Lamb Kebabs
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Here we are, back in Turkey for lamb kebabs. I have to admit, I’ve been a bit obsessed with Turkish cuisine ever since returning from Istanbul. There are lots of fresh vegetable dishes at every meal, including breakfast, local cheeses, and a variety of meats, from chicken and beef to lamb and fish. One of the dishes I was most looking forward to when I was in Istanbul was the kebabs! I love lamb and it’s one of the most common meats there.
What’s the difference between shish kebab and kebab?
One thing I was surprised by was the lack of “shish” in the kebab dishes. Before going to Turkey, I assumed that any dish labeled as kebab would come on a skewer. I was wrong. Kebab or “kebap” just means “roasted meat”. Whereas “şiş” is the Turkish word for “shish,” meaning skewer or sword. But not all kebabs are served on a skewer.
Ingredients for lamb kebab
While this recipe calls for lamb, you can substitute ground beef if ground lamb is difficult to find. Sumac and Aleppo pepper are the only exotic ingredients called for in this recipe. Both can be found in the spice aisle of your local grocery store or at Costplus World Market or Amazon. Crushed red pepper flakes can be substituted for the Aleppo pepper. Recipe adapted from The Ultimate Turkish Cookbook.
- Ground lamb
- Onion
- Fresh garlic cloves
- Olive oil
- Crushed red pepper (or Aleppo pepper)
- Dried oregano
- Sumac
- Ground cumin
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Small tomatoes
How to make lamb kebabs
These lamb kebabs are cooked in a heavy cast iron skillet. They can also be grilled using metal skewers or wooden skewers that have been soaked in cold water for 30 minutes to prevent them from burning. Grilled tomatoes are often served with kebabs.
- Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic
- In a large bowl, mix all the spices together.
- Add ground lamb, chopped onion, and garlic and mix well. You can also use a food processor to mix. Let the meat marinate for 15-30 minutes. It can also sit covered with plastic wrap overnight in the fridge.
- Using wet hands to prevent sticking, form the kebab mixture into 8 fat, sausage shapes.
- Heat a heavy skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil.
- Fry lamb kebabs, turning occasionally until browned on all sides and done. Internal temperature should reach 135 degrees F, about 8-10 minutes.
- If desired, briefly fry tomato halves in the same pan, just until soft and slightly charred, about 2-3 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh chopped flat leaf parsley. Serve on a bed of Mediterranean Rice Pilaf with tzatziki sauce and Turkish or warm pita bread.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
What to serve with meat kebabs
Keep it Turkish and serve them with this tomato and cucumber Turkish Salad.
Right next door to Turkey is Greece, so this Greek Salad would also work.
This Croatian Mediterranean Cucumber Salad would be perfectly at home with this lamb kebab recipe.
If you’re doing summer grilling, try this Mediterranean Rice Salad with feta and fresh herbs.
This Tabbouleh recipe with fresh mint substitutes quinoa for the bulgur wheat.
Lamb Kebabs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or Aleppo red pepper flakes)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3-4 small tomatoes
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the spices together. Add the ground lamb, garlic and chopped onions and mix well.
- Form the lamb mixture into 8 logs.
- Heat a heavy skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil.
- Fry lamb kebabs, turning occasionally until cooked through and browned on all sides. Using a meat thermometer, temperature should reach 135 degrees F.
- Transfer kebabs to a platter. Using the same pan, fry tomato halves about 2-3 minutes until warm and charred. Serve on a bed of rice with tomatoes and fresh chopped parsley.
