Grilled Lamb Kofta
A Middle Eastern inspired lamb kebab packed with flavor and delicious with naan or rice!
Servings 6 koftas
Calories 281kcal
Equipment
- kitchen scale optional
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground lamb 454 g
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs 21 g
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 white onion minced, about 1/2 cup
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon all spice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black ground pepper
Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup Greek yogurt 146 g
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- fresh cilantro chopped or minced for garnish
Instructions
- Make Yogurt Sauce: Add all of the ingredients for the yogurt sauce (yogurt, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, salt, and lemon juice) into a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- Saute Onion and Garlic: Heat a small saute pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onion and garlic and turn the heat down to medium low. Saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until onions are translucent and begin to caramelize.
- Season Lamb: Add the spices for lamb into a small bowl (cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, ginger, all spice, salt, and pepper) and mix well. Add ground lamb, panko bread crumbs, onion to a large bowl. Mix well so the breadcrumbs and onion are well mixed. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture and mix well with your hands. Add the rest of the spice mixture and mix well again.
- Preheat Grill: Preheat the grill on high. Scrape down and clean grates.
- Shape Koftas: With slightly damp hands, separate the lamb mixture into 6 evenly sized portions. Gently shape each into a log shape. Clean hands and then gently skewer each log with the metal skewer. (This is where a kitchen scale can be helpful by weighing the total mixture and dividing by 6)
- Grill: Place koftas on grill but not directly over the flame for indirect heat. Grill for 2 minutes and then turn slightly. Grill this side for another 2 minutes and slightly turn again. Repeat for all sides (about 4-5 turns) for a total of 8-10 minutes. Internal temperature of the lamb should read at least 158℉ when lamb comes off the grill as the lamb will finish cooking (carryover cooking) when removed and will raise temp up to 160℉.
Notes
Serve With
Garlic Naan, Homemade Tabbouleh (tabouli), or over a bed of rice! Or swap out this yogurt sauce for our Homemade Tzatziki.
Kofta Size
We prefer these koftas to be slightly larger and make 6 out of 1 lb of meat, but you can absolutely make them a bit smaller and make 8 or even 10 of them.
Wooden Skewers
If you only have wooden skewers, that's ok. Just be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes.
Substitutions
Lamb: You can also use ground beef, but if available, you definitely want to use lamb.
Panko Bread Crumbs: You can use any of your favorite plain bread crumbs.
Spices: There are lot of spices in these koftas, but that's what makes them what they are! You can of course adjust to your own taste, but we find that the combination of all of these flavors together is what gives them the Middle Eastern flair!
Grilling Tips
Be sure to grill the koftas over indirect heat to reduce flare-ups of the flames on the grill from the grease of the lamb and to provide a more even cook.
Stove Top Cooking
You can also cook these koftas in a skillet on the stovetop without the skewers. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium high heat and add shaped koftas to the pan. Cook for about 8 minutes, turning often to cook all sides, or until the internal temperature of the lamb reaches at least 158 - 160 degrees F.
Nutrition
Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 566mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 366IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 2mg
