* This is a sponsored post for Welsh Lamb *
If you love a takeaway, why not try making these Turkish style Lamb Shish Kebabs at home? Melt in your mouth tender chunks of Welsh Lamb that have been marinated in yogurt, herbs and spices. A really simple, but flavour packed recipe that is delicious served with flatbread, salad and chilli sauce.
This is such an easy meal to put together, and if you don't count the time it takes to marinade, it takes just 20 minutes to prepare and cook. Incredibly tender lamb, this is a weekend favourite and easy to adapt with different side dishes and toppings. If you haven't cooked with lamb much, this is an easy recipe to try.
If you are looking for some other lamb recipes to try, then why not try our Slow Cooker Lamb Shoulder, Spiced Lamb Flatbread, Baked Lamb Chops, or Veggie Packed Lamb Koftas?
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Why you will love it
- A great way to use lamb - If you are just used to having lamb on a roast dinner, this is an easy way to branch out and use lamb a difference way.
- A healthier alternative to takeaway - We all love a takeaway and kebabs are a popular option. But not only will this save you money, but it's a healthier alternative because it isn't greasy like takeaway kebabs can be.
- Versatile - There is so much that you can do with these lamb shish kebabs. We have lots of serving suggestions below.
- Easy - These couldn't be easier. Although they take a little time to marinade, the hands on time is very minimal and they take just 15 minutes to cook.
Ingredients needed
- Welsh Lamb - This is the traditional meat to use for shish kebabs. We used boneless Welsh Lamb leg, however you could use boneless lamb shoulder or lamb neck fillets.
- Oil - We used olive oil as we love the flavour. Try to use the best quality olive oil you can, as you really will be able to tell the difference.
- Yogurt - We used a runny natural yogurt. Greek yogurt would be too thick.
- Lemon juice - Make sure it is a juicy lemon, otherwise half won't be enough and you might need to use a whole one.
- Garlic - Freshly crushed is always best, however you could use crushed garlic in a tube to save time. Because the garlic is the most important part of the sauce, you need to make sure it is fresh and firm to touch.
- Bell peppers - Use a good mixture of colours for a pop of colour.
- Spices - We used ground coriander, cumin, cayenne, paprika and fresh parsley. Play around with the amounts to suit your own tastes.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step by step
One: Put all of the ingredients (except the bell peppers) in to a bowl.
Two: Mix well. Put the bowl in the fridge for at least and hour, but overnight if possible.
Three: Thread the marinated lamb and peppers on to the skewers.
Four: Put under a grill on high for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through. Serve hot.
What is a shish kebab?
Shish kebabs are meat and vegetables in a marinade that have been threaded on to a metal or wooden skewer. Although lamb is usually used, shish kebabs are also made with chicken, beef or salmon. We kept it traditional with lamb, because it has such an incredible flavour. Shish kebabs also have vegetables, so we added some peppers. They get nice charred edges, but we have given options for other vegetables to add below. The kebabs are then put on to a barbecue grill, or under a grill (broiler), to cook until tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.
It is thought that cooking meat on a stick dates back to before the 17th Century, where stones have been found with marks cut out of them to rest the sticks on to support them over a fire whilst they cook. Shish kebabs are said to have originated in Iran (what was known as Persia), but they are popular all over the Middle East (where lamb is a popular meat). They are popular all over the world, with many countries having their own version of meat on a stick.
What lamb to use
We used an 800g joint of Welsh Lamb leg and we found that it was enough to serve 4 people, as it made 3 large skewers. Lamb has such an incredible flavour, that a little goes a long way. Even though these shish kebabs are grilled and only take 15 minutes to cook, they are so juicy and tender and they don't dry out like other meat can when cooked at an intense heat. Lamb is such a great source of protein, zinc and Vitamin B12 and has high amounts of omega 3, vitamin E, beta carotene and beneficial fatty acids. What we also love about lamb is how versatile it is - especially a leg of lamb.
Why Welsh Lamb?
When it comes to lamb dishes, it has to be Welsh Lamb. We are really passionate about using locally sourced and seasonal products as much as we can, and this is something that Welsh Lamb are passionate about too. Only the best of the best goes into creating PGI Welsh Lamb. They create premium, superior quality PGI Welsh Lamb using the best that Wales has to offer.
Their farmers are famous all over the world for producing lamb that tastes superb. The non-intensive environment in which livestock are reared develops succulent, sweet and tender meat. The sheep in Wales have thrived for centuries on the natural grassland available all year round, in one of the most unspoilt corners of the world, and you can really taste the difference.
The distinctive taste of Welsh Lamb comes from the green pastures of the hills and valleys, a temperate climate, mineral rich soils and unspoilt environment. It all comes together to produce lamb of the highest quality. As climate change is such a hot topic right now, it is worth mentioning that grassland in the Welsh hills captures carbon from the atmosphere, and Welsh farmers make a positive contribution to mitigating climate change; managing this grassland by combining traditional practices with new innovation.
Find out more at Welsh Lamb, and look out for more recipes using Welsh Lamb coming from us soon.
Marinade
The flavours of these lamb shish kebabs are just amazing. It's not just the incredible flavour of the Welsh Lamb, but the marinade. We marinated the lamb for an hour, which is a must to unlock the flavours. However, we would really recommend marinating it overnight if you can.
We first added some yogurt, as this tenderises the meat and makes it melt in your mouth. We also added some lemon juice, which not only helps to make the meat tender, but it adds lots of freshness too. Olive oil is added not only for flavour, but to help those edges get nice and crispy.
