When it comes to quick and easy weeknight meals, lamb kofta wraps are hard to beat. The lamb is mixed with spices, formed into shapes and either sauteed, grilled, or broiled until just cooked.
Top off with some Tzakziki sauce or Marinated Feta & Sundried Tomatoes and bundle up in our Sourdough Naan or Mini Pita breads for a delicious meal. This light and healthy dinner can be on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Lamb kofta is a Middle Eastern dish made of ground lamb, onion, bread crumbs, and spices. They are super easy to make and the spice blend makes them amazing!
These kofta balls can be cooked in a variety of ways, including frying, baking, or grilling. They are a healthy and tasty option for an easy weeknight meal.
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Ingredients
- Ground Lamb
- Panko or bread crumbs
- Egg
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Nutmeg
- Mace (Mace is a much neglected spice. If you don't have this, just use the nutmeg. Mace is the outer aerial surrounding the inner nutmeg, and it has a different flavor. Only a little is needed).
- Coriander - the ground seeds. Did you know that coriander is the seeds of the cilantro plant? They taste completely different though!
- Cumin
- Salt
- Pepper
- Naan or Pita Bread - try out our Sourdough Naan and Mini Pita bread!
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Lamb Kofta Wraps
Making this dish is super easy. If you can make a meatloaf or Italian meatballs, than you can make this delicious recipe for kofta meatballs.
Mix the meat mixture
- Add all the ingredients except the bread crumbs and mix well.
- Add the bread crumbs and mix them into the mixture.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Brown the meatballs
- Saute in a skillet. You can also bake them.
- When brown, turn and brown the other side.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Cook and then serve
- Set the lid on the skillet and cook on low heat until meat cooked through.
- Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot with garnishes.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Serving Suggestions
Serve as lamb kabobs, lamb skewers, or simply as kofta meatballs in warm Whole Wheat Tortilla Wraps with a simple cucumber-yogurt sauce called Tzatziki (pronounced zat-ziki) or our awesome Marinated Feta & Sundried Tomatoes. This light and healthy dinner can be on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Variations
Some great variations to try with this recipe is kofta skewers and burgers. Here are a few ideas:
- Vegetarian Kofta - use the ground Impossible Burger to make vegetarian kofta balls!
- Chicken Kofta - You can use ground chicken or turkey also.
- Beef Kofta - use ground beef to make the kofta.
- Kofta Burger - instead of making meatballs, form the spiced ground meat into burgers.
- Kofta Kabobs - Form oblong sausage shapes, skewer lengthwise, and grill on the grill or bake in the oven for kofta kabobs.
Equipment
I prefer a cast iron skillet for browning any type of meat ball. A grill or a broiler pan are other good tools to use instead.
Storage
You can store them covered in the refrigerator for up 3-4 days. Kofta balls of any kind freeze well. Freeze a double or triple batch before cooking on a cookie sheet. After they are frozen store them in a plastic bag in the freezer.
This lets you grab as many or few as you need. They can be frozen uncooked for up to a month, cooked for up to 3 months.
Tips for Success
- Double or triple the batch and freeze the kofta meatballs for use another day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kofta is a type of seasoned meatball dish that has many variations though out the Middle East, Balkan countries, and South & Central Asia. Koftas consist of a ground meat mixed with spices and other ingredients to hold it together, similar to meatloaf.
The earliest recipes for Koftas are in Arabian cookbooks, and they called for lamb. You can make Kofta out of any ground meat, to include plant based ground meat substitutes.
Calculate ¼ lb of ground meat per person if it is at an event with other food to choose from. That would mean you need 5 lbs of ground lamb to make up into meat balls. Each serving would be about 3 meatballs if you make 12 meatballs per pound of ground lamb kofta mixture.
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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📖 Recipe
Lamb Kofta Wraps
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground lamb
- ½ cup Panko (or any dry bread crumbs)
- 1 egg
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground Allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground Nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground Mace (optional
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients except the bread crumbs and oil into a bowl. Mix well.1 lb ground lamb, 1 egg, ½ cup onion, chopped, 2 cloves garlic, minced, ½ teaspoon ground Cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground Allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground Nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground Mace (optional, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Add the Panko or dry bread crumbs and mix into the meat mixture. Form into 12 evenly sized meatballs.½ cup Panko (or any dry bread crumbs)
- Heat a cast iron skillet to medium high with the olive oil. When hot, place the meatballs in the skillet. Saute for 5 minutes and then turn to brown the other side for another 3 minutes. Place cover on the skillet and turn down to low for another 10 minutes.3 tablespoon olive oil
- Remove the lid and transfer the kofta meatballs to a serving bowl. Serve with warm tortilla wraps or pita bread with your choice of shredded or sliced vegetables to create wraps. Top with some Tzatziki sauce.
Notes
- Double or triple the batch and freeze the kofta meatballs for use another day.
- Let the mixed kofta meat mixture sit in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before shaping into either kabob sausage lengths or meatballs, it makes the mixture less sticky.
Nutrition
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