Learn how to make the most PERFECTLY TENDER and DELICIOUS lamb kebabs for these easy wraps! Making these juicy grilled lamb kabobs couldn't be easier either. And I'll show you how to make a quick and delicious dressing to drizzle all over the top!
BEST LAMB KABOB VIDEO
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This is the BEST LAMB I've ever had in my life. Being Persian, I've had a lot of lamb in my life and I'm telling you, this is it. It's simple, easy to prepare, healthy, and most importantly, juicy & delicious as can be! This lamb is also SO TENDER that it's basically like eating a very flavorful filet mignon.
And if you're not one for lamb because you're nervous about it tasting gamey at all, don't even worry because you can't even tell this isn't beef when you taste it. It's like the best beef you can imagine. Honestly, it is.
This recipe for grilled lamb skewers actually belongs to my father and he definitely knows his kebobs. I used to be intimidated by the idea of making these, but of course that was before I ever even tried. I had no idea how simple it was to make. Now it's one of our typical weeknight dinners! But its taste is anything but typical. It's simply the BEST LAMB recipe.
I enjoy eating it in wraps (I use tortillas that I char for a few seconds a side on the grill) and I make a very tasty, tangy, and creamy dressing that pairs gorgeously with this savory lamb recipe. And it's super fast to prepare---and not just the dressing, but the whole dish as well.
You could also eat lamb kabobs with a side of rice, maybe some skewered and grilled tomatoes, and some raw onion (Yup! Try it out!). That's the traditional way we Persians eat our kabob.
Is lamb healthy?
First of all, making sure that your lamb is grass-fed will ensure you're getting some highly nutritious, quality meat. If your lamb is imported, it's very likely grass-fed. Lambs that are grass-fed eat what they are biologically meant to eat, instead of that conventional grain and soy feed that they wouldn't be eating without humans feeding it to them.
And just like us, when lambs (or any animal for that matter) eat what they naturally evolved to eat, their nutrient make-up will be at their optimal levels. And by eating healthy and natural, wholesome food like grass-fed lamb, you ensure the same for yourself. As Michael Pollan said, "You are what you eat eats."
And unlike beef, lamb is not routinely given antibiotics or hormones. Antibiotics given to livestock and poultry is a risky practice because it may give rise to dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria (source) that may be passed to humans.
Although many countries have completely banned the use of antibiotics in farm animals, the U.S. is behind (source) and it's up to you as the consumer to make sure you buy meat that is antibiotic-free. Luckily, your imported grass-fed lamb is most likely just that.
Lamb is a complete source of protein, as it has all 9 essential amino acids that we need to maintain our health (source). Grass-fed lamb is also a really great source of omega-3 fatty acids compared to other meat (source). It has about a 25% higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids than even conventional lamb (source). Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to be crucial for optimal brain health (source), heart health (source), and for fighting inflammation (source).
So by all means, eat your lamb! It's great for you!
How to make lamb kebabs?
It's actually quite surprising how easy it is to make lamb this delicious. Don't be intimidated like I was before I realized just how simple this recipe is.
First thing you want to do is prepare your lamb by cutting it off the bone. We're using lamb loin chops and it's really easy cutting the meat off the loin chop bone. You have meat on either side of the "T-bone" and you'll just slice that off with a sharp knife, as close to the bone as possible. Use a back-and-forth motion of the knife to release the meat from the bone and any tough silver skin that may be on the meat.
My video shows exactly how to do this. Once you've cut both sections of meat off the bone, cut the larger piece in half so you end up with 3 similarly-sized pieces from one bone. You can throw the bones in a bag and keep them in the freezer for making bone broth. Add the meat to a glass dish that you can cover.
Puree your onion and using your hands, mix it in with the meat to thoroughly coat it. Cover the dish and let it marinate overnight (or up to 5 days) in the refrigerator. The onion marinade will keep the meat from going bad at all in this period of time. It keeps it nice and fresh. A few hours before you want to cook the meat, give it another mix to redistribute the marinade.
This onion marinade not only gives AMAZING FLAVOR to the lamb, but it really tenderizes the meat too.
When you're ready to eat, skewer the lamb and hit it a bunch of times with your knife's edge (as shown in the video) to further tenderize the meat. You'll want to repeat this on the other side as well. Then salt your lamb very generously on both sides and place it in the center of a hot grill on high heat. It will cook up pretty fast (just 7 minutes a side). You want to make sure that the heat is high because cooking the meat as fast as possible ensures that you don't lose all the fatty goodness and juice into the fire.
While you're waiting for the lamb to finish, you can quickly prepare that yummy, tangy, creamy dressing. Just combine the olive oil, mayo, lemon, olive oil, yellow mustard, salt, pepper, and optional sumac (you can find this at specialty and international markets) and give it a good shake or mix. That's it! So quick! And flavorful as can be. It's the best dressing for this lamb wrap!
Once the lamb is cooked, remove it to a plate and heat up your tortillas for about 30 seconds a side or until they start to bubble.
Then you just assemble your wraps. Add some lamb to a tortilla, a little fresh onion, a little fresh tomato, some lettuce, and maybe a bit more sumac. Perfect. Enjoy your special meal! You're gonna love it!
As flavorful, juicy, tender, and savory as can be!
If you really love Mediterranean food, then you'll love my Persian Rice & Chicken. It's honestly the best chicken and rice recipe out there! Try and find out for yourself! And if you want more kabob, try my stovetop Persian ground beef kebabs. My family recipe for Persian meatballs in a CRAZY TASTY broth is fantastic and definitely worth a try.
