Lamb Kofta Recipe

Turkish lamb kofta kebabs; Kebab, kabob, kofta or whatever you like to call them! Something different, quick, and easy to make at home.

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Serve lamb koftas with tzatziki, but I served mine with Turkish garlic sauce. Delicious and easy to make, this is simple food at its best.

These lamb koftas are packed with flavour, the spices and the fat in the lamb mince will ensure they are nice and juicy.

We both love Greek and Turkish food, and so I already have most of the spices in the cupboard, so apart from the fresh stuff, I'm all good to go.

Kebabs are my favourite, especially homemade Doner Kebabs, and I'm pretty sure I could live on Moussaka!

Spices such as cumin, coriander, cinnamon and paprika are used in other popular cuisines such as Mexican food, and we do love a good Chilli con Carne,   so I always have them in my cupboard.

What are lamb koftas?

Koftas refers to a dish made with spiced ground meat (mince). Sometimes it’s made on skewers as in this recipe, but they also come without using skewers and are shaped like a torpedo or round like a football.

Typically, they are stuffed inside flatbreads with fresh salad or pickled vegetables and sauces, although they can be served with a simple salad. Street food at its best!

Top tips to make your lamb kofta kebabs

• If you use wooden skewers you must soak them in water for at least 30 minutes to stop them from burning. If cooking on a BBQ I'd soak them overnight.

• Once the koftas are made, cover them and put them into the fridge for at least an hour before cooking - this will keep their shape when cooking.

Equipment

When it comes to cooking at home, a pair of silicone cooking tongs is life-changing - no more burning your hands trying to turn food over.

Make the lamb kofta - full details in the recipe card below 

Put the dried spices in a small bowl and add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the coriander (or parsley) along with the chopped chilli.

Sprinkle the mixture over the minced lamb (ground lamb) to distribute it evenly.

Using your hands, gently mix them together - try not to over-mix the lamb will become processed and horrid looking.

Divide the mixture into 6 and, using wet hands, roll each one into fat sausage shapes.

Thread each onto a skewer, and cover with cling film.

Put them into the fridge for at least 1 hour - this will help them keep their shape when cooking.

Removing them from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking is important to allow them to come to room temperature.

How to cook lamb kofta in a frying pan 

Rub a little oil over each kofta. Heat up a griddle pan until it's hot.

Place the koftas into the pan and cook, turning 3 or 4 times. They will take about 10 minutes in all.

Although I actually cooked mine in the Ninja Foodie Health Grill and Airfyer on Grill HIGH, then once preheating had finished, they took about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, you can make a nice salad!

What to serve with lamb koftas

• Pita bread

• Turkish salad

• Greek salad

• Tzatziki

If you don't fancy salad, then how about serving it with my Tabbouleh salad?

Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below!

lamb koftas recipe, easy lamb kofta kebabs, lamb kofta kebobs,

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Turkish

Yield: 6 koftas

Author: Jan Bennett

Lamb Kofta Recipe

Serves 2 or 3 depending on our hungry you are.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 Min

Ingredients

• 6 skewers - if using wooden skewers soak them in water for at least 30 mins
• 1 tablespoon mild olive oil
• 500g minced lamb - no more than 20% fat
• 1 red chilli - deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 fat garlic clove - peeled and minced (or very finely chopped)
• fresh coriander of parsley - chopped to make 3 tablespoons

Spices and seasoning

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• a big pinch of chilli powder
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

• pitta bread and salad

Instructions

To make the koftas

1. Put the lamb mince onto a chopping board and use a large knife to chop it through from left to right and top to bottom - this breaks up the strands and makes the lamb mince easier to work with when making your koftas.
2. Put the dried spices in a small bowl and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the coriander (or parsley) along with the chopped chilli.
3. Sprinkle the mixture over the mince to distribute it evenly through the lamb.
4. Using your hands, gently mix them together - try to not over-mix the lamb will become processed and horrid looking.
5. Take a tiny tiny piece of the mixture and fry it in a frying pan and have a taste, that way you know whether or not you need to adjust the seasoning.
6. Divide the mixture into 6 and using wet hands, roll each one into fat sausage shapes.
7. Thread each onto a skewer, cover with cling film and put into the fridge for at least 1 hour - this will help them keep their shape when cooking.
8. It's important to remove them from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to allow them to come to room temperature.

To cook

1. Rub a little oil over each kofta. Heat up a griddle pan until it's really hot.
2. Place the koftas into the pan and cook - turning 3 or 4 times. They will take about 10 minutes in all.

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