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    Home > Blog > Dinner > Lamb Kofta

    Lamb Kofta

    by Teri Lyn Fisher · Published: Feb 19, 2021

    Jump to Recipe
    This Lamb Kofta recipe packs a ton of flavor. The ground lamb is seasoned with a mixture of dried spices and fresh herbs, then grilled to perfection. Serve these Lamb Koftas with basmati rice, or get yourself a spread going and add tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, hummus and tzatziki.
    Lamb Kofta recipe
    Lamb kofta on rice with pita triangles and salad.

    This Lamb Kofta recipe is so good! I love making this dish because it packs a TON of flavor. I always double the recipe because the leftover lamb kofta is my favorite to eat the next day cold over a simple salad, but it also reheats really well!

    We love pairing our lamb kofta over a bed of fragrant basmati rice and serving it with shredded lettuce with tomatoes and cucumbers for a it of crunch and freshness. A side of tzatziki (cucumber yogurt sauce) and hummus, if you have it, are also really nice additions to this meal!

    What is Lamb Kofta?

    Lamb kofta is a Middle Eastern dish made up of ground lamb, onion, garlic, a variety of spices, formed into a log, balls or patties and grilled. The dish is often found both skewered, kabob style, and not skewered, depending on cooking style and preference.

    Our version uses shallots instead of onion and lightly sautés the shallot, garlic and spices before adding it to the ground lamb for a less acidic and more melt in your mouth flavor and texture.

    Where is Lamb Kofta From?

    Lamb Kofta is mostly associated with Middle Eastern cuisine, but the dish is actually found in a lot of different places. It’s not clear where Lamb Kofta specifically originated from. India, and Central Asia are among some of them. The dish varies depending on where it is from. Middle Easters koftas are usually made from lamb.

    A lot of people ask if Lamb Koftas are Greek? There is a Greek version of Lamb Kofta. Greek or Balkin versions typically use beef, pork, and lamb together, or just one variety. In India, there are vegetarian versions of kofta prepared with ingredients like potatoes, banana, paneer, or calabash, and most often served with a curry or gravy.

    How to Make Our Lamb Kofta Recipe

    Lamb Kofta ingredients laid out on a kitchen counter.

    Process

    1. Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Once skillet is hot, add some oil. Add shallot, garlic and ginger (if using fresh minced) to skillet and sauté.
    2. Add cumin and coriander (and ginger, if using ground dry) and continue to sauté. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
    3. Remove shallot mixture from heat and slightly cool.
    Sauté shallots and garlic in a skillet.
    Spices mixed with shallots and garlic in a skillet.
    1. In a mixing bowl combine ground lamb, shallot mixture, parsley, and mint. Season with salt and cracked black pepper.
    2. Mix together until fully combined.
    Ground lamb with seasoning in a glass bowl.
    Ground lamb for Lamb Kofta combined in a glass bowl.
    1. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions and with wet hands form each portion of lamb into a log shape. Press a skewer into the center of each lamb log and form the meat around the skewer until secure.
    2. Place large grill pan over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, brush with remaining oil and add skewers. Grill skewers on each side until just cooked through with nice grill marks. Remove from heat, transfer to a platter.
    Ground lamb formed onto skewers to be grilled to make Lamb Kofta.
    Lamb kofta freshly grilled on a plate.

    Tools You Will Need

    • cutting board
    • knife
    • measuring spoons
    • skillet
    • mixing bowl
    • wooden spoon
    • tongs
    • grill pan
    Lamb kofta recipe on a plate with rice and pita.

    What to serve with Lamb Kofta

    The best part of this Lamb Kofta recipe are all the accompaniments. We love the fact you can pick and choose from a big plate of delicious sides. Our favorite thing to do is to make a Lamb Kofta taco. We love wrapping the kofta in pita and smothering it with tzatziki, before topping it will lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes.  Here is a list of really delicious pairing suggestions:

    • tzatziki – the creamy sauce goes so well with the lamb
    • sliced cucumbers – we love the crunch of the cucumber and bright flavor
    • basmati rice – the aroma of basmati rice is a favorite of ours
    • lettuce – shredded romaine lettuce! Just like from the cucumber, we love the crunchy texture and fresh, mild flavor, but you can use any lettuce of your choice!
    • sliced/diced tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes – the sweet acidity creates a nice balance from the lamb
    • pita bread – we love stuffing everything into a nice piece of pita for the perfect bite. If you grill it, even better!
    • hummus
    • fresh lemon wedges or halves to squeeze on top of everything
    • chopped parsley – to garnish everything
    • mint leaves
    • cilantro leaves
    • sliced red onion

