Lamb Kofta Kebabs (Grilled)
Here’s a recipe for simple Grilled Lamb Kofta Kebabs made with onion and spices and then shaped and skewered. If you love the flavors of Middle Eastern Kofta, and want to try making it at home, this recipe for grilled Lamb Kofta is the perfect recipe for beginners!
I originally shared this recipe on April 26, 2015. I have updated the images and some of the text today.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Kofta Kebab Recipe
- Ingredients are easy to find and you probably already have the seasonings on hand
- Simple to prepare and ready in 30 minutes
- Great for a cookout (you can double the recipe to serve 8 people.) Or you can make it for a Mediterranean-inspired weeknight dinner.
- One of the great things about this Kofta (sometimes called Kefta) is that it doesn’t have any breadcrumbs or wheat in the meat mixture, so it is gluten-free, Whole30 and paleo!
Love this recipe? Try our Garlic Herb Grilled Lamb Burgers and our Turkey Kofta too!
If you love lamb, make sure to check out our Rack of Lamb, Lamb Burger, Lamb Loin Chops recipe, this Lamb Tagine with prunes and our Slow Cooker Moroccan-Style Lamb Shanks.
Ingredient Notes For This Lamb Kofta Recipe
- Ground Lamb: Look for lean ground lamb or minced lamb as it is sometimes called. This will make the recipe overall lower in saturated fat and calories, and it will help to prevent flare-ups on the grill. You can ask your butcher to grind leg fresh if you like for your one pound of lamb.
- Onion and Garlic: Finely chopped onion will add moisture and flavor to the lamb. Read more about how to finely chop the onion here. In a pinch you can also peel and quarter the onion then pulse it in a food processor. We also added in fresh chopped garlic too for traditional and authentic flavor.
- Fresh Parsley: You will need 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley as it is a major component of traditional kofta. You can use either curly or flat leaf parsley. Wash it and spin it dry. Remove the stem and then finely chop it.
- Spices: You will need cinnamon, allspice and ground cloves in addition to salt and pepper.
It only takes a few minutes to mix the ground lamb with the onion, parsley and spices and shape them into kebabs. Then from there, all is left to do is grill them! Wrap them in pita and add on yogurt sauce. They pair well with Cucumber Salad, fresh tomato salad, roasted red pepper hummus and tabbouleh.
How To Make Lamb Kofta Kebab on the Grill
Step 1a: Combine ingredients
Place the lamb, onion, parsley, garlic and spice mixture in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2b: Knead ingredients
Gently knead the lamb and ingredients together, but avoid overmixing.
Step 2: Form Kebabs
Once the meat is mixed in, divide the lamb mixture into four portions. Then shape into sausage shapes with your hands and run metal skewers through them. If you have a flat skewer, use those, because they’ll help keep the kofta from rolling as you try to turn them on the grill.
Step 3: Prepare Grill
Get your grill nice and hot, and be sure to brush it off. Right before you place the lamb kebabs down, run an oil soaked paper towel along the grates.
You’ll want to use a set of tongs and be sure to pull the towel toward you in case there is a brief flare up as the oil drips down. Oiling the rack will help to prevent the kofta from sticking.
Preventing flare ups on the grill: If your lamb is not very lean you may end up having flare-ups on the grill. If this happens while you are grilling the kofta, turn off one of the burners, and set the skewers over the extinguished side of the grill. Close the lid and use indirect heat to finish cooking them. For a charcoal grill, move the kofta to the edges of the grill grate, over a section where there isn’t any charcoal below.
Step 4: Grill Kofta
Add the lamb to the grill, and let it sit without turning until it releases from the grill. It may stick a tiny bit, but if you are patient, it shouldn’t stick very much at all. Use a spatula to help loosen any areas that stick.
Substitutions and Variations to Try
If you are not a fan of lamb, then try this with other ground meat like venison or ground beef. Please note that ground turkey and chicken are too soft to hold together when you are grilling them, so I don’t recommend using them with this formula. Try our Turkey Kofta which is tried and tested and has additional bread crumbs for the perfect texture.
