One Pan Beef Kebab Platter with Za’atar Oil

This one-pan beef kebab platter brings together tender, marinated beef, warm Middle Eastern spices, and fresh Mediterranean brightness. The kebabs are roasted to perfection, then served over a bed of crisp greens and finished with a fragrant drizzle of homemade za’atar oil and a spoonful of tangy marinated onions. Simple to prepare yet full of depth and color, it’s the kind of wholesome, flavor-packed meal that feels special without requiring much effort.

The Inspiration for This Meal

This dish brings together two flavor worlds I adore — the bright, herb-forward notes of the Mediterranean and the warm, aromatic spices of the Middle East. After living eight years in Dubai, my husband and I still crave those familiar tastes, and meals like this have become our way of bringing a little of that world back into our Dallas kitchen.

The inspiration for this platter began, as many of my meals do, with a simple grocery-store moment. I spotted beautiful grass-fed kebab meat at Burgundy’s Local, and the entire menu took shape from there. That’s often how I plan my meals: I start with what’s fresh, available, and inspiring, especially since I shop mostly in small local stores. It’s a rhythm that encourages creativity — and keeps disappointment at bay when something as simple as organic celery disappears from the shelves for a week.

The beauty of this kebab platter lies in its simplicity. Tender, grass-finished beef cubes are marinated for a few hours (the longer, the better), then roasted alongside vegetables for an effortless one-pan dinner. A drizzle of homemade za’atar oil and a scoop of tangy marinated onions elevate the whole dish with layers of brightness and depth. Both the oil and onions can be made earlier in the day, and all three prep steps take no more than 15 minutes.

Components of the Kebab Platter

Kebab Marinade
The marinade is simple yet incredibly flavorful: extra virgin olive oil, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, Ras el Hanout, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I also add one kiwi — a trick I learned from a friend in Dubai — which is sometimes used in Middle Eastern kitchens to naturally tenderize the meat. It works beautifully here, especially with grass-fed beef.

For marinating, I love using Stasher bags — no plastic waste, easy cleanup, and they last practically forever with a little care.

Marinated Onions
For the onions, I follow Teri’s iconic NoCrumbsLeft recipe. All you need is a red onion, good-quality olive oil, red wine vinegar, and dried oregano. Because extra virgin olive oil is sensitive to light and air, I prefer to make mine in a jar I can cover and store in a dark spot in my pantry rather than keeping it exposed. My recipe of Sumac Onions is also excellent for this dish.

Za’atar Oil
The za’atar oil comes together with extra virgin olive oil and a mix of cumin, dried thyme, dried oregano, sumac, freshly ground pepper, salt (I use Himalayan pink salt), and toasted sesame seeds. You can also use my homemade Za’atar Seasoning Mix to prepare a larger batch — it’s wonderful to have on hand for anything with a Mediterranean touch.

Assemble the Serving Platter

Start with a generous bed of greens. I used baby kale here, but romaine, butter lettuce, or arugula all work beautifully — choose whatever looks fresh and appealing (I’d skip baby spinach, as it doesn’t pair as well with the kebab flavors). My plan was actually to use arugula, but I came home with baby kale by mistake — and it ended up working perfectly.

To finish the platter, add kalamata olives, Greek feta, and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds for color and brightness. Thinly sliced radishes make a lovely, crunchy addition too.

For wrapping, you can either make cassava flour tortillas at home or keep things simple with store-bought cassava tortillas from Siete Foods. For this meal, we happily chose the easy route.

More Easy Meal Recipes

Let me know if you make and like this kebab platter. For more delicious meal platter ideas, try below:

• Chicken Gyro Pita Platter with Tzatziki (Lectin-Free, Gluten-Free)
• Mustard-Sage Crispy Chicken Wing Platter
• Roasted Za’atar Chicken Platter with Sweet Potato Salad

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