    Variations for Our Lamb Kofta Recipe

    • If you don’t have skewers, or don’t want to fuss with skewers you can make these into meatballs or patties.
    • Use other kinds of lean ground meat – if you don’t like lamb, you can substitute for ground chicken, pork, or beef.
    • If you don’t have shallots, you can substitute with diced sweet onion.

    Tips and Tricks for Lamb Kofta Success

    • Make sure to pre-soak your skewers if you are using wood or bamboo. You don’t want them to catch on fire!
    • Be sure to not over mix the ground lamb mixture when you are combining all of the ingredients together to avoid the lamb getting tough when grilled.
    • When you form the skewers, we find it easiest to have a bowl of water next to you so you can dip your hands in it while forming the skewers or meatballs. This will prevent the meat mixture from sticking to your hands.
    • If you are nervous about cooking meat, we get it! It’s always such a bummer to under cook or over cook your meat. We suggest you invest in a nice instant read thermometer. The thermapen we linked to is expensive, but so so worth it! For ground lamb, you want an internal temperature of 160°F

    More Lamb Recipes You Will Love

    • Lamb Meatballs
    • Herb Crusted Leg of Lamb
    • Spiced Lamb with Roasted Hummus
    • Grilled Rack of Lamb
    • Garlic Butter Lamb Chops
    • Lamb Kababs
    • Roasted Garlic Rack of Lamb

    Watch our Lamb Kofta recipe Google Web Story!

    Lamb kofta skewers on a platter with pita and rice.
    YouTube video

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    :amb Kofta with rice and lettuce on a platter.

    Lamb Kofta

    5 from 20 votes
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    This Lamb Kofta recipe packs a ton of flavor. The ground lamb is seasoned with a mixture of dried spices and fresh herbs, then grilled to perfection. Serve these Lamb Koftas with basmati rice, or get yourself a spread going and add tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, hummus and tzatziki.
    RECIPE BY Teri & Jenny
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 21 mins
    Total Time: 36 mins
    Servings: 6

      EQUIPMENT  

    • 6 bamboo skewers (12” long and 1/2” wide), soaked in water (~30 minutes)

      INGREDIENTS  

    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
    • 1 small shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 teaspoon minced (or ground) ginger
    • 2 teaspoons cumin
    • 1 teaspoon coriander
    • 1 pound ground lamb
    • ½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
    • ¼ bunch mint leaves, finely chopped
    • salt and cracked black pepper to taste

      INSTRUCTIONS  

    • Place small skillet over medium-high heat. Once skillet is hot, add 1 teaspoon oil. Add shallot, garlic and ginger (if using fresh minced) to skillet and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes.
      Shallots and garlic cooking in a skillet to make Lamb Kofta.
    • Add cumin and coriander (and ginger, if using dry ground) and continue to sauté for 1 minute. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Remove shallot mixture from heat and slightly cool, about 10 minutes.
      Seasoned onion and garlic for lamb kofta recipe.
    • In a large mixing bowl combine ground lamb, shallot mixture, parsley, and mint. Season with salt and cracked black pepper.
      Ground lamb with seasoning in a glass bowl to mix together.
    • Mix together until fully combined.
      Ground lamb combined to make Lamb Kofta recipe.
    • Divide mixture into 6 equal portions and with wet hands form each portion of lamb into a 1 ½” by 7” log. Press a skewer into the center of each lamb log and form the meat around the skewer until secure, leaving about a 4” handle on the bottom and a 1” handle on top.
      Lamb Kofta on a skewers ready to be grilled.
    • Place large grill pan over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, brush with remaining oil and add skewers, about 1” apart. Grill skewers on each side, for 6 to 8 minutes or until just cooked through, with nice grill marks. Remove from heat, transfer to a platter
      Freshly grilled lamb kofta skewers on a plate.
    • Serve with a bed of basmati rice and a romaine, cucumber and tomato side salad and hummus of choice. Serve.
      Lamb kofta skewers on a platter with pita and rice.

