Lamb Kofte with Garlic Yogurt Sauce

Lamb koftes on patter with pita, onions, lettuce, and garlic yogurt sauce.

5 from 1 vote

Lamb Kofte with Garlic Yogurt Sauce

In this Turkish recipe, oblong patties of ground lamb are delicious cooked up on skewers and served with a creamy sauce. Serve them up with all of the garnishes for a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean spread!

Prep Time30

Cook Time6

Total Time36

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish

Servings: People

Author: Katie Workman

Equipment

8 wood skewers (8 to 10 inches; soaked in water to cover for 30 minutes; metal skewers don't need to soak)

Ingredients

For the Garlic Yogurt Sauce

1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Koftas

2 slices firm sandwich bread (torn into small pieces)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound ground lamb
1 small red onion (grated or very finely minced)
¼ cup finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley (or cilantro, or a combination)

To Serve

Pita bread or lettuce leaves
Shredded lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Thinly sliced red onion

Instructions

Make the sauce:

In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper.

Make the Koftas:

Place the bread in a small bowl and cover with water. Let soak for 15 minutes, then squeeze as much water from the bread as possible. In a large bowl, combine the cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add the soaked and squeezed bread, lamb, onion, and the parsley and/or cilantro. Mix with your hands until thoroughly blended.
Divide the lamb into 8 portions and form each portion into a ball. Roll each ball into a 7-inch or so long cylinder, making sure they are of uniform thickness. Flatten the cylinder slightly. Slide a soaked skewer down the center of each log.

Cook the Koftes:

If broiling, preheat the broiler. If pan grilling, have a ridged grill pan at the ready. If grilling the kebabs, heat the grill to medium-high.
To broil the kebabs: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the skewers in a single layer, not touching, on the baking sheet. Broil for a total of 6 minutes, turning once halfway through the cooking, until cooked through and nicely browned on the outside.
To pan grill the kebabs: Heat spray the grill pan with nonstick spray or lightly brush with oil. Heat the pan over medium-high heat. Cook the kebabs in the pan, making sure they are touching, for about 6 minutes, turning once halfway through the cooking.
To grill the kebabs: Brush the hot grill rack with cooking oil. Grill the kebabs for about 6 minutes total, turning them once halfway through the grilling, until cooked through and browned on the outside.
Serve warm with the yogurt sauce, the pitas or lettuce leaves, and whatever other accompaniments you like.

Notes

If you lightly wet your hands with water as you form the koftas, the meat will be less likely to stick to your hands.

Make sure the koftas are fairly consistent in thickness and shape so they cook evenly.

Turn the kebabs once during cooking, whether you are grilling, broiling, or pan-grilling them, so they brown on all sides.

Make sure to finely mince the onion, garlic, and herbs so they blend thoroughly into the ground meat and won’t cause the koftas to fall apart.

Mix the kofta mixture thoroughly so everything blends together evenly. Try not to squeeze or overwork the meat, though; use a light touch. I like to use my hands for this and work quickly, but you can also use a spoon.

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