Air Fryer Seekh Kebab

• 1 1/2 lbground beef — 80/20; the fat is structural, not optional
• 1yellow onion — minced fine and squeezed bone-dry in a towel
• 2green chiles — serrano or Thai, minced; seed them for less heat
• 1 tbspfresh ginger — grated
• 4 clovesgarlic — grated
• 1/2 cupcilantro — leaves and tender stems, minced
• 2 tspgaram masala
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspground coriander
• 1 tspKashmiri chili powder — or paprika plus a pinch of cayenne
• 1 1/4 tspfine sea salt
• 1red onion — sliced into rings and soaked in cold water, to serve
• 1lemon — wedges, to serve

Method

1. 01

   Squeeze the minced onion in a towel until no more liquid comes out — seekh kebab lives and dies by this. Combine with the beef, chiles, ginger, garlic, cilantro, and all the spices and salt.

2. 02

   Knead hard for 2 full minutes, slapping the mixture against the bowl, until it turns sticky and pastelike. This develops the bind — the traditional recipe uses no egg and no flour, just properly worked meat. Chill 20 minutes.

3. 03

   With wet hands, press the mixture along skewers into long, ridged kebabs about 1 inch thick — or shape free-form logs if your skewers won't fit the basket; they hold fine without the steel. Squeeze gently so your finger marks ridge the surface; those ridges are where the browning concentrates.

4. 04

   Air fry at 390°F in a single layer, 11–12 minutes, turning once with tongs, until deeply browned with charred ridges and 160°F at the center.

5. 05

   Rest 3 minutes. Serve with the soaked red onion rings, lemon wedges, and mint chutney if your table's allergen list allows — the kebabs themselves carry none of the nine we track.