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two lamb kofta or kofte on pita with yogurt sauce
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4.88 from 8 votes

Lamb kofta (köfte)

These lamb kofta (köfte) have just the right balance of seasoning and lamb flavor. Easy and tasty. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Turkish
Servings: 2 -4 (makes 4 long kofte)
Calories: 693kcal
Author: Caroline's Cooking
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Ingredients

  • ½ onion grated
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed/finely grated
  • 2 tablespoon mint finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
  • 1 lb ground lamb lamb mince
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg (optional, see notes)

Instructions

  • Soak 4 wooden skewers a little ahead of time, if using, or use metal skewers.
  • Grate the onion, grate or crush the garlic and finely chop the mint and parsley (note quantity is after chopping). 
  • Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well - I'd recommend using your hands and really knead the mixture kind of squeezing it to get all the ingredients well mixed. 
  • Divide the mixture in to four and press each quarter into a sausage shape (it doesn't have to be as long as you will want yet). Push each sausage shaped kofte on to a skewer and spread it along the skewer a bit so it thins out a little more. Put the kofte on a tray or plate and refrigerate for around 20 minutes or so to firm up a little.
  • Heat the grill to a medium heat and cook the kofte a few minutes each side until lightly charred and the meat is cooked through. Alternatively, you can cook them under a broiler (grill). 

Video

Notes

I have made these both with and without egg - the egg makes it a little softer and lighter which has pros and cons. I recommend chilling before cooking in both cases, but especially if using egg. Overall, I would say without egg is probably more typical and what I use more often.
I recommend serving with some cacik (similar to tzatziki) to cut through the richness of the meat. You can add both to a pita/wrap, along with some tomato, onion and herbs. Alternatively it works well with salads like tabbouleh and fattoush.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 693kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 247mg | Sodium: 1332mg | Potassium: 595mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 505IU | Vitamin C: 10.2mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 4.4mg