You can also use wooden skewers if that’s what you have on hand. You just run the risk of burning them, so be sure to soak in warm water for up to 30 minutes before threading into the lamb kofta.
What to Serve With Grilled Lamb Kofta Kebabs
- You can serve these kofta on their skewers if you like. Or to serve them in pita bread, slide them off into the pita. Or if you want, you can remove the skewers and slice them into large bite-sized chunks.
- Home-made Greek Yogurt Garlic Aioli Sauce or our tzatziki is a really wonderful accompaniment. Or if you’re in a rush, even serving with a dollop of plain full-fat Greek yogurt is also delicious.
- Serve warm pita or flatbreads. There are some great gluten-free ones if you are gluten-free.
- Cucumbers are a great addition. You can make this 15 minute chopped Greek Salad.
- For something a little unexpected, you can make this lemony carrot salad, grilled carrots or this Roasted Eggplant Salad.
- This Chickpea Salad and this Mediterranean Black Lentil Salad are nice hearty sides that can be made ahead. I also love the flavors of this Panzanella with these kebabs.
- Hot Moroccan Carrots, Simple Tabbouleh, and Roasted Garlic Hummus would also be great pairing options with a flavorful combination of spices.
Make Ahead, Storage, Leftovers and Reheating
- Make Ahead: To prep this ahead, combine the meat and seasonings and keep covered in a bowl or resealable container in the refrigerator up to 24 hours. Form into kebabs before grilling.
- Leftovers and Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated up to three days. Remove skewer and place in an airtight container.
- Reheating: To reheat, wrap the kofta in foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Alternatively, place one kofta on a plate (without the skewer) and microwave (covered with parchment or a paper towel) for 90 seconds or until steaming hot.
More Easy Grilling Recipes:
- Our Grilled Carrots are seasoned with lemon and harissa. They are fab with grilled lamb kebabs!
- Speaking of zucchini, this easy grilled zucchini side dish is drizzled with balsamic vinegar and compliments a variety of summer menus.
- For another Middle Eastern dish, try this Grilled Za’atar Chicken Burgers with Cucumber Mint Tzatziki or this recipe for Shish Tawook an authentic Lebanese chicken skewer.
- This Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad has tons of spicy garlicky taste and a yummy avocado dressing.
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Grilled Lamb Kofta Kebabs
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Grilled lamb kofta made with onion and spices and then shaped and skewered onto kebabs. It is an easy middle eastern inspired main course that’s ready in under 30 minutes, perfect for grilling season.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground lamb (sub beef if you prefer)
- 1 medium Spanish onion, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped curly parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Knead lamb, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice and cloves in a medium bowl with clean hands until the seasonings are evenly distributed through the meat.
- Divide into 4 portions. Shape each portion into a 8-inch sausage shape. Thread meat onto a heavy metal skewer.
- Soak a folded paper towel with oil. Hold the towel with tongs. Drag it along the grill grate toward you to oil grill rack. Do this immediately before adding the meat, as the oil will cook off quickly.
- Grill kebabs, turning every 3 to 4 minutes, until cooked through, 9 to 13 minutes. Let rest on a cutting board for 4 minutes before removing skewer and slicing.
Notes
Prevent flare ups:
If your lamb is not very lean you may end up having flare-ups on the grill.
For Gas Grill: If this happens while you are grilling the kofta, turn off one of the burners, and set the skewers over the extinguished side of the grill. Close the lid and use indirect heat to finish cooking them. For a charcoal grill: Plan ahead and bank your coals to one side. Use indirect heat grilling by placing the kebabs over a section where there isn’t any charcoal below. Cover the grill.
Prevent Sticking: Oiling the grill will help prevent sticking. Make sure not to try to force the kebabs to turn them. They will release from the grill once the meat has set.
- Prep Time: 16 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Lebanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 kebab
- Calories: 245
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 322
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 4
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 22
Here is one of the original images associated with this post.
I’ve made these multiple times and the whole family loves them. The cinnamon and allspice give such a depth of flavor.