Recipe
BEST Lamb Kebab Recipe with a Tangy & Creamy Dressing
Ingredients
For the Lamb Kebabs
- 2 lbs lamb loin chops
- 1 large onion (use 2 onions if they are small-medium)
- sea salt
For the Wrap
- 6 flour tortillas
- ¼ cup sliced onions
- ½ cup sliced tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 teaspoon sumac optional
For the Dressing
- 1 tablespoon mayonaisse
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- â…› teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sumac optional
Instructions
For the Lamb Kebabs:
- Using a sharp knife, cut the lamb meat off the bone, slice the larger pieces in half so you have similar-sized pieces, and put the lamb in a bowl or glass dish. The video shows exactly how to do this. (First slice down the center T-bone on one side (between the bone and meat) and then when you get to the bottom part of the bone, press the knife towards the meat (while moving it in a back-and-forth motion to gently slice) to free the meat from the bone and any tough silver skin on the meat. Repeat on the other side of the bone. You will end up with 2 pieces of meat per lamb loin chop. Cut the larger piece in half so that you end up with a total of 3 similar-sized cubes of lamb per loin chop.)
- Puree 1 large onion (or two smaller onions) in a food processor and add to the lamb. You need enough onion to thoroughly coat the lamb. Give it a good mix with your hands to thoroughly coat the meat, and then cover the dish and let it marinate overnight (or up to 5 days). A few hours before you want to cook the lamb, give it another mix to redistribute the onion marinade.
- Skewer the lamb using traditional metal skewers (or wooden skewers that have been soaked in water) and using your knife's edge, start hitting the meat (without slicing through) to further tenderize it. Do this all over, in all directions, and on both sides. The video shows exactly how to do this.
- Very generously salt both sides of the lamb before placing on the center of the grill over high heat (if using long, metal skewers, remove the grate from the grill so you can easily place the skewers over the fire without the grate in the way). Cook for 7 minutes a side for a medium doneness. Look for your lamb to start darkening to know it's ready. You don't want to burn it but a little bit of charring is normal. Remove from grill when done.
For the Dressing:
- Combine dressing ingredients and shake/mix well.
For the Wrap:
- Heat up the tortillas on the grill for about 20-30 seconds a side or until it starts to bubble up. Remove from grill and start assembling wrap.
- Remove grilled lamb from skewers and add to grilled tortillas. Top with sliced onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and more sumac if you like. Drizzle that dressing all over the top and enjoy!
Rebecca Smith Sandall says
Can't wait to try this! Looks so delicious! What if we don't have a grill? Can it be broiled in the oven?
Joseph says
Rebecca ,,of course ya broil it but keep an eye on it as if it were on a grill out side just tun it same way dats why a broiler was made ,, if no gas grill look int a hibachi cast iron with adjustable grates in da 60s and 70s I always carried one in my car wit a bag off coals it will do an amazing job on steak chicken lamb shrimp cause you can just elevate those grates or lower them ,,,,Joseph 'Good Eating " a quote from an old friend ,,,Mr James Beard !!!!!
honestandtasty says
Thanks, Rebecca! You can totally broil it! Just keep an eye on it every few minutes, and broil on high. Flip the skewers and check every few minutes until done. You could even do it over the stove, in a pan! It's a versatile recipe! 😀
Joseph says
So excited to have checked my mail this morning ,before going to market ,,Lamb is on the weekend menu ,,have not had lamb ,in. OMG 42 years crazy I know ,,,and that was a leg I boned,stuffed wit a ton of garlic stuffed in slits salt pepper rotisseried and now I remember ,,,you are correct my guests thought it was beef ,,was so delish. my mouth is watering I like the fact that you use YELLOW mustard it always blends well ,and adds that little background hint of flavor , have a Blessed Day Joseph. !!!!!
honestandtasty says
Oh my goodness, then you got to try this recipe out STAT, Joseph! You're gonna LOVE it. If you have access to a Costco, that's where I buy my lamb.
Shahin Sadeghieh says
I love, love this recipe. Looks delicious 😋
Great pictures too
honestandtasty says
Thank you!! I am so glad you love it! It's so easy too! 😀
Joseph says
Bummer no Lamb at market ,but that photo is so so mouthwatering ,,,f I could I I would eat the photo !!
Joseph says
Lamb ,hour and a half to store ,round trip , not good for Me ,so I have a ribeye cut of pork , da ya think or know if that would work maybe a thick ribeye steak ???? or should I wait for the Lamb ??
honestandtasty says
You really can do this with any meat of your choice. It's just going to be a little different in flavor and texture is all. But we do it with beef or lamb, primarily.
Debbie says
Hi Bita,
When my husband and I eat at Persian restaurants we usually love the lamb and joojeh kebabs. I'd like to give this a try because you make it look so easy and delicious. I've been online looking for skewers like the ones you're using. I see that some are one inch wide and some are 5/8 inch wide. I've rewatched your video but can't tell which width and length you're using. Would you mind checking for me before I invest in these?
Thanks so much!
honestandtasty says
Hi Debbie! Thanks for the comment! My skewers are definitely smaller than 1-inch wide. So I'd go with the 5/8-inch ones if I were you 🙂
Home Plix says
Delicious and tasty kabab recipe. Really awesome recipe, thanks for sharing.
honestandtasty says
Thanks for trying it! So happy you loved it! 🙂
mohd nazri bin zainuddin says
hi there,
its seems like the recipe taste delicious. and i will surely try it one fine day.
By the way, where can i get the recipe or a video how to produce the wrap or the tortilla for the kebabs. i ve try to make some but its not successfull. yours cruchy and looks appetizing
honestandtasty says
Thank you! These tortillas are organic flour tortillas from the store. But sometimes I make my own using sourdough discard and some salt. Whichever tortillas I use, I always like to place them on the grill for about 30 seconds a side to get that look and crisp.