For flavour we added garlic, parsley, coriander, cumin, cayenne, paprika and oregano, as well as salt and pepper. You can adjust the flavour balance to suit your own taste. We like spicy food, so we sometimes add a pinch of chilli powder too.
What to serve with Lamb Shish Kebabs
We served these in light and fluffy flatbreads. If you want to try making your own, then why not try our Easy Homemade Flatbread Recipe? You could also put them in a pitta or wrap. We then stuff ours with lettuce and add some Kebab Shop Chilli Sauce, Easy Garlic Sauce and Quick Pickled Onions. Basically, all the toppings you would usually find in your local kebab shop. Sometimes we even add our Homemade Mint Sauce.
You don't have to serve them that way though. You could serve them with some side dishes and eat them off the skewers. Here are some of our favourite side dishes that would go perfectly:
- Easy Greek Rice
- Hasselback Potatoes
- Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli
- Celeriac Chips
- Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes
- Little Gem Salad
- Garlic Spring Greens
- Homemade Fries with French Fry Seasoning
Frequently Asked Questions
Firstly, there are all the health benefits of lamb that we have mentioned above. This is a much healthier alternative than getting a kebab from a takeaway. You can control what goes in to the marinade and what the toppings are. You can also add lots of vegetables for a nutrient boost.
We cooked ours for 15 minutes, turning half way through. Cooking time will depend on how hot your grill is.
The best way to check that lamb is cooked is to use a meat thermometer. The safe internal temperature for cooked lamb is 62°C/145°F. It should be inserted into the thickest part of the meat that's not touching any bone.
Yes, these cook really well on the BBQ. They will take around 8 minutes and they get nice charred edges.
Yes, they can be cooked in the oven and they will take around 20-22 minutes. You won't get the crispiness though.
If you have leftovers, you can store them in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
You can, however we would say they are best kept in the fridge and eaten after 2 days. The lamb can become a bit tough once defrosted and reheated and the peppers can get a bit soggy.
Yes, as long as you make sure that there is no cross contamination, these are gluten free.
Yes, you can easily double or triple the ingredients and there is no change to the cooking method.
A shish kebab is cooked on a skewer. The other type of kebab that you might have eaten before is a doner kebab which is cooked on a rotisserie and served the same way. But this shish kebab is much better.
We used metal skewers as they are much bigger and sturdier than wooden skewers, which is what we needed as everything we put on them was pretty chunky. You could use wooden skewers instead though, however the marinade tends to get soaked up by the wood, which is just wasting the flavour.
More skewered meat recipes
If you’ve tried this lamb shish kebab recipe, then let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Lamb Shish Kebab
Ingredients
- 800 g (1.75 lb) Leg of lamb - cut into 4cm/1.5in chunks
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 3 tablespoon Plain yogurt
- 3 Garlic clove - crushed
- 0.5 Lemon - juice only
- 2 Bell peppers - cut into chunks
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground coriander
- 0.5 teaspoon Cumin
- 0.5 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
- 10 g (0.25 cups) Fresh parsley - finely chopped
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients (except the bell peppers) into a bowl and mix well. Put the bowl in the fridge for at least and hour, but overnight if possible.
- Thread the marinated lamb and peppers on to the skewers.
- Put under a grill on high for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through. Serve hot.
Notes
- We recommend marinating the lamb for at least an hour, but if you can then try to marinate it overnight. This will take the flavours of the lamb shish kebabs to the next level, as it allows them to really get in to the chunks of lamb. It also makes the lamb really tender.
- Make sure that you grill the kebabs on a high heat. This will get them nice and crispy on the edges.
- If you are using a wooden skewer, make sure that you soak them in water for an hour before threading, so that they don't burn when they go under the grill.
- We just added bell peppers for the skewers, however you could also add aubergine, onion, courgette and mushrooms. It needs to be a vegetable that can be added to a skewer and also cooks quickly. Some cherry tomatoes add a nice burst of flavour when you bite in to them, but be careful because the juices inside can be really hot.
- Add some extra flavour by mixing some sun-dried tomato paste in to the marinade.
Mindee Taylor
Delicious! The yogurt marinade made the meat so tender and flavorful!
Gina
Delicious way to enjoy lamb. Love how tender it gets from marinating in the yogurt!
Claudia Lamascolo
We love lamb this looks so good and perfect for the and easy to make!
Gus
The recipe was super tasty! everyone asked for more!
Mandy Applegate
Mt friends will love this kebab!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
My husband loves lamb kebabs so I can't wait to make these for him. The flavours sound gorgeous!
Beth Sachs
Both hubby and I love a lamb kebab. I'm definitely going to try making these at home and see if I can tempt the kids too!
Danielle Wolter
Lamb is one of my favorite meats ever. This sounds absolutely delicious and I can't wait to try it!
Shashi
This dish reminds me of growing up in the middle east - looks so amazing.
Joaco
We just made these kebabs yesterday and they came out spectacularly! Thanks for the recipe!
Ana F.
My husband loves lamb and had to find a recipe that it was easy to make at home. Well, these Turkish style Lamb Shish Kebabs did not disappoint! They turned out delicious and tender. Thanks for the recipe!
Jamie
The yogurt and spices add so much flavor to these kebabs! So delicious!
Tristin
These kabobs were a showstopper! Cooked up beautifully and tasted amazing. I took your advice and added the sun-dried tomato paste into the marinade. YUM!
Tavo
Those kebabs look amazing! Remind me of those we ate in Turkey; they look just as they should! I will try making them this coming Saturday! They come in very handy for our family gatherings.
Andrea
Wow! These kebabs look absolutely fabulous! I love how you served them too!