      NOTES  

    • *Makes 6 (7” each) Kebabs
    Calories: 242kcal Carbohydrates: 2g Protein: 13g Fat: 20g Saturated Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 55mg Sodium: 49mg Potassium: 220mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 1g Vitamin A: 409IU Vitamin C: 7mg Calcium: 27mg Iron: 2mg
    CUISINE: Middle Eastern
    KEYWORD: dinner, grilled lamb, kofta, lamb, lamb kofta
    COURSE: dinner, Main Course

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    February 19, 2021 / 19 Comments

    About Teri Lyn Fisher

    Teri Lyn Fisher is half of Spoon Fork Bacon. She is also a food and cosmetics photographer. She is a big fan of hot dogs. #sfbTERI

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    February 19, 2021 / 19 Comments

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    1. Lauren

      July 27, 2022 at 3:57 pm

      5 stars
      This is a fantastic recipe. I didn’t have any fresh herbs so omitted them. I grilled my kofta on a George Forman in about 4.5 minutes. These were mindblowingly with some hummus, spring greens, feta and cucumber/tomato salad. Thanks!!

      Reply
    2. Sandra

      January 07, 2021 at 3:25 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing recipe! My picky eater son loved this recipe. I ended up making meatball shapes out of the lamb mixture and cooked them in to oven at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. Thank you for sharing this recipe! It is delicious! I will have to try it on the grill too!

      Reply
      • SANDRA

        January 07, 2021 at 3:26 pm

        5 stars
        Forgot to add our entire family of five loved this!

        Reply
    3. Lori

      October 05, 2020 at 3:44 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight and family LOVES it! I would never guess that I didn’t get this direct from my fav local Middle Eastern restaurant. You nailed it with this recipe!

      Reply
      • Teri Lyn Fisher

        October 05, 2020 at 6:31 pm

        So glad you liked this one Lori!! Thanks for commenting :)

        Reply
    4. Andy S

      August 20, 2020 at 12:43 pm

      5 stars
      Exceptional flavor thanks!

      Reply
    5. Carol L

      June 22, 2020 at 10:58 am

      5 stars
      The flavor of the lamb was really delicious. Will make again

      Reply
    6. Jo-Ann Rosenthal

      June 18, 2020 at 6:03 pm

      5 stars
      Interesting ingredients very tasty!

      Reply
    7. Ron Morris

      June 18, 2020 at 5:40 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe. I don’t even usually like lamb.

      Reply
    8. Darren

      June 18, 2020 at 5:08 pm

      5 stars
      Yummers! I grilled these up last night and it’s so delish, especially with all the fixins 😋

      Reply
    9. Aubrey

      May 26, 2020 at 8:12 am

      5 stars
      Made this yesterday and the flavor is awesome!

      Reply
    10. Madeleine

      May 24, 2020 at 12:14 pm

      5 stars
      Made this on the outdoor grill it was great! Served w/ tzatziki, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, lettuce and dill rice :). Next time we are going to try as a wrap with lavash bread!

      Reply
    11. Julie S

      May 16, 2020 at 10:20 am

      OMG…my stomach is rumbling. This looks amazing!

      Reply
    12. Jordan

      May 14, 2020 at 10:19 pm

      5 stars
      This was the first time my kids actually enjoyed eating lamb! Will definitely be making again soon!

      Reply
    13. sabrina

      May 06, 2020 at 8:27 pm

      interesting dish have to admit have never had ground lamb just traditional lamb dishes like rack of lamb or whatever is in a gyro is probably closest to this, have seen ground lamb in the grocery store but never had a dish for it, this looke like a good place to start, thank you!

      Reply
    14. Elizabeth Higgins

      November 02, 2018 at 10:17 am

      5 stars
      The Lamb Kofta tastes amazing! I cooked this for my friends yesterday, and they loved it, Jenny! The tenderness of the lamb’s meat was perfect, just by following your recipe. Can I also use other kinds of meat, aside from the lamb’s? Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Teri Lyn Fisher

        May 26, 2020 at 8:13 am

        Yes! Any lean ground meat will work great.

        Reply
    15. Jennifer

      September 21, 2018 at 5:53 am

      This looks so yum! Could this be made with other meats?

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        September 22, 2018 at 2:28 pm

        Totally! Any lean, ground meat should work!

        Reply

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