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5.0 from 42 votes

Lamb Shish Kebab

Lamb Shish Kebab is a very popular Turkish / Middle Eastern dish typically served in restaurants or kebab shops.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 452 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean , Greek , Middle Eastern , Turkish

Ingredients

For the Marinade
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper paste (optional) (replace with tomato paste if you prefer)
  • 120 ml semi-skimmed or full-fat milk (½ cup)
  • 100 ml olive oil (6-7 tbsp)
  • 1 teaspoon flaked chili (adjust to your taste)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ tablespoon salt
For the Lamb Shish
  • 800 g lamb (shoulder, leg or neck fillet) (cut in 4-5 cm cubes)
  • 1 bell pepper (or 4 Turkish green chilies)
  • 1 red onion
  • 2 medium tomatoes (or 8 cherry tomatoes)

Instructions

Preparing the Marinade
    Cup of Yum
  1. Peel and finely grate the onion or blitz in a food processor.
  2. Juice the grated/blitzed onion using a clean kitchen cloth or a fine sieve.
  3. Put the onion juice in a bowl and add the rest of the marinade ingredients, mix well to combine.
  4. Add the lamb cubes and cover with marinade.
  5. Cover the bowl with a lid or cling film and keep in the fridge to marinade ideally overnight or a minimum of 6 hours.
Making the Shish Kebabs
  1. Peel and cut the red onion into cubes similar size to the lamb.
  2. Wash and cut the bell pepper the same as the onions. If using Turkish chilies, slice them into 4 pieces.
  3. Wash the tomatoes and cut into 6 wedges each. Keep whole if using cherry tomatoes.
  4. Thread the lamb and vegetables onto metal or soaked bamboo kebab skewers separately as lamb has a longer cooking time than the vegetables.
  5. Cook the lamb kebabs on the BBQ or the griddle for 15-18 minutes and the vegetables for 10-12 minutes.

Notes

  • Marinate your meat overnight if possible, or a minimum of 6 hours as it will allow the aromas to infuse the lamb and give it the desired flavors.
  • The best cuts are the shoulder, leg, loins, or neck fillets.
  • You can keep the meat in the marinade for up to 2 days if you want to prepare it in advance.
  • To avoid the meat sticking to the grill, you need to make sure the grill plate is hot. Also, lightly oil the grill before placing the meat on it.
  • Make sure that you grill the kebabs on high heat. This will get them nice and crispy on the edges with soft and juicy inside.
  • Bring the lamb skewers to room temperature before grilling them.
  • Avoid adding extra sauces or unhealthy side dishes if you are on a low-calorie diet as one portion of lamb kebab has only 452 calories on its own.
  • You can store the leftovers refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. or freeze them for up to 3 months.
  • Try not to overload the skewers when threading, the pieces of lamb should be close just to touch each other.

Nutrition Information

Calories 452kcal (23%) Carbohydrates 14g (5%) Protein 29g (58%) Fat 32g (49%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 21g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 83mg (28%) Sodium 1004mg (42%) Potassium 772mg (22%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 1547IU (31%) Vitamin C 53mg (59%) Calcium 72mg (7%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 452

% Daily Value*

Calories 452kcal 23%
Carbohydrates 14g 5%
Protein 29g 58%
Fat 32g 49%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 21g 105%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 83mg 28%
Sodium 1004mg 42%
Potassium 772mg 16%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 1547IU 31%
Vitamin C 53mg 59%
Calcium 72mg 7%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.