I am so happy to hear you like them too Ashley. Thanks so much for coming back today to rate the recipe. That’s so helpful!
The instructions were very helpful and I learned something and I have enjoyed cooking for years. The results were very flavorful and lip smacking good, thank you for sharing
I am so happy you liked it Doreen! Thanks for the review and rating!
I made this from your original recipe and added 2 T fresh minced mint, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander, I notated to myself to mix the onions and spices together first; they blend smelled great! I used ground lamb and perhaps I didn’t work it together long enough but it kept failing apart, so I added a large egg (instead of breadcrumbs) which made it too wet. I was able to form them but not get them onto a skewer so I ended up stove top grilling them, I served a tomato, cucumber, and red onion salad, tzatziki, and garlic naan . My husband ate two for dinner, and I had one, The leftover was even better the day after. He’s looking forward to my serving it again. Super easy! Thanks
Hi Serena,
This feedback is so helpful. I am wondering, was your lamb frozen and thawed? And if so, was it absolutely cold? I have made these many times and never had an issue. Then just last week I made them with defrosted lamb from a local farm, for some reason, mine was also too soft and wasn’t holding a shape well. I think that the reason was the lamb was slightly warm because I defrosted it in warm water. Or possibly, it had to do with the grind from the farm. I ended up using 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs to bind it, and that worked very well. Anyway, I would love to hear back from you so I can get to the bottom of this. Thank you in advance.
This recipe is a winner! Delicious flavor, reminded me of my favorite Middle Eastern spot. Going to give this a shot with other ground meat as well – I’m sure the results will be stellar.
They do work well with beef. Turkey is a little trickier because it is so soft. Thanks for rating Jerrod!
Absolutely delicious!!!!! I do love spicy, but i thought there was a little too much pepper. The back of my throat burned a bit! I will decrease the amount next time.
Thanks Brian. Glad you liked the kebabs. I wonder if it was the clove that you were noticing. Clove has a slight numbing effect. 1/4 teaspoon of pepper is a relatively small amount so I doubt it would have caused the sensation you mention.
I have no grill, so I made mini patties and panfried them in olive oil. My spices were old so I’m sure the lamb would be even more flavorful using fresh spices. Thank you, just starting to cook again. I need gluten-free, dairy-free, and legume-free recipes.
Hi Susan, glad to have your feedback. Thank you! Let me know if you need more recipe suggestions for your dietary restrictions. I am happy to help!
This was excellent, whole family enjoyed. Will be making again!
Hi Lisa. So glad to hear it! Your review and rating really helps out too so thank you for that! Have a great rest of your week.
They were very tasty and all happily devoured. My hubbie tried roasting them in the oven instead so they got a little overdone on the outside. We look forward to having them again. They’ve always seemed so unappealing at restaurants (where you don’t really know the quality of the lamb used). It turned out that they were delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Good to know about roasting. Thanks! And glad you’ll make them again. That’s great news!
This is such a delicious way to enjoy lamb! I loved the spices in these kebabs – they added so much flavour!
Hi Hope. I am so glad you liked the spices. Thank you!
I’m so excited that it’s warming up again which makes grilling so much easier and these look so flavorful and delish!
I hear ya! It’s been a long season. Glad to fire up the grill again.
Yummy! Appreciate that these don’t have any bread filler products to bind! AND, I think kids will love!
None needed! Though I did make them recently with some lamb from a local farm that was very soft. Must have been something to do with their particular grind. I ended up adding a couple tablespoons of breadcrumbs to mine. But that was the first time I had to do that.
These are perfect for the grill and so full of flavor!
Thank you so much Anne!
This lamb looks SO good! It will help me learn to grill better and more often too; thank you! Can’t wait to make!
The grill can be a bit intimidating, right?! Hope you try them!
This is getting me so excited for grilling season. I love lamb and I can’t wait to make this.
So glad to hear it Jean!
These mediterranean flavors were speaking to me so I got all of the ingredients and made your recipe! Was so delicious!
Hey Friend! Thank you!