Moroccan Spiced Lamb Kefta Skewers

~ Grilled Moroccan Lamb Keftas, Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Tsatsiki ~

There is something utterly complete about this meal. Homemade ground lamb keftas, fragrant with Moroccan spices, are grilled until crisp and succulent. Served with a sweet and spicy red pepper puree and cool minty yogurt sauce, these addictive morsels hit all flavor notes. They are a great option for party food, easy to prepare in advance and economical in ingredients. Just be warned that your guests will inhale these skewers before you blink, so you might need to splurge on a double recipe.

Spicy Lamb Kefta Skewers

Serves 4 to 6

Keftas:
2 pounds ground lamb
1 small onion, minced, about 1/2 cup
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1/2 cup Italian parsley leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Pre-soaked bamboo skewers
Extra-virgin olive oil

Tsatstiki:
1 1/2 cups whole milk Greek yogurt
1 small English cucumber, seeded, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of Tabasco

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Pita bread
Fresh mint leaves

Prepare the keftas: Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix to combine, without over-mixing. With a light hand, form a handful of the meat around a skewer into a sausage, about 2-inches long by 1-inch wide. Place on a tray or platter. Repeat with remaining meat. Lightly brush the keftas with olive oil. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Prepare the tsatsiki: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Keep refrigerated until use.

Grill the keftas over medium heat until cooked through, about 10 minutes, turning once or twice. (Or broil in the oven). Serve warm with tsatsiki, red pepper sauce and pita. Garnish with mint leaves.

14 thoughts on “Moroccan Spiced Lamb Kefta Skewers”

Scrumptious! I am a big fan of Middle Eastern food.

Cheers,

Rosa

I love what you do with meat – and this looks marvelous. Larry would be all over these, my lamb-lover.

We’ve had a few warm days before the sun goes into hiding for the day and the temperature dips again. This is a perfect weekend dinner with an excuse to uncover the grill and dust off the patio furniture. My husband and daughter adore lamb!

You have no idea how much my husband would love those! So, I’m keeping them secret to surprise him…

I had problems in the past makig this type of skewer, because the meat did not stick well and I ended up making a royal mess in the grill, and losing quite a bit of meat in the process. I better perfect my method 😉