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Turkish Lamb Shish Kebab

December 9, 2021 by Michelle
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Takeaway-Style Lamb Shish Kebab

A delicious, tender and flavoursome lamb shish kebab that tastes just like a local Turkish takeaway! This easy recipe can be made in the oven or grill, and it’s perfect for summer. Let’s get cooking…

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5 from 1 vote

Turkish lamb shish kebab recipe

I don’t think there’s anything better than eating lamb shish kebabs on a hot summer’s day, after all, that’s what summer is made for right?

These lamb shish kebabs taste just as good as they look, and after trialing and tasting many, it’s safe to say that the taste is phenomenal. The lamb is marinated in a mixture that’s full of flavour before being threaded through skewers and grilled to perfection.

During the summer, I like to grill the shish outdoors but when it’s cold I use my oven or my indoor grill. it’s so inexpensive, easy to use and has non-stick grills too! It took me only 5 to 8 minutes for the lamb shish to cook with my indoor grill.

Easy lamb shish kebab with salad

Recipe Ingredients (Including What Lamb To Get)

Below are the few ingredients I used to make this recipe:

  • Lamb: Get boneless lamb leg, sirloin or shoulder, any one of these three cuts of meat will be perfect for making lamb shish. Ultimately, you’ll want a piece of lamb that is not full of fat but has some bits of fat on it.
  • Lamb Shish Kebab Marinade: The marinade recipe consists of a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic paste, onion juice, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and black pepper.

I used a diced leg of lamb bought from my local supermarket, the lamb meat was diced into small chunks. If you buy a whole leg of lamb, you’ll have more control over how big you want the pieces of lamb to be.

In more authentic Turkish recipes, I’ve noticed that a juiced onion is a key ingredient for the marinade. Diced onions are placed into a muslin cloth and the juice is squeezed out. The liquid is then harvested and added to the marinade.

To recreate this, I diced the onions, blended them slightly to form a paste then sieved the juice through. You can see this in my video.

Lamb meat cooked on grill

How To Make Homemade Lamb Shish Kebab

Here’s a summary of how I make these Turkish lamb shish kebabs. You can get the full recipe instructions on the recipe card below:

Step One:

Marinated lamb meat in mixing bowl
Cling film covering marinating lamb

I place the diced lamb pieces and the marinade ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix everything together until it’s evenly distributed.

Then I cover the bowl with cling film and leave it to chill for 4 hours. If I can, I chill it overnight for ultimate flavour absorption.

Step Two:

Lamb meat threaded through metal skewer
Cooking lamb shish on grill

I thread 4 to 5 pieces of lamb through the skewers. You can add more or less pieces of lamb depending on how big your diced lamb is. Leave a small gap between each piece of meat.

How long I cook the meat vary depending on if I’m using the oven or grill and how well or rare I want it. Roughly, I cook it for up to 8 minutes on the grill and between 15 to 20 minutes when using the oven.

Wooden Or Metal Skewers?

I have both metal and wooden skewers at home but I find metal skewers to be a lot better. This is because metal skewers provide a lot less friction when I’m feeding the meat through. Plus, they conduct heat well, so they cook the shish from the inside.

I find wooden skewers either splinter a lot, char or catch fire on the grill causing a burnt smell. But on the occasions I do choose to use them, I always soak them with water before threading the meat through. This will help to prevent the wooden skewers from burning.

Lamb shish with kebab salad

My Top Tips

Whichever way you choose to cook your shish, make sure you take it out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes beforehand. This is so that the meat can get closer to room temperature and have an even cook throughout.

If you’re baking the shish in the oven, line your baking tray with aluminium foil or parchment paper. This will help to prevent the kebabs from sticking to the tray.

To make this shish kebab even better, I like add diced bell peppers and onions after each piece of meat. It will look colourful and taste great too.

To prevent the lamb from sticking to the grill, make sure that you oil the grill before placing the lamb shish on it. Don’t miss this step, otherwise it will get sticky and removal will be a difficult!

What To Serve

I think flatbreads and slightly toasted pitta breads heated on the grill go so nicely with lamb shish kebabs. I also like to serve this dish with kebab shop chilli sauce, homemade garlic sauce and kebab salad for the best combination ever (like in my pictures).

You can also turn this into a fakeaway feast by making your own doner kebab, chicken shish wraps and lamb kofta wraps to serve alongside with it.

Lamb meat cooked on grill

Turkish Lamb Shish Kebab Recipe

Michelle
Here's how to make the best Turkish lamb shish kebab just like the takeaway. This recipe is so easy to make and tastes so good.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Turkish
Servings 4 People
Calories 106 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 300 g Diced Lamb

Lamb Shish Marinade

  • ½ Onion (Juiced) See Notes
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Paste
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • ½ tsp Paprika
  • ½ tsp Cumin
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Place the diced lamb pieces into a large mixing bowl, then add the marinade ingredients and mix everything together until it's evenly distributed.
    300 g Diced Lamb, ½ Onion (Juiced), 1 tbsp Olive Oil, 1 tbsp Garlic Paste, 1 tbsp Lemon Juice, ½ tsp Paprika, ½ tsp Cumin, ½ tsp Salt, ½ tsp Black Pepper
  • Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it to chill for 4 hours. If you can, chill overnight for best results.
    Take the meat out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Thread 4 to 5 pieces of lamb through the skewers. You can add more or less pieces of lamb depending on how big your diced lamb is. Leave a small gap between each piece of meat.
  • Time to cook the kebabs. The cooking time will vary depending on your oven or grill, and how well or rare you like your meat. I've left a guide below.

Cooked On The Grill (Barbeque):

  • Heat the grill for 20 to 30 minutes. When the flame has reduced, oil the grill and add the shish kebab pieces. Grill the meat for 8 minutes on each side for lamb shish that is medium done.

Baked In The Oven:

  • If you’re using the oven to cook the shish kebab, preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C Fan, gas mark 5). Place the shish kebabs into a line baking tray and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. You may want to cook the lamb for longer, depending on how you like your meat.

Indoor Grill:

  • I cooked the kebabs on an indoor grill. It heats up very quickly, so it’s easy to use and cook with. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes.

Video

Notes

In authentic Turkish lamb shish kebab recipes, a juiced onion is a key ingredient for the marinade. Diced onions are placed into a muslin cloth and squeezed. The liquid is then harvested and added to the marinade.
What I did was dice onions, blend them slightly to form a paste then sieve through the juice. You can see this in my video on how I made the shish.

How Long To Marinate The Lamb Shish?

The longer you marinate the meat the better, try to let the meat marinate for at least 4 hours, overnight for best results! Cover the marinated meat with cling film and place it in the fridge. As the meat marinates, it tenderises and absorbs all the flavours. If you don’t have any time at all, then you can cook it straight away (I won’t tell anyone).

Nutrition

Calories: 106kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 10gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 326mgPotassium: 185mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 25IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @MyMorningMocha or tag #mymorningmocha!

Music in video from Uppbeat, License code: 08VBCZFHCZBZDBBY

Category: Fakeaway Recipes, Turkish Fakeaway Recipes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Poppy

    September 20, 2023 at 4:15 pm

    5 stars
    So good thank you.

    Reply
5 from 1 vote

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