Lamb Koftas with Tahini Yogurt Sauce

These super juicy lamb koftas are the perfect centerpiece for a barbecue or a Middle Eastern-style feast. Served with a zingy yogurt tahini sauce and cooked quickly in one skillet, they make the ultimate easy and delicious bite you’re going to love.

I cycle through desert island dishes, but one that constantly comes up is a Middle Eastern feast. And for me, these gorgeous lamb koftas feature front and center in that feast. It’s the combination of the spices – cumin, coriander, paprika, and cinnamon are the core – with the juicy lamb, fresh herbs and garlic that make these koftas so delicious.

I’m serving them with a deliciously creamy yogurt tahini sauce, which I highly recommend, although it’s optional.

There are different ways you can cook them (stove-top, griddle pan, grill, barbecue, baked in the oven), but I’m sharing the way I use the most:

• Starting on the stovetop and finishing in the oven.
• This way, you get the lovely golden crust with a perfectly cooked center, without burning the outside.
• Plus, using an ovenproof skillet means less washing up.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Ground lamb. A good lamb kofta is JUICY. That means you want to use ground lamb that has a decent percentage of fat. Stay away from anything marked ‘lean’ as it’ll just dry out. You could also use ground beef, turkey, chicken, or a plant-based alternative if you prefer.
• Spices. Ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and paprika are the core four. I’ve also added sumac, a deliciously tart, citrus-flavored spice, but it can sometimes be tricky to find, so leave it out if you can’t find it. I’ve also added chili flakes, but again, leave them out if you’re worried about them being too spicy.
• Herbs. I’m using flat-leaf parsley and mint, and they’re chopped super finely so they mix cohesively with the lamb. You could use dried herbs if you don’t have any fresh – use 1 tablespoon of dried parsley or mint in place of the fresh herbs. Or use all fresh parsley or all fresh mint if you don’t have both.

How to Make Lamb Koftas

Start by finely chopping the shallot (or onion), parsley and mint – you want this very finely chopped so the leaves don’t stick out when you’re shaping the koftas.

Mix all the ingredients with the ground lamb. Get your hands into the mix and squish it all together so that everything is distributed evenly throughout the meat.

You can shape them however you like – you could roll them into small meatballs, or longer logs – but I’m doing small ovals here.

Take about a golf ball size of the mixture into your hands, then press and roll it into a rough oval shape. Set aside on a plate and continue with the rest of the mixture. Pop in the fridge to firm up while you make the sauce.

While the koftas are firming up in the fridge, heat your oven and make the yogurt tahini sauce.

Cook the koftas for a couple of minutes in a skillet, to seal the outsides and create a lovely crust, then transfer to the oven to finish cooking.

PRO TIP: If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, just use an ordinary pan and then transfer the koftas to a lined oven tray to finish them off.

To serve, pile the yogurt tahini sauce onto a serving plate and layer on the koftas. Finish with the optional garnishes – more parsley, along with pomegranate seeds (that pop of colour is so beautiful on the plate!), chilli flakes and nutty dukkah. Serve any leftover sauce on the side.

Lamb Koftas FAQs

Can I make the lamb koftas in advance?

You can! You can make and form the koftas, then store them in the fridge in sealed containers a day before you’re ready to cook them.

You can also brown them in your skillet before storing them in the fridge and finishing them off in the oven when you’re ready to serve them. They’ll last for 5 days in the fridge once cooked.

Can I freeze the lamb koftas?

Yes! The koftas freeze really well. You can either freeze them once cooked or freeze them raw. In both cases, arrange them on a lined tray and freeze until solid, then pop them into zip-lock bags.

You can defrost cooked koftas straight from frozen in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for 25 minutes, or throw them into a sauce on the stove if you’re using them that way. You’ll need to defrost the raw koftas before cooking them, ideally overnight in the fridge.

I don’t like lamb – can I use something else?

You can switch out the lamb for beef, chicken, or even turkey mince. Or you could use half lamb and half beef if that works for you.

How spicy are the lamb koftas?

They have a little bit of heat from the chilli flakes, but it’s a small amount in comparison to the other spices. I’ve labelled it as optional in the recipe, so if you’re worried, leave it out.

