Kafta is the Lebanese dish of spiced ground meat, commonly shaped into patties or cylinders and sometimes formed around skewers.
The mixture usually combines minced meat with onion, parsley, and spices. Beef or lamb may be used, and recipes vary among Lebanese households and neighboring cuisines. Kafta can be grilled, baked, or cooked with vegetables such as potatoes and tomatoes.
The broader term kofta covers many related meat preparations across the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, and the Balkans. Lebanese kafta is therefore one regional expression rather than a completely separate culinary category. It is also different from shawarma, which is meat roasted on a rotating spit, and from falafel, which is a fried legume-based food.