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    Cooking Gorgeous » All Recipes » Main Dishes

    Grilled Lamb Kofta - Izgara Kofte

    Published: Dec 20, 2021 · Modified: May 11, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Grilled Lamb Kofta (Izgara Kofte in Turkish) is one of the most popular street food in Turkey made with minced lamb and aromatic spices. These delicious and juicy kofta kebabs are traditionally cooked over charcoal but you can cook them on a BBQ, on the stove, or even in the oven grill.

    grilled lamb kofte served with salad and pita bread
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • How to Make the Best Lamb Koftas?
    • Related Recipes
    • Top Tip From the Chef
    • Grilled Lamb Kofta - Izgara Kofte

    Kofta dishes are very popular in Turkey and there are around 300 different types of kofte recipes. They are more widely consumed than any other dish, and there are many regional variations that date back hundreds of years. Although technically koftes are "meatballs, some recipes don't contain any meat such as Courgette Fritters (Mucver) Recipe and Mercimek Kofte (Lentil Balls).

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • It is very easy to prepare with step-by-step instructions and pictures, a perfect weekday meal with minimum preparation.
    • You can make them ahead and keep them refrigerated for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Perfect dish for busy weekday meals or big gatherings!
    • Most of the ingredients are possibly already in your pantry or fridge.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Ingredients for grilled lamb kofta(izgara kofte)
    • Lamb mince - The main ingredient for kofte is minced lamb (ground lamb) and its fat content is as important as the quality of the meat. Ideally, it should have %20 fat for soft and delicious koftes. Using lean minced meat will make them dry and tough.
    • Onion -  It adds extra flavour and moisture to the koftas. I prefer grating it into the mixture. You can finely chop and sauté them if you prefer. You can substitute it with two banana shallots.
    • Garlic - It is another great flavouring for kofte dishes and is absolutely essential. You can turn it into a paste with a mortar and pestle or grate it with a Microplane. You can substitute the fresh garlic with the garlic powder.
    • Egg - It helps to bind the meat, breadcrumbs, spices and herbs. For up to one kilo of meat, you usually won't need more than one egg.
    • Spices - Most recipes call for a blend of coriander powder, black pepper, and paprika (or chilli) but you can also add cumin, cayenne pepper or a touch of cinnamon.
    • Bread crumbs - They absorb the juices from the meat as it cooks, trapping them within the meatball. Also, they give meatballs a nice and soft texture.
    • Parsley - Great tasting herb to add to the Kofte mixture. Use flat-leaf or curly parsley leaves for the best results. You can substitute it with thyme or oregano. 

    How to Make the Best Lamb Koftas?

    Making this delicious kofta dish is very simple and straightforward. However, to achieve the best results you need to follow a few tips and simple steps:

    Prepare the Yoghurt Dressing

    Turn the garlic into a paste using a pestle and mortar or grate it using a Microplane. Place the yoghurt in a bowl and add the garlic paste along with the dried mint and mix well. Set aside and keep refrigerated until you need it.

    garlic, yoghurt and mint for dressing

    Prepare the Lamb Koftas

    If cooking the koftas on a BBQ, preheat it to medium-high, if cooking them on the oven grill, preheat it to medium-high or if using a skillet, preheat your skillet over medium-high heat. To prepare the kofte mixture, put all kofte ingredients in a large bowl and then mix well for at least 5 minutes or until it has a nice and soft texture slightly sticking to your hand. 

    place all the ingredients for kofte in a bowl
    mix them all until nicely combined

    Shape them into 10-12 equally sized patties using the palm of your hands. Wet your palm with a bit of water to avoid the meatballs sticking to your hand. Cook the koftas on BBQ for 6 to 8 minutes, until all sides are nicely browned. It would take 10 to 12 minutes in oven-grill and 5 to 7 minutes on the skillet to cook the koftas.

    Shape them into small patties
    cook them until nicely browned on all sides

    Serve them immediately on a bed of Turkish Rice Pilaf or Homemade Pita Bread with a dollop of yoghurt dressing.

    serve the Koftas on a Homemade pita bread

    Related Recipes

    For more delicious lamb recipes why not try:

    • Hunkar Begendi (Sultan's Delight)
    • Turkish Lamb Stew with Chickpeas
    • Lamb Shish Kebab
    • Kuru Fasulye
    • Authentic Greek Moussaka
    • Beyti Kebab
    • Keema Naan Bread
    • Easy Lamb Goulash | Hungarian Stew
    • Adana Kebap
    • Guvec (Turkish Lamb Casserole)
    • Maqluba (Makloubeh)
    • Sac Kavurma (Turkish Lamb Sauté)
    Can you freeze lamb kofta?

