Lamb Kofta — Grilled Kebabs
Transport your taste buds to the Middle East with these juicy, flavorful lamb kofta kebabs. Easy to make and perfect for grilling season, they're a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Lamb Kofta — Grilled Kebabs
Transport your taste buds to the Middle East with these juicy, flavorful lamb kofta kebabs. Easy to make and perfect for grilling season, they're a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Key move
Keep the lamb mixture very cold to prevent the fat from melting and creating a greasy, crumbly kofta.
Cook mode keeps your place
Larger text, ingredients in reach, and saved step progress while you cook.
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The Setup
- Grill
- Large Bowl
- Skewers
The Mise en Place
5 of 11Your prep station before cooking begins
The Protein (0/3)
The Aromatics (0/4)
Kofta is falling apart on the grill.
Ensure the lamb mixture is cold and well-chilled before grilling.
Kofta is dry and tough.
Do not overmix the lamb mixture. Overmixing develops the gluten in the meat, resulting in a tougher texture. Also, avoid overcooking the kofta on the grill.
Chef's Notes
For tender kofta, don't overmix the lamb. Mix just until combined to avoid toughening the meat.
Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 mins before threading to prevent burning on the grill.
Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt mixed with chopped mint and a squeeze of lemon.
Shape the kofta onto skewers up to 24 hours ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate.
The Method
CHILL
Time-sensitivePlace the ground lamb (900 g) in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to chill thoroughly. This helps prevent the fat from melting during mixing.
Ground lamb is very cold to the touch.
COMBINE
In a large bowl, combine the chilled ground lamb (900 g), chopped onion (½ cups), mint, parsley, minced garlic (4 cloves), cumin (2 tsp), coriander (2 tsp), paprika (1 tsp), cayenne pepper (¼ tsp) (if using), salt (1 tsp), and pepper.
All ingredients are in the large bowl with the chilled ground lamb.
MIX
Gently mix all ingredients together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the kofta tough.
The lamb mixture is evenly combined but not overworked.
FORM
Using slightly wet hands, form the mixture into elongated kebab shapes around skewers. Aim for about 4-5 inches long.
Kofta mixture is formed into 8 evenly sized kebab shapes around skewers.
CHILL
Prep aheadPlace the formed kofta kebabs on a plate or tray and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This helps them hold their shape during grilling.
Kofta kebabs have chilled in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
PREHEAT
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
Grill is preheated to medium-high heat.
GRILL
Grill the kofta kebabs for about 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are cooked through and have a nice char on all sides.
Kofta kebabs are cooked through with a nice char on all sides.
REST
Remove the kofta kebabs from the grill and let them rest for a few minutes before serving.
Kofta kebabs have rested for a few minutes.
SERVE
Serve the lamb kofta kebabs hot with warm pita bread, yogurt sauce, and your favorite toppings.
Kofta kebabs are served.
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