These Lamb Kofta Kebabs with Tahini Sauce taste just as good as getting them from a Persian grill. You’ll love this recipe all year ’round!
Seriously though. These Lamb Kofta Kebabs are juicy, herby, and delicious with that amazing charred flavor. I’ve made them in the summer outside and also inside on a grill pan. They’re fantastic both ways! And let’s not forget about the sauces. Tahini Sauce is so easy to make and adds the perfect amount of umami, buttery creaminess. For those of you who like a little heat and tang, add some Amba too. It’s a Middle Eastern pickled mango condiment that goes perfectly with these kebabs and tahini.
I’ve made these really easy to throw together. You place almost all of your ingredients into a food processor to chop up, then you combine with your ground lamb. I like doing it this way because it’s a lot less work. Plus, the food processor breaks down the onion better than hand chopping and gets more of the natural juices into the mix. If you don’t have a food processor, use a box grater for the onion instead and hand chop the rest of the ingredients.
Want to make your life even easier? Cook them in your oven! You won’t have the char or grill marks, but I guarantee you they’ll still be delicious.
Use Thicker Skewers! The really thin wooden skewers could break easily since there is so much lamb on each stick. I’d go with these or a thick metal option here. 11-12 inches long.
Ingredient Notes:
- Pine Nuts – They are my favorite nut. I realize they’re a bit more expensive, but they’re worth it to me! If you have to substitute, try blanched slivered almonds.
- Cumin – This cumin from Burlap & Barrel is my favorite. Once you smell it you’ll know why. It’s much more flavorful than any store bought cumin. The only thing is, you have to grind it yourself because they only sell cumin seeds, not ground cumin. Spices actually keep longer in their whole form, and expire faster once ground, which is probably why this company sells them this way. You can buy a spice grinder here! I use it for more than grinding spices – grind up nuts, seeds, hard cheeses, and breadcrumbs.
- Cinnamon – The best cinnamon you’ll ever have, also from Burlap & Barrel. Buy it here and you’ll thank me.
- Ground Lamb – If you can’t find it on the shelf, ask your butcher if they can grind up lamb for you. If you don’t want to use lamb, you can also substitute ground beef. If doing so, pick a grind with a higher fat content.
- Ghee – If you don’t eat dairy, you can substitute coconut oil. I use this to add a bit more fat to the lamb, which helps keep it all together and makes it a bit jucier.
- Amba – This is optional, but I think it is so lovely with the kebabs!
Lamb Kofta Kebabs
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Kebabs:
- ½ smaller-sized yellow onion peeled, trimmed, and cut into chunks
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup parsley leaves and thin stems packed plus extra for garnish
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¾ lb. ground lamb
- ½ tablespoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- Avocado oil spray
- Tahini Sauce recipe below
- Amba optional sauce, as needed
For the Tahini Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons tahini paste make sure to shake the jar and get a good amount of the paste at the bottom, not just the liquidy part at the top.
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water or more if needed
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
Instructions
For the Kebabs:
- Soak 4 thick wooden skewers in water (You can also use metal skewers. If you use thin wooden skewers, the meat may be too heavy and will be difficult to handle).
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the onion chunks until roughly chopped. Add the garlic cloves, pine nuts, parsley, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, allspice, and black pepper. Pulse to combine until all ingredients are nicely chopped.
- Transfer onion mixture to a large bowl. Add ground lamb, ghee, and Kosher salt and mix with your hands until just combined. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- When ready to cook, preheat a clean outdoor grill over medium-high heat (If you are using a grill pan, wait to heat until ready to cook). If using an oven, adjust rack to top position and preheat for 425°F.
- Separate lamb mixture into 4 equal portions. Lightly spray cutting board with oil, then roll out each portion into logs. Press skewer into the log and pinch meat around the skewer to seal. Press to flatten skewer slightly. They should be about 8 inches long and 1 ½ inches wide.
- if using an outdoor grill: Right before grilling, spray both sides of each skewer with avocado oil spray to prevent from sticking to the grill grates. Grill 4 minutes per side, until cooked through.
- If using a grill pan: Heat over medium heat and spray with avocado oil. Cook skewers for 4 minutes per side, until cooked through.
- If using an oven: Right before cooking, spray both sides of each skewer with avocado oil spray. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until cooked through.
- Serve immediately on a platter. Drizzle lamb with tahini sauce or serve it on the side, for dipping. Sprinkle with parsley leaves, for garnish.
For the Tahini Sauce:
- Place the tahini paste, lemon juice, water, and honey into a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add olive oil in a slow steady stream while whisking, until combined. If the mixture is too thick or pasty, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until mixture reaches desired consistency. If the mixture is too thin, add a bit more tahini paste (consistency will depend on the brand of tahini used and how thin or thick it is). Season with Kosher salt, to taste.
This was super delicious and so easy to make! A great summer time meal with some light salads. Thank you!