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    Cooking Gorgeous » All Recipes » Main Dishes

    Turkish Grilled Lamb Kofta - Izgara Kofte

    Published: Dec 20, 2021 · Modified: Nov 6, 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 extremely delicious and juicy lamb kofta kebabs are traditionally cooked over charcoal but you can cook them on a gas BBQ, on the stove, or even in the oven grill.

    Sigara kofte served with salad, yoghurt sauce and pita bread
    Jump to:
    • What is Kofta?
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • How to Make the Best Lamb Koftas?
    • How to Serve Lamb Koftas?
    • Top Tips From The Chef
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Grilled Lamb Kofta - Izgara Kofte

    What is Kofta?

    Kofta is a Middle Eastern dish made with minced lamb or/and beef, flavored with exotic spices, eggs, and fresh herbs. They can be shaped in patties (Patlican Kebabi - Eggplant Kebab), balls (Sulu Köfte - Turkish Meatball Soup), sausage-shaped (Izmir Kofte - Smyrna Meatballs), or on skewers (Adana Kebap - Adana Kofte).

    Although technically koftas are "meatballs", some Turkish kofta recipes don't contain any meat such as Courgette Fritters (Mucver) Recipe, Fellah Koftesi, and Mercimek Kofte (Vegan Lentil Balls).

    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.

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • Grilled Lamb Kofta is 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 them for up to 3 months. Perfect dish for busy weekday meals or big gatherings!
    • Most of the ingredients for making Lamb Koftas are possibly already in your pantry or fridge.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Labelled picture of ingredients for lamb kofta
    • Lamb mince - The main ingredient for kofte is minced lamb (ground lamb); 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 flavor 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 flavoring 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.
    • Kofta Spices - Most recipes call for a blend of coriander powder, black pepper, and paprika (or chili) 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 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 your BBQ to medium-high.

    For cooking the koftas on an oven grill, preheat it to medium-high.

    Or, if you want to cook the koftas on a skillet, preheat it over medium-high heat.

    To prepare the kofte mixture, place the minced lamb, grated onion, parsley, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, and spices in a large bowl.

    place kofte ingredients in a bowl

    Mix well for at least 5 minutes or until it has a nice and soft texture slightly sticking to your hand. 

    the mixture for Lamb kofta is ready to be shaped

    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. 

    kofta mixture is shaped into patties

    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.

    lamb koftas are cooked until golden brown

    Serve them immediately on a bed of Turkish Rice (Sehriyeli Pilav) or Greek Pita Bread with a dollop of yogurt dressing.

    lamb koftas served on pita bread with yogurt dressing and onion salad

    How to Serve Lamb Koftas?

    There are many ways to enjoy this juicy Lamb Koftas:
    You can have them with flatbread such as Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi, Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread), or Garlic Naan - Indian Flatbread.
    Or serve them with pilaf dishes such as Bulgur Pilavi (Turkish Bulgur Rice Pilaf), Turkish Rice (Sehriyeli Pilav), or Turkish Bulgur Pilaf with Lentils.
    Don't forget to add some refreshing side dishes to go with your spicy Lamb Koftas such as Indian Chickpea Salad - Chana Salad, Greek Cucumber Salad, Cacik (Turkish Yoghurt With Cucumbers), or Tomato and Walnut Salad (Gavurdagi Salatasi).

    Top Tips From The Chef

    • The lamb mince should have %20 fat for soft and delicious koftas. Using lean minced meat will make them dry and tough.
    • Let your kofte mixture rest for a minimum of 2 hours, ideally overnight for the flavors to meld.
    • Use your hands to mix up the meat, herbs, and spices to make sure everything is mixed well.
    • You can shape the lamb kofta on skewers and serve them as lamb kofte kebabs for your BBQ parties.
    • For meal prep, you can store the kofta mixture refrigerated in an airtight container for a couple of days.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can you freeze lamb kofta?

    The Lamb Kofta mixture is perfect for freezing. Place the mixture in the freezer in an airtight container where you can keep them for up to three months. Simply defrost them overnight in the fridge when you need them.

    Where does lamb kofta 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.

    Can you make them ahead?

    Yes, you can make kofte mixture a couple of days in advance and keep them refrigerated in an airtight container until you need them.

    Related Recipes

    For more delicious Turkish street food recipes why not try:

    • Kumpir - Turkish Baked Potato
    • Simit (Turkish Sesame Bagel)
    • Turkish Lahmacun
    • Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes)

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making these soft, juicy, and spicy grilled Lamb Koftas as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂 

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

    lamb kofte patties served with pita bread, haydari and salad

    Grilled Lamb Kofta - Izgara Kofte

    Ayla Clulee
    Grilled Lamb Kofta (Izgara Kofte in Turkish) is one of the most popular street food in Turkey made with minced lamb and aromatic spices.
    5 from 7 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 kebab skewers
    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 grater
    • 1 microplane
    • 1 Sharp knife
    • 1 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 yogurt 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 your BBQ 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 yogurt dressing.

    Notes

    • The lamb mince should have %20 fat for soft and delicious koftas. Using lean minced meat will make them dry and tough.
    • Let your kofte mixture rest for a minimum of 2 hours, ideally overnight for the flavors to meld.
    • Use your hands to mix up the meat, herbs, and spices to make sure everything is mixed well.
    • You can shape the lamb kofta on skewers and serve them as lamb kofte kebabs for your BBQ parties.
    • For meal prep, you can store the kofta mixture refrigerated in an airtight container for a couple of days.

    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!

    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
    4. Fiona

      July 01, 2022 at 5:06 am

      5 stars
      Mixed all the ingredients, refrigerated overnight, and grilled them the next day on the BBQ. They were very easy to shape and grill and tasted fantastic. Will definitely make again. Thanks!

      Reply
    5. Pam

      July 03, 2022 at 4:20 am

      5 stars
      Fantastic koftas. Made them the day before and that worked well too. Would definitely make again.

      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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