This marinade for this skewered lamb recipe is jammed with classic Greek flavors like lemon, oregano, and garlic that pair perfectly with flavorful, rich meat.
Place the olive oil, onion, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine, or place the ingredients in a food processor and blend to puree. Add the lamb cubes and toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.
Soak about 20 6-inch wooden skewers, or 10 12-inch skewers, in water to cover for 30 minutes. You can also use metal skewers, which do not need soaking.
Meanwhile, make the Tzatziki: Slice the cucumber half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon. Grate the cucumber using the large holes on a box grater or the grating blade in a food processor. Toss the cucumber with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and place in a strainer over a bowl, or in the sink. Let rest for 10 to 30 minutes.
Use your hands to squeeze the cucumbers to press out any extra liquid, then place in a medium bowl. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, 2 teaspoons oregano, mint, and ½ teaspoon garlic. Stir well, and add pepper and any additional salt as needed (remember the cucumbers were salted at the beginning).
Thread the skewers with the lamb. Discard the remaining marinade.
Heat an outdoor grill to high, or heat a grill pan or a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Grill the kebabs 4 inches from the heat source for about 8 minutes total for medium-rare, turning them every few minutes to get nice grill marks on most sides of the meat. Or sear them for the same amount of time in the hot grill pan.
Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with the oregano sprigs and lemon wedges, if desired. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with the tzatziki.
Notes
By keeping the kebabs strictly lamb only, you can focus on the optimal cooking time and doneness for the meat. You could add vegetables but they may not be done cooking at the same time as the lamb is done to your liking. Consider making separate vegetable kebabs or other grilled vegetables; see How to Grill Vegetables and Veggie Kebabs.
Feel free to cut this recipe in half for 1 pound of lamb meat if you have a smaller group.