This easy lamb shish kebab recipe is filled with tender marinated lamb and colorful vegetables like peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Serve this amazing kebab with vermicelli rice or make it low-carb or keto and have it with a Middle Eastern salad.
If you’ve never tried lamb, it’s time to expand your horizons. The lamb is tender and tasty and really delicious when grilled. I intentionally left out some of the spices that are usually added to lamb shish kebab. I wanted to bring out the flavor of the lamb meat.
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🧐 Why this recipe works
This is an easy dinner recipe that anyone can master. It’s sure to impress even the most sophisticated dinner guests.
While the lamb is marinating, you can prepare the rice and salad. This will take less than 30 minutes. Grill the lamb skewers on the grill for another 10 minutes.
Another benefit of this recipe is that you can complete a lot of the prep work the night before. If you marinate the lamb the night before, not only will your kebabs taste better, but you’ll only have to prepare the rice and salad the next day.
🛒 Contents of this recipe
🔖 Recipe ingredients and substitutions
Lamb: My favorite type of lamb to use in this recipe is leg of lamb. I usually freeze my lamb roast in 1-pound portions in individual 1-quart Ziploc bags. Unzip one or more at a time, if necessary. You can substitute beef if you like. Spices: Sumac is used in many of my recipes. This means that once you purchase it, you can use it in a variety of ways. Sumac gives the marinade a lemony flavor and is delicious sprinkled over both grilled lamb shish kebab and rice. You can also try this Mediterranean lamb seasoning instead. Vegetables: I use bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms, but there is no hard and fast rule that you have to use the same vegetables. Some like to add grape tomatoes, others add sliced zucchini or eggplant. It’s really a matter of preference.
🥩 How to make lamb shish kebab
Before making the marinade, cut the lamb into 1-1/2-inch to 2-inch cubes and trim off any excess fat. Prepare vegetables by cutting them into 2-inch sections.
Step 1: Whisk wine, olive oil, and spices. Add the minced garlic and mix.
Step 2: Pour the marinade over the cubed lamb and vegetables. Stir the ingredients in the bowl so that they are completely covered with the marinade. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Step 3: When ready to grill, thread the cubed lamb and vegetables onto metal skewers. There should be about 6 pieces of lamb on at least 3 skewers.
Pro tip: If it’s just the two of you, you can split the meat between two skewers. The remaining vegetables can be roasted in the grill basket.
Step 4: Place the skewers and grill basket on top of the hot barbecue, cover and grill for about 4-5 minutes per side, 8-10 minutes total. Stir the vegetables as you flip the kebab.
Step 5: Sprinkle additional sumac on the kebabs just before removing from the grill.
🍽 Providing suggestions
Lamb shish kebab is most often served with vermicelli rice or dill rice. Roasted or grilled vegetables (tomatoes, zucchini, onions, peppers) are also traditionally served with lamb shish kebab.
If you prefer fresh vegetables, serve the lamb shish kebab with sliced cucumber, green onion, and tomato. Sprinkle sumac powder on vegetables or use it in place of lemon juice.
Bread is often served with kebabs. This includes flatbread, pita pocket, samoun, or lavash bread.
Marinated sumac onions, pink onions, toshi, and pickled turnips also go well with this lamb shish kebab recipe.
Finally, kebabs can be served with hummus, yogurt sauce (similar to tzatziki), garlic sauce, or garlic tahini sauce.
🤷🏻♀️Recipe FAQ
“Shish” means “skewer” in Arabic. Therefore, “shish kebab” simply means “kebab on a skewer.”
Seekh kabab is native to India. They are made with ground lamb with spices, while shish kebab (or kabab) is made with cubed meat. Seekh kabab is similar to the Middle Eastern kofta kabab, but may contain different herbs and spices.
Both leg of lamb and shoulder of lamb can be used to make lamb shish kebab. Using a boneless leg or shoulder of lamb makes dicing the meat much easier. Remove most of the excess fat from the lamb before grilling.
👩🏼🍳Pro Tips
Marinate the kebabs in a large Ziploc bag for easy cleanup. If you don’t have a grill basket, thread the vegetables onto separate skewers. If you use wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water first for about 30 minutes to up to an hour. This will prevent the bamboo skewers from burning on the grill. The longer you marinate the lamb, the tastier this lamb shish kebab recipe will be. If possible, marinate the lamb the night before. Otherwise, you can prepare it in the morning and cook it for dinner. Adding a pinch of ground cloves to the marinade is a great accompaniment to the lamb. Some people like to add cinnamon. If you add cinnamon, add 1/8 teaspoon so it’s not too strong.
If you like this lamb shish kebab recipe, be sure to check out our other delicious recipes.
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📖Recipes
Lamb shish kebab with grilled vegetables
Juicy grilled Middle Eastern lamb shish kebab.
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Quantity: 3 skewer
calorie: 472kcal
Instructions
Before making the marinade, cut the lamb into 1-1/2-inch to 2-inch cubes and trim off any excess fat. Prepare vegetables by cutting them into 2-inch sections.
Whisk in wine, olive oil, and spices. Add the minced garlic and mix.
Pour the marinade over the cubed lamb and vegetables. Stir the ingredients in the bowl so that they are completely covered with the marinade. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Place the skewers and grill basket on top of the hot barbecue, cover and grill for about 4-5 minutes per side, 8-10 minutes total. Stir the vegetables as you flip the kebab.
Sprinkle additional sumac on the kebabs just before removing from the grill.
Precautions
Marinate the kebabs in a large Ziploc bag for easy cleanup. If you don’t have a grill basket, thread the vegetables onto separate skewers. If you use wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water first for about 30 minutes to up to an hour. This will prevent the bamboo skewers from burning on the grill. The longer you marinate the lamb, the better the flavor of your lamb shish kebab will be. If possible, marinate the lamb the night before you plan to grill the kebabs. Otherwise, you can prepare it in the morning and cook it later for dinner. Alternatively, marinate the lamb for at least 2 hours before grilling. Adding a pinch of ground cloves to the marinade is a great accompaniment to the lamb. Some people like to add cinnamon. If you add cinnamon, add 1/8 teaspoon so it’s not too strong. Marinated onions, pink onions, or pickled turnips work great in this lamb shish kebab recipe.
nutrition
Provided by: 1skewer | calorie: 472kcal | carbohydrates: 6g | protein: 34g | fat: 35g | Saturated fat: 13g | cholesterol: 146mg | sodium: 948mg | fiber: 2g | sugar: 2g
