This grilled lamb kofta served with a refreshing minted cabbage & carrot salad is so delicious and surprisingly easy to make! It is also naturally dairy free, gluten free and Paleo and Whole30 compatible.
Lamb Kofta is one of those dishes that sounds and looks really impressive but is ridiculously easy to make and absolutely perfect for a summer grill out.
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What is lamb kofta?
For those of you who have never had lamb kofta before, it is basically ground lamb mixed with onion, garlic, a ton of fresh herbs and middle eastern spices, molded around a kebab stick and grilled for a short time over high heat.
Other lamb recipes you will love.
Equipment
- Grill: We love our Charbroil Grill and use it all the time!
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Skewers: You can use wood skewers just be sure to soak them before adding the meat. I personally love these Oxo stainless steel skewers.
Ingredients
For the lamb kofta:
- Ground lamb
- Fresh Garlic
- Fresh herbs: You will need fresh oregano, mint, cilantro, parsley and dill.
- Spices: You will need cinnamon, cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, paprika and ground coriander (or cilantro).
- Raisins
- Salt & pepper
For the minted cabbage & carrot salad:
- Red cabbage: You can buy pre-shredded or shred it yourself.
- Carrots
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Fresh mint
- Salt & pepper
- Honey (optional): Omit for Whole30
Servings Suggestions
My favorite way to serve lamb kofta is wrapped in sourdough (or regular) pita or naan bread and top with my favorite homemade Tzatziki.
Dietary and Lifestyle Information
This recipe is dairy free, gluten free, soy free, grain free and Paleo and Whole30 compatible.
For those of you eating on a paleo or Whole30 diet, you can totally skip the flatbread and tzatziki and serve it on butter lettuce cups with a drizzle of tahini and lime. So simple, so fresh, so delicious.
Other recipes you will enjoy.
Made this lamb kofta recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Recipe
Lamb Kofta with Minted Cabbage & Carrot Salad
Ingredients
For the Minted Cabbage & Carrot Salad
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 large carrot, julienned
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
- 1 teaspoon honey omit for whole30
- salt & pepper to taste
For the Lamb Kofta
- 2 lb ground lamb
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 2-3 tablespoon raisins, chopped
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon coriander
To serve:
- Tzatziki (optional)
- fresh cilantro (optional)
- naan or pita bread (optional)
- butter lettuce cups (optional)
- sliced cucumber (optional)
Instructions
For the salad:
- Mix together cabbage, carrot and mint in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice & zest and honey until well combined.Â
- Pour dressing over the cabbage mixture and seasoning with a pinch of salt & pepper to taste.Â
- Ideally let set in the fridge for at least 10-15 minutes before serving or make a day ahead. Enjoy!
For the lamb:
- Combine all ingredients, except the ground lamb, in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. You want do this before adding the lamb so that you don’t overwork the meat.Â
- Add the ground lamb and gently mix with your hands just until the herbs, spices and raisins are evenly distributed.
- Gather 8 kebab sticks. I like my steel, reusable ones (link below) but if you get the bamboo sticks be sure to soak them for at least 30 minutes before using to ensure they don’t burn on the grill.Â
- Divide your meat in half. Then quarter each half and slice once more down the middle until you have 16 equal portions.Â
- Take 2 portions and shape into flat round patties.
- Lay your kebab sticks on top and shape the meat around the kebab so it looks like a small sausage. There will be two koftas per kabab. Repeat the process until you’ve used up all of your meat and kebab sticks.
- Place your kebabs on a plate and put into the fridge to firm up for at 10-15 minutes while you preheat the grill.Â
- Preheat a well oiled grill over medium high heat for at least 10 minutes or until the grill is hot.Â
- Place your lamb koftas on the grill and cook over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes with the lid closed.Â
- Flip your koftas and then grill for an additional 2-3 minutes with the lid closed.Â
- Promptly remove from the grill onto a foil lined baking sheet and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.Â
- Serve with Minted Cabbage & Carrot Salad and Tzatziki, cilantro & sliced cucumbers on flatbreads or butter lettuce cups.Â
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