Intoxicating Grilled Lamb Koftas Recipe With Creamy Garlic Lemon Yogurt Sauce Lamb Grilling Dinner Mediterranean Diet Recipes Middle Eastern Recipes

Typically, you see koftas stuffed inside flatbreads and pitas with fresh salad or pickled vegetables and sauces. However, koftas also are served plated over rice for an entrée. Made with ground lamb and a hardy dose of seasonings, the fragrance when preparing and grilling these lamb koftas are intoxicating. Don't be surprised if neighbors knock at your door to drop in for a random visit.

For this grilled lamb kebabs recipe you'll need the following ingredients: ground lamb, onion, panko breadcrumbs, garlic, cilantro, ground cumin, paprika, ground cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, Greek yogurt, olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Serve these juicy lamb koftas with rice pilaf, a Greek salad and hummus, pita (try this easy homemade pita bread recipe), tabbouleh and pickled vegetables. 

This is a fun summer meal to change things up a bit from the typical grilled chicken, steaks, hot dogs and burgers. So easy and delicious, too!

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Cuisine: Middle Eastern / Mediterranean
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Koftas

• 1 pound lamb, ground from the butcher
• 1 small white onion, peeled and grated
• 1/4 cup panko
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, depending on your heat preference

Sauce

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed or chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Helpful Products

• Grill
• Salt and Pepper
• Skewers
• Grater
• Mixing Bowl

Recipe Notes

• If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes before using to reduce the risk of charring on the grill. 

Here's how to make it: 

1. Prepare the yogurt sauce first by combining all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl. Refrigerate for a minimum of 20 minutes for the flavor to develop overnight, which is optimal.
2. Using a standard box grater, grate the onion into the bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Divide the seasoned lamb into eight equal pieces. Shape them like a torpedo. String one each onto its skewer.
3. Preheat and oil the grill before placing the kebabs on top. Grill until cooked and nicely charred or the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. 

Recipe cooking times and servings are approximate. Need to convert cooking and baking measurements? Here are some kitchen conversion charts. Here's how to submit your recipes to 30Seconds.

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