There’s nothing quite like the aroma of sizzling lamb koftas fresh off the grill! This easy lamb kofta recipe gives you juicy, spiced kebabs loaded with flavour. Perfect for a quick midweek dinner or a weekend BBQ, these koftas are a real crowd-pleaser.
I love to serve them on flatbreads with homemade whipped feta – it’s a match made in heaven. That creamy, salty feta with the rich, spiced lamb? Absolutely unbeatable.
Nicky’s Recipe Notes
I’ve made these lamb koftas more times than I can count – they’re one of my go-to recipes for when I want something big on flavour but easy to pull together. Whether we’re firing up the BBQ (that’s Chris’s department), using my griddle pan, or cooking under the grill (broiler) they always come out juicy and delicious!.
But here’s the thing – pair them with my whipped feta, and you’ve got something really special. The creamy, salty feta balances the richness of the lamb perfectly and adds a little tangy bite that makes the whole dish sing. It’s the ultimate combo.
Why I Love This Recipe:
- ✅ Juicy, tender koftas – use lamb mince with 20% fat for juicy flavour with no risk of dry meat.
- ✅ Perfect with whipped feta – that creamy, salty contrast is just dreamy.
- ✅ East to make them go further – serve with extra sides like flatbreads, fries, salads and dips to stretch for more people.
- ✅ Great for prepping ahead – perfect for BBQs, quick dinners and when you’ve got friends round for a Summer dinner.
- ✅ Customisable heat – easily dial up or down the spice.
Top tip: Wet your hands when shaping the koftas – it stops the mixture sticking and makes life much easier. And don’t forget to soak wooden skewers (if you’re using them) to prevent them from catching fire (yes, I’ve learned that one the hard way!).
📋 What do we need?
Kofta Ingredients
🧄 The Kofta spices
Lamb Koftas are considered a Middle Eastern dish and there are many variations out there. Most recipes call for a blend of cumin, coriander and mint, to give that iconic Kofta flavour.
Whipped Feta Ingredients
What do Lamb Koftas taste like?
Lamb koftas are juicy, savoury, and spiced with the warming flavours of cumin and coriander. There’s a hint of mint in there, giving it a touch of freshness and a smoky char from grilling them.
They can also have some warming heat if you wanted to add chilli to them.
I like to sprinkle chilli flakes on top for a bit of heat (for those that like spiciness). You can add 1/2 a teaspoon of chilli flakes directly into the kofta mixture before grilling if everyone you’re cooking for likes a bit of heat.
📺 Watch how to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Pro Tip
As with most meats you want to rest them for 2 to 3 minutes before serving. This is a key step to ensure that the lamb koftas are lovely and juicy.
You can griddle, grill (broil) or barbecue these koftas. Be sure to let them form a nice crust before turning – this helps them to keep their shape.
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Lamb Kofta Kebab Recipe
Ingredients
Lamb Koftas:
- 500 g (1.1 lbs) lamb mince (use 20% fat mince)
- 3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
- ½ small onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried mint (or 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp oil
Whipped Feta
- 200 g (7 oz) feta
- 100 g (3 1/2 oz) cream cheese
- 1 small garlic clove , peeled and minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Add the lamb, panko breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, mint, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper to a large bowl. Mix to combine.500 g (1.1 lbs) lamb mince, 3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 small onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp dried mint, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Divide the mixture into eight and mould each portion on wooden or metal skewers to form eight koftas. If using wooden skewers, soak them first so they don't burn.
- Brush the koftas with the oil and heat a griddle pan (grill pan) over a medium–high heat. Alternatively, preheat the grill (broiler) to high and place a wire rack in the grill tray. Cook the koftas for 6–7 minutes, turning a few times during cooking, until well browned and cooked through.1 tbsp oil
- While the koftas are cooking, make the whipped feta. Place the feta, cream cheese, garlic, oil, lemon juice and water into the bowl of a small food processor and blend together until smooth. If you would like a thinner consistency, add more oil or a splash of water. Transfer the whipped feta to a serving dish.200 g (7 oz) feta, 100 g (3 1/2 oz) cream cheese, 1 small garlic clove, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp lemon juice, 3 tbsp cold water
- When the lamb koftas are cooked, remove from the heat and allow to rest for 2–3 minutes.
- Serve the lamb koftas on warmed flatbreads, topped with the whipped feta, chilli flakes, red onion, tomatoes, parsley and lemon wedges.4 Greek-style flatbreads, 1 tsp chilli flakes (red pepper flakes), 1 small red onion, cherry tomatoes, small bunch of parsley, chopped lemon wedges
Video
Notes
Wooden skewers
If you’re using wooden skewers for these koftas then ensure you soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to ensure they don’t burn during cooking.Turn into meatballs
You can shape these into meatballs if you prefer and can either cook them on the skewers or in a large frying pan on the hob (stovetop).Other cooking methods
-
- To cook them under the grill you want to preheat the grill to high and cook for 5-7 minutes turning 2-3 times, until cooked through. Due to the fat content of the lamb, it can be quite splattery while cooking.
- Cook on the BBQ on oiled grates over a medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes turning 2-3 times, until cooked through.
- Bake in the oven at 200C/400F (fan) for about 16-20 minutes, turning halfway through until cooked.
- Turn into meatballs and cook on the hob (stovetop) in an oiled pan over a medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes turning 2-3 times, until cooked.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
🍽️ What to serve it with
I like to serve these Koftas with some:
- Shop-bought or Homemade Flatbreads
- A green salad.
- If you’re not into whipped feta, then a simple mint yoghurt dip, such as Raita or Tzatziki pair well.
- Homemade chips are a great way to make this dinner more substantial!
Yes, these can be made up ahead, covered and stored in the fridge (uncooked). Bring them out of the fridge and leave them covered for 30 minutes to allow them to come up to room temperature before cooking.
Yes, you can use minced beef with these koftas. As with the lamb, go with 20% fat, so they’re nice and juicy.
Yes, this recipe scales quite easily. We made a double batch of these recently using 2x all of the ingredients and it worked perfectly.
You can swap the fresh mint for the same quantity of fresh coriander (cilantro).
🍲 More fantastic Street Food recipes
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Very tasty – like all your recipes so far, no wimping out on the spice quantities! Used beef mince and fresh coriander in place of mint. For us 4 I used 750g minced beef, multiplied ingredients by 1 and 1/2 . Rolled into 32 balls and shallow fried in oil. Served with rice and peas, yoghurt and a chopped fresh tomato and red onion salad. YUM
Can I use dried mint if so how much
Mistakenly used turkey mince instead of lamb mince today.
A very happy accident works really well with your recipe. 👍
I have just added your Lamb Kofta Recipe to my system. (I may be able to afford it IF I ever win the pools. The price of mutton is exorbitant here.)
It brings up the question of the pepper ingredient.
In US-type recipes, they often call for “Freshly ground black pepper” but you only refer to ground black pepper. (This is much easier for me.) Does it really make a difference?
We had Koftas in a restaurant recently and this recipes sounds delish. Can I make it with left over lamb from our Sunday Roast?
Hi Brenda,
No I don’t think it would work using leftover roast dinner lamb sorry. If you’re looking for ideas to use up leftover roast lamb, we ALWAY make this Crispy Lamb Salad https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/crispy-lamb-salad/
Thanks
Chris & Nicky
You could use the leftover lamb to make lamb kebabs adding in some onion and tomato salad , Indian spices and the yoghurt dressing.
To be honest these are what I consider to be real Kebabs. Not those things with lumps of meat skewered. Thank you.