Lamb Kofta Kebab

What Is Kofta?

Kofta (or kefta) is an oval-shaped meatball (or little meatloaf) on a stick, made with minced meat (beef, lamb, or chicken), fresh herbs, spices, and aromatics. Its origins are Persian, but today it’s common in the Middle East and Mediterranean. The best ones I’ve ever had were in Israel!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my kofta recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Ground Lamb – The star of the dish! Technically you can use ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken, but I think lamb makes the best kofta kebab. I recommend meats with a higher fat content (around 20%), so they stay juicy.
• Onion – I borrowed the little trick of adding grated onions from my mom, who always adds them to her ground meats. They keep the meat extra juicy and add flavor. Just grate with a box grater. I usually use a white onion here, but yellow or red onions would also work great.
• Garlic – I highly recommend freshly minced cloves of garlic. But, I once made this kofta recipe using a teaspoon of jarred garlic and it was still amazing.
• Fresh Herbs – Including fresh parsley and fresh dill. Fresh mint would also make a nice addition.
• Cumin – In my opinion, this is the most important seasoning for kofta kebab. You can also experiment with other classic spices, like paprika, coriander, allspice, cinnamon, or cardamom — I recommend about 1/2 teaspoon of each if you want to add any of these.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper – If you like a kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper, too.

1. Soak your skewers. Before you begin, soak your bamboo skewers in water for half an hour. This is important to prevent them from catching fire on the grill! (You can also use metal skewers, but I prefer wooden ones because they heat more evenly.)
2. Mix the seasonings. In a large bowl, stir together the grated onion, minced garlic, chopped herbs, cumin, salt, and pepper.
3. Add the meat. Add the ground lamb and mix until just combined.

3. Form onto skewers. Divide the ground meat mixture into 16 sections. Mold the sections around bamboo skewers. You’ll fit 2 sections of meat per skewer, about 1-2 inches apart.
4. Grill to perfection. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates. Place the kofta kebab on the grill and cook, until browned on both sides and done to your liking. (See my tips below!)

Storage & Meal Prep

• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
• Meal prep: I actually meal prep this kofta recipe more often than I make it fresh, lol. You can prepare the lamb mixture, form it onto the skewers, place on a sheet pan covered in foil, and keep in the fridge for 1-2 days. Then it will take only a few minutes to cook your dinner the day-of!
• Reheat: You can warm up the lamb kofta on the grill again (this time over indirect heat), but reheating I usually pop it in the oven at 350 degrees F or even microwave it if I’m in a rush.
• Freeze: Remove the kebabs from their skewers, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze in a zip lock bag for up to 3-4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Serving Ideas

I recommend serving this lamb kofta recipe with Middle Eastern or Mediterranean inspired side dishes. I’ve got lots of options:

• Dipping Sauce – My favorite sauce is a cool and creamy tzatziki sauce, pictured near the top of this post. This dish is also amazing with tahini sauce, plain Greek yogurt, or hummus (I even like it with cauliflower hummus).
• Vegetables – While the grill is still going, you might as well cook up some grilled eggplant or grilled zucchini. They work really well with the flavors of the kofta.
• Salad – Try my classic Greek salad with cucumbers and tomatoes (simple version of this shown above), or add chickpeas for my upgraded Mediterranean salad.
• Starches – I usually skip these if I’m being honest, but rice and pita bread were certainly always included in every authentic place I’ve eaten kofta kebab. You can even make my almond flour pita bread or Greek lemon potatoes for grain-free options.