Four Ways to Serve Juicy Lamb Koftas

• Pile on top of up with creamy super smooth hummus for a Middle Eastern-style feast.
• Load into easy, soft garlic flatbreads and drizzle the yogurt tahini sauce on top.
• Serve on top of life-changing loaded baked rice with green tahini sauce on the side.
• Pair with this zesty Greek quinoa salad and creamy tzatziki.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @Zageer on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day 😊.

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Lamb Koftas with Tahini Yogurt Sauce

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Kate Phillips
• Total Time: 26 minutes
• Yield: 15 koftas 1x

Print Recipe

Description

These super juicy lamb koftas are the perfect centrepiece for a barbecue or Middle Eastern-style feast. Served with a zingy yogurt tahini sauce and cooked quickly in one skillet, they make the ultimate easy and delicious dish you’re going to love.

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Ingredients

Units Scale

For the lamb koftas –

• 1 shallot (or small onion)
• 1lb (500g) ground lamb
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sumac (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup finely chopped mint
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon sunflower/rapeseed oil (oil with a high smoking point, not olive oil)

For the tahini yogurt dressing –

• 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened or Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

To serve (optional) –

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon nutty dukkah
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

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Instructions

1. Start by finely dicing the shallot (or onion). To do this, with the root facing away from you, slice thin strips down the shallot, without cutting through the root. Carefully make cuts through the cross-section of the shallot in the opposite direction. Then cut down the shallot from the top. This way you’ll easily get finely diced pieces.
2. Mix the koftas. Add your lamb, the diced shallot, 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, smoked paprika, salt, sumac if you’re using it, ½ teaspoon of chili flakes if you’re using them, ½ cup of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and ¼ cup finely chopped mint leaves into a large mixing bowl. Using a Microplane or fine side of a grater, grate the 3 garlic cloves straight into the bowl with the other ingredients. You can use a garlic press here if you prefer. There’s no getting around it – the best way to ensure everything is mixed well is to get your hands in there and scrunch the mixture together. You can wear disposable gloves if you have them. Mix until everything is well combined.
3. Shape the koftas. Get a large plate ready. Wet your hands (this makes it easier to form the koftas without the mix sticking to your hands). Pick up a tablespoon of the mixture, and form into a small oval shape in your hands. Pop on the plate and repeat with the remaining mixture. You should get 15 koftas from the mix. It helps at this point to refrigerate the koftas for around 30 minutes so they have a chance to firm up before cooking. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C fan).
4. Make the tahini yogurt sauce. Add ½ a cup of yogurt, 2 tablespoons tahini, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of salt to a small bowl. Again using a Microplane, small grater or garlic press, grate the 2 garlic cloves directly into the bowl. Mix vigorously with a fork until a smooth, creamy sauce forms. Set aside.
5. Cook the koftas. Remove the koftas from the fridge and get a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of rapeseed/sunflower oil, then add the koftas to the skillet. Depending on the size of your skillet, you might need to do this in batches. Cook them for 5 minutes on each side, until they’re golden brown. Try not to move them until they naturally release from the pan – if you go to rotate them and feel like they’re sticking, they’re not ready to turn. Once they’re brown all over, pop the skillet in the oven for 4 minutes. This way of cooking them makes sure you get that lovely crispy, golden crust and koftas that are cooked through without being burnt.
6. Serve the koftas. Remove the skillet from the oven. To serve, spoon the yogurt tahini sauce onto a serving plate, then layer on the koftas. Finish with the optional garnishes of parsley, dukkah, chili flakes and pomegranate seeds (or choose some of these rather than them all!). Eat right away.

Notes

If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, brown the koftas in a regular pan and then transfer them to a lined oven tray to finish off in the oven.

PREP AHEAD: You can prepare the koftas up until you cook them the day before you’re planning to serve to get ahead. Just store them in containers in the fridge and then cook them when you’re ready. Alternatively, you can pan-fry the koftas, pop them in the fridge and then finish them off in the oven when you’re ready to serve.

FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS: They will also freeze well once cooked. You can then cook them straight from frozen in the oven at 200C/390F fan for 20 minutes, or throw them into a sauce and let them defrost as you’re cooking. You can also freeze the raw koftas. Get them on a lined tray in the freezer until solid, then store them in zip-lock bags. You’ll need to defrost them before using them, ideally in the fridge overnight.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I love to pair them with creamy hummus, soft flatbreads, a Greek quinoa salad and some garlicky tzatziki for a lovely Middle-Eastern style feast.

• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 16
• Category: meat
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: middle eastern

Nutrition

• Serving Size:3 koftas

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