Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Herb Salad and Yogurt Sauce
Spiced ground-lamb kebabs shaped on double skewers and grilled over medium-high heat, served with a garlicky dill yogurt sauce and a fresh herb-and-sprout salad.
⏱️ Prep: 30 min🍳 Cook: 12 min
Ingredients
| 1 lb | 455 g | ground lamb (makes 6 skewers) |
| 1/2 | onion, finely diced | |
| 3 | garlic cloves, finely minced | |
| 2 teaspoons | 10 ml | cumin |
| 2 teaspoons | 10 ml | coriander |
| 2 teaspoons | 10 ml | sumac (sub 1 Tbsp finely chopped lemon zest) |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | Aleppo chili flakes (or regular chili flakes) |
| 1 ½ teaspoons | 7.5 ml | kosher salt |
| 2 tablespoons | 30 ml | chopped mint (or parsley, or dill) |
| 12 | 12-inch wood skewers, soaked | |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | plain thick greek yogurt |
| 2 tablespoons | 30 ml | fresh chopped dill (or mint) |
| 2 | garlic cloves, finely minced | |
| 1/4 teaspoon | 1.3 ml | salt |
| 2–3 handfuls | baby spring greens | |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | fresh torn herbs (Italian parsley, mint, dill, cilantro) |
| 1/2–1 cup | 120–240 ml | sprouts — radish, sunflower, or baby pea shoots (optional) |
| 1 | turkish cucumber, thinly sliced | |
| 2 | radishes, thinly sliced | |
| 1 | green onion, thinly sliced | |
| 2 tablespoons | 30 ml | olive oil |
| 1 | zest of one lemon | |
| 2 tablespoons | 30 ml | lemon juice |
| 1/4 teaspoon | 1.3 ml | salt |
| 1/4 teaspoon | 1.3 ml | cracked pepper |
| 1/2 teaspoon | 2.5 ml | sumac |
Instructions
- Soak the skewers and start the grill.
- With a wet hand, mix the lamb ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix the yogurt sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Prep the salad ingredients and place them into a medium bowl. Stir the salad dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Form the kebabs. Using wet hands, divide the meat into 6 portions of similar size, roughly ½ cup. Form each into a long oval shape, then skewer with two skewers, and continue shaping and stretching until the meat is roughly 5 inches long and 1 ½ inches in diameter, like the shape of a Turkish cucumber. You can gently roll the meat on the skewers like a rolling pin to get it nice and even, but they don't need to be perfect. Just make sure the skewers are centered down the middle so the lamb stays on. (All of this can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight or until ready to grill.)
- Brush, spray or roll in olive oil to prevent sticking, and grill over medium-high heat, turning every few minutes after getting a good sear on all sides. To turn, use tongs on the lamb itself rather than picking up by the skewers — it will help the lamb stay on. Once the lamb is seared on all sides, turn the grill off, cover it, and let the lamb rest inside for a few minutes while you get the plates ready.
- Toss the salad, and place a smear of yogurt dill sauce on one half of the plate. Top the sauce with 2–3 skewers. Mound the salad on the other half and serve immediately.
Note: If preparing for a larger gathering, feel free to form the kebabs a day ahead and refrigerate. The meat will take on more flavor from the spices and you won't have to fiddle with forming the skewers at the last minute.