    Lamb Kofta is perfect for freezing and keeping fresh for up to 3 months in the freezer. Place them in an airtight container and place them in the freezer and defrost them overnight in the fridge when you need them.

    Where does lamb kofte originate from?

    Although it is very difficult to tell what country this delicious meat dish originated from, the first kofte recipe is found in an Arabic cookbook. Kofte is widely cooked in Middle Eastern, Balkan, Central Asian, and North African countries.

    What to eat with lamb kofta?

    There are many ways to enjoy kofte:
    You can have them with flatbread, try my Homemade Pita Bread, Bazlama (Turkish Bread), or Garlic Naan Bread.
    You can have them with pilaf dishes. Check some of my recipes; Bulgur Pilaf, Turkish Rice Pilaf, or Turkish Bulgur Pilaf with Lentils.
    You can have them with a tangy mint&yoghurt sauce or some salads to make lamb kofte wraps. Try my Summer Chickpea Salad, Greek Salad, or Tomato and Walnut Salad (Gavurdagi Salatasi).

    Top Tip From the Chef

    You can shape the lamb kofta on skewers and serve them as lamb kofte kebabs for your BBQ parties.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making these juicy and flavoursome Lamb Koftas as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    lamb kofte patties served with pita bread, haydari and salad

    Grilled Lamb Kofta - Izgara Kofte

    Ayla Clulee
    These kofta patties are delicious, juicy and full of Middle Eastern flavours, very easy to prepare and can be made ahead!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 456 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Kabob Skewers
    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 Grater
    • 1 Microplane Zester Grater
    • 1 sharp knife
    • 1 6-Piece Plastic Measuring Cups

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the Yoghurt Dressing

    • 1 cup Natural yoghurt
    • 1 clove garlic
    • ½ teaspoon dried mint

    For the Lamb Koftas

    • 500 g minced lamb (minimum of 20% fat content)
    • 1 large onion (grated)
    • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
    • 1 medium egg
    • 30 g breadcrumbs
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon flaked chilli (pul biber)
    • ½ teaspoon coriander powder
    • 2 tablespoon chopped parsley

    Instructions
     

    Preparing the Yoghurt Dressing

    • Turn the garlic into a paste using a pestle and mortar or grate it using a Microplane.
    • Place the yoghurt in a bowl and add the garlic paste.
    • Add the dried mint and mix well. Set aside and keep refrigerated until you need it.

    Preparing the Lamb Koftas

    • If cooking the koftas on a BBQ, preheat it to medium-high, if cooking them in the oven-grill, preheat the oven-grill to medium-high or if using a skillet, preheat your skillet over medium-high heat.
    • To prepare the kofte mixture, put all kofte ingredients in a large bowl and then mix well for at least 5 minutes or until it has a nice and soft texture slightly sticking to your hand.
    • Shape them into 10-12 equally sized patties using the palm of your hands. Wet your palm with a bit of water to avoid the meatballs sticking to your hand.
    • Cook the koftas on BBQ for 6 to 8 minutes, until all sides are nicely browned.
      It would take 10 to 12 minutes in oven-grill and 5 to 7 minutes on the skillet to cook the koftas.
    • Serve them immediately on a bed of Turkish Rice Pilaf or Homemade Pita Bread with a dollop of yoghurt dressing.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 456kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 26gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 140mgSodium: 757mgPotassium: 486mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 317IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 134mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    FOOD SAFETY

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sabeen

      January 04, 2022 at 3:50 pm

      5 stars
      This koftas are delicious. Will definitely make them again.

      Reply
    2. Rick

      April 10, 2022 at 5:18 am

      5 stars
      Amazing recipe! They look (and sound) very healthy, on my list to "explore" this weekend.

      Reply
    3. Jacqui

      April 25, 2022 at 9:19 am

      5 stars
      Tastes amazing! Family favourite

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        April 26, 2022 at 4:56 am

        Thank you, Jacqui!

        Reply

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    Hi! Thank you for visiting Cooking Gorgeous. My name is Ayla, and I’m a professional chef based in the UK. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    More about me →

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