In episode 67, Taryn tells you how to grill Greek lamb kabobs that are not only tasty but also super simple to make. You’ll get expert cooking tips, including which skewers are the best for grilling. Taryn walks you through the step-by-step instructions to create these lamb skewers, as well as serving suggestions to make them into a complete meal. Don’t miss out on this episode for a mouthwatering recipe that can be made in 30 minutes or less!
Listen on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, or your favorite podcast player. Or scroll down to read a full transcript.
RECIPES MENTIONED
These are some of the recipes mentioned in the episode, all of which are on Hot Pan Kitchen.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
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- Metal skewers
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Salt conversion chart from Epicurious
- Ove Glove oven mitts
Transcript
Taryn Solie: Hello grillers, and thank you for tuning in today! I am your host, Taryn Solie, and I am here to give you some grilling inspiration.
Today I’ve got a super easy grilling recipe for you, one that can be made in 30 minutes or less. It is easy, it is incredibly straightforward, and it’s really flavorful without being overpowering. I’m talking about Greek-inspired lamb skewers.
Now, I realized everyone isn’t a fan of lamb, but these truly are very tasty and not at all gamey. And I’ve had no trouble finding ground lamb in my local supermarket – it’s usually in the natural or organic meat section near the ground beef.
Speaking of, you can absolutely switch out the ground lamb for ground beef in this recipe if you don’t like or can’t find ground lamb. The recipe will still taste good. However I prefer ground lamb for these skewers as it lets the flavor of the seasonings shine more than ground beef does.
I want to talk about the actual skewers for a minute because it does make a difference which ones you use. I much prefer metal skewers to wood ones. The wood ones always burn up and fall apart on me no matter how long I soak them in water, which makes them hard to turn and cook the way I want them to.
I strongly recommend you get metal skewers if you don’t have them. There are many cheaper options – I’ve seen them for as low as $5 for a set – and that way you never have to worry about running out of skewers.
I also suggest getting skewers that are flat instead of round. Food tends to flip around on the circular skewers, making it really difficult to flip your food over to cook it on the other side. Flat skewers take care of this problem.
One last tip about skewers – think about the length of your grill when you go to purchase some. I find 12 inch skewers work pretty well, but you may want longer or shorter ones depending on the size of your grill.
I’m going to provide a link to some metal skewer options on the show notes page, so check that out if you need to get some.
Okay, let’s get into this recipe! The ingredients you’ll need are:
- ¼ tsp of ground cinnamon;
- ½ tsp of onion powder;
- ½ tsp of garlic powder;
- 1.5 tsp of dried oregano;
- 1.5 tsp of Diamond Crystal kosher salt; and
- 1 pound of ground lamb.
A couple of quick notes about this recipe before we dive into the directions:
- First, I’m using Diamond Crystal kosher salt in this recipe. I use this brand as it’s less salty by volume than other salts, which leaves a little more room for error when you’re cooking. If you’re using a different type of salt, you’ll want to use less. I’ll put a resource on the show notes page for how to calculate that.
- And second, make sure your spices aren’t stale – if they’ve been sitting in the back of your pantry for the last year they won’t be as flavorful. I find this particularly true with the dried oregano – fresher dried herbs will make a big difference so it might be time to invest in some new spices.
Okay, let’s get into the instructions! They’re very simple, so this will go quickly.
First, turn your grill on to preheat to around 400 degrees F.
While the grill is heating up, take out your spices and some measuring spoons and measure out all of the spices into a medium sized bowl. Stir them together with one of the measuring spoons to mix them well.
Take the ground lamb out of its packaging and add it into the bowl with the spices. Mix the spices into the lamb with your hands, doing your best to thoroughly combine them without overmixing the meat.
Once the spices and meat are mixed together, divide the meat mixture into 6 equal portions. You can do this either by dividing the meat in half, then doing three equal portions to each half, or dividing the meat into three equal portions then splitting each portion into two.
Take one of the portions in your hand and gently start shaping it into a small log – kind of an oblong shape that’s roughly 3 inches long. Pick up one of the skewers and pierce it through the bottom of the meat and up through the top. Finish shaping the meat around the skewer, then set it down onto a plate or platter. Continue with the remaining 5 portions until all of the meat is on a skewer.
Once the grill has come to temperature, place the skewers on the grill grates and close the lid. Let the meat kabobs cook for 5 minutes, then use a hot pad or heat-resistant glove (like an Ove glove) to flip the skewers over so the other side of the meat is facing the grill. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 160 degrees F. Depending on how thick your kabobs are or how hot your grill gets, it may take more or less time so be sure and watch that internal temperature to remove the lamb once it’s done.
Take the lamb skewers off the grill and place them on a fresh plate or platter. Let them rest for 5 or so minutes, then serve!
See – really easy, right? This is a great recipe for a weeknight as it really is just mixing the meat together and cooking it up quickly.
You can eat these kabobs on their own with a starchy side like some cooked rice or grilled potatoes and maybe a simple green salad. You could put them on top of a large salad – I have a gyro salad recipe on my site that pairs these kabobs with some tomato, cucumber, and lettuce salad. And of course these kabobs are great with some tzatziki sauce too.
I’ll include a link to the full printable recipe for these lamb skewers, as well as the other recipes I’ve mentioned, on the show notes page. To get to it you can either go to my main website at Hot Pan Kitchen dot com and click on podcast in the main menu, or you can click on the link provided in whatever podcast app you’re listening on.
If you enjoyed this recipe, consider subscribing to the show on your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss out on future episodes! I’ve got so many more great grilling and smoking recipes you’re going to love.
That’s it for today, thank you so much for listening, and until next time, keep grilling like a mother.
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