Middle Eastern recipe

Iraqi Lamb Kofta Kebabs

Name: Iraqi Lamb Kofta Kebabs
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern cuisine
Ingredients: 800 g ground lamb with some fat; 1 small yellow onion, finely grated and squeezed; 30 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, grated; 6 g ground cumin; 5 g ground coriander; 2 g ground cinnamon and black pepper; 8 g fine salt; 8 wide flat metal skewers, or soaked bamboo skewers; 30 ml neutral oil for the grill

Ground lamb is mixed with grated onion, parsley and a warm cumin-coriander-spice blend, shaped around skewers and grilled until charred outside and juicy within.

Iraq

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 50 min
Servings: 4

Ingredients

800 g
ground lamb with some fat
1
small yellow onion, finely grated and squeezed
30 g
flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2
garlic cloves, grated
6 g
ground cumin
5 g
ground coriander
2 g
ground cinnamon and black pepper
8 g
fine salt
8
wide flat metal skewers, or soaked bamboo skewers
30 ml
neutral oil for the grill

Method

01
Squeeze the grated onion dry
Grate the onion into a clean towel and squeeze until only damp pulp remains. Excess onion water can loosen the meat mixture and make it slide off skewers.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Season the lamb mixture
Combine lamb, squeezed onion, parsley, garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, pepper and salt in a bowl. Mix until tacky and evenly flecked with herbs.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Chill and prepare skewers
Cover and refrigerate the meat for 20 minutes to firm. If using bamboo skewers, soak them while the mixture chills; preheat the grill or broiler.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Shape the kofta
Divide the lamb into even portions. With damp hands, press each portion around a flat skewer into a long ridged sausage shape, keeping the meat thickness even from end to end.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Oil and grill
Brush the grates lightly with oil. Grill over medium-high heat, turning the skewers until each side is browned and charred in spots; avoid pressing the meat.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Check doneness and rest
Check the centre of a thick kofta with an instant-read thermometer; ground lamb should reach 71°C. Rest briefly so the juices settle before serving.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Serve with flatbread and salad
Slide the kofta from the skewers onto a platter. Serve with warm flatbread, tomato-cucumber salad, lemon wedges and yogurt sauce.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Chill the seasoned meat mixture briefly before shaping so the skewered kebabs hold together on the grill.
Oil the grill grates lightly and turn the kebabs only after a browned crust releases easily.

Common mistakes

Lean-only meat can make kofta dry; a modest amount of fat keeps the skewers juicy.
Packing meat loosely onto skewers creates air gaps and causes the kebabs to split while turning.

Substitutions

Ground beef may replace some lamb, but retain enough fat and keep the spice blend balanced.
For oven cooking, arrange the kebabs on a rack over a rimmed tray and broil, turning once for even browning.

Storage

Cool promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C; use within 3 days and reheat until steaming throughout.

Cultural context

Kofta names a broad family of seasoned ground-meat preparations across the Middle East and beyond. This lamb-and-herb skewer is explicitly an Iraqi-inspired home version; shaping, spices and accompaniments vary widely.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Kafta shish kebab and grilled vegetables on salad - Cambridge, MA.jpg — Photograph by Daderot; CC0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Middle Eastern recipes

Iraqi Lamb Kofta Kebabs

Ingredients

Method

Squeeze the grated onion dry

Season the lamb mixture

Chill and prepare skewers

Shape the kofta

Oil and grill

Check doneness and rest

Serve with flatbread and salad

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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