Name: Tbilisi Kababi (ქაბაბი თბილისური)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 18 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 600 g cold ground beef, about 85% lean; 300 g cold ground pork; 300 g cold chicken breast fillet, finely chopped; 120 g yellow onion, finely grated and squeezed lightly (use the onion pulp); 8 g garlic, finely grated; 10 g fine salt; 3 g ground coriander; 1 g ground blue fenugreek; 1 g finely ground black pepper; 360 g thin lavash, 6 pieces of about 60 g each; 150 g red onion, thinly sliced into rings; 240 g Georgian satsebela sauce; 12 g dried barberries, lightly crushed

Wide view of juicy Georgian kababi on lavash with red onion, barberries and satsebela sauce.

Yield6 skewers and 6 lavash wraps

Serving1 kababi with 60 g lavash, onion, barberries and satsebela

DifficultyModerate; shape the mixture firmly and check its centre temperature

DietContains wheat/gluten and meat

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The dish

About Tbilisi Kababi (ქაბაბი თბილისური)

Tbilisi Kababi: Juicy Georgian Mixed-Meat Skewers

Tbilisi kababi is known for its soft, juicy texture and Georgian seasoning. The city-style mixture described by Georgia Travel combines pork and beef mince with chicken fillet, then pairs the grilled meat with Georgian satsebela. This measured home version uses a stated 2:1:1 beef, pork and chicken ratio; the tourism source does not publish exact proportions or a fixed spice formula.

Shape the chilled mixture around flat skewers so it cooks evenly and stays together. Coriander and a little blue fenugreek give the meat a Georgian aromatic profile, while thin lavash, red onion, barberries and satsebela complete the wrap.

Because the mixture includes chicken, every kababi must reach 74 °C at the centre. Check each skewer with a thermometer; browning alone does not show that the poultry is safely cooked.

Georgia Travel describes Tbilisi kababi as tender, aromatic and juicy, and notes the urban combination of beef, pork and chicken. Georgian spices are central to its character, with satsebela recommended alongside. The source does not give a standard meat ratio or a precise seasoning list, so the proportions here are a practical home formulation rather than a claim about a universal original.

The mixture is kneaded until tacky, then chilled before it is wrapped around flat skewers. This helps the meat hold its shape over the grill. Barberries add a bright, tart garnish, while lavash catches the juices and makes the kababi easy to serve.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Tbilisi Kababi: Juicy Georgian Mixed-Meat Skewers

Kababi mixture

600 gcold ground beef, about 85% lean
300 gcold ground pork
300 gcold chicken breast fillet, finely chopped
120 gyellow onion, finely grated and squeezed lightly (use the onion pulp)
8 ggarlic, finely grated
10 gfine salt
3 gground coriander
1 gground blue fenugreek
1 gfinely ground black pepper

To serve

360 gthin lavash, 6 pieces of about 60 g each
150 gred onion, thinly sliced into rings
240 gGeorgian satsebela sauce
12 gdried barberries, lightly crushed

Method

Keep the meat cold. Take the beef, pork and chicken from the refrigerator just before mixing. Prepare the chicken on a separate clean board; wash hands and sanitize the knife, board and work surface after handling it.
Season and bind. Combine the beef, pork and finely chopped chicken with the grated onion pulp, garlic, salt, coriander, blue fenugreek and black pepper. Knead firmly for 3–4 minutes, until the mixture feels tacky and holds together. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Shape the skewers. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions of about 200 g. With clean, damp hands, press each portion evenly around a flat metal skewer to form an oblong kababi about 18–20 cm long and 2.5 cm thick. Keep the shaped skewers chilled while heating the grill.
Grill to a measured temperature. Preheat an outdoor grill or heavy ridged grill pan to medium-high. Grill the skewers for about 12–15 minutes, turning every 3–4 minutes so they brown on all sides. Insert an instant-read thermometer sideways into the centre of each kababi. Continue cooking until every one reaches 74 °C. Rest for 3 minutes on a clean platter.
Wrap and serve. Place one hot kababi on each piece of lavash. Add red onion rings, a little crushed barberry and satsebela. Wrap loosely and serve at once.

Practical guidance

Grill heat and skewer thickness affect cooking time, so use the temperature as the final control. Keep raw meat and cooked kebabs on separate plates. Do not partially grill the skewers for later finishing. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a shallow covered container at or below 4 °C; use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74 °C. Check packaged lavash and satsebela for any additional allergens.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 of 6 kababi wraps
Calories: About 630 kcal
Carbohydrate: 38 g
Protein: 44 g
Fat: 30 g
Fibre: 4 g
Sodium: About 1,200 mg

Nutrition is approximate. It uses generic USDA nutrient records for raw ground beef, pork and chicken, plus thin flatbread and tomato sauce as proxies for lavash and satsebela. Meat fat, bread and sauce labels vary; sodium is especially dependent on the packaged lavash and sauce.

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat/gluten in lavash. Check lavash and satsebela labels for other allergens. The meat mixture contains chicken, so cook every kababi to 74 °C at the centre and verify with a food thermometer. Keep raw poultry separate from ready-to-eat foods, wash hands and sanitize equipment after handling it. Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly.

Success cues

The uncooked mixture feels tacky and clings to the flat skewer after chilling.
Each kababi is evenly browned and reaches 74 °C at the thickest centre before serving.

About Tbilisi Kababi (ქაბაბი თბილისური)

Ingredients

Kababi mixture

To serve

Method

Practical guidance

Estimated nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

Success cues

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