) take to make?
About 50 minutes total (30 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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