Lamb Kefta

Lamb kefta is a Middle Eastern-inspired dish made with spiced minced lamb, fresh herbs, and simple pantry staples. It’s quick to prepare, so delicious, and perfect for a family dinner, barbecue, or easy meal prep. Pair it with a fresh tomato salad and creamy tahini sauce for a complete, satisfying meal.

My hubby loves lamb so I thought it fitting to share this Lamb Kefta recipe ahead of Father’s Day.

One of my family’s greatest pleasures is trying different cuisines. Middle Eastern is a firm favourite and this Lamb Kefta is based on one we like to order at a lovely restaurant nearby.

I’ve made this to feed a crowd, or, it does us for two meals (and the kids lunchbox too). One night I serve it with the salad below, and then a couple of nights later I’ll serve it with hummus and roasted vegetables.

My Hummus and Roast Vegetable recipe is in my fabulous little ebook Well Nourished Sides and Salads. If you’re after more inspiration for interesting ways to make veggies shine in all their deliciousness. Then take a look – it’s just $9.95 and full of goodness that the whole family will love. Click HERE to find out more.

Health benefits

This lamb kefta (or lamb kofta) recipe is packed with protein to keep you full. The fresh herbs and spices provide antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits, while the tahini sauce adds calcium and heart-healthy fats. The delicious tomato salad offers a boost of vitamins and fibre too.

Ingredients

The ingredients for lamb kefta include fresh herbs like coriander (cilantro), parsley, and mint combined with lamb mince (ground lamb) and spices like cumin, cinnamon, and paprika. The tomato salad is made with tomatoes, capsicum, fresh parsley, and mint, and finished with a lemon and olive oil dressing. Don’t forget the creamy tahini yoghurt sauce for dipping!

How to make this Lamb Kefta

Making lamb kefta is super easy! Finely chop the herbs and onion, mix them with spices and lamb mince, and shape them into patties. Cook the kefta on a BBQ or griddle pan until browned on all sides. While they cook, toss together the tomato salad ingredients and whisk up the tahini sauce. Serve everything hot and enjoy!

Serving suggestions and how to store

Serve lamb kefta with the tomato salad and tahini sauce as a main dish, alongside pita bread, rice, or roasted vegetables. Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 3 days, and both the raw mixture and cooked kefta can be frozen for an easy meal later. Simply reheat in a low oven until warmed through.

Vary this to suit your dietary needs

This recipe is easy to adapt to different diets. Use coconut yoghurt or cashew cream for a dairy-free option, and for garlic-free swap garlic cloves for ground cumin if needed. Onion can be replaced with finely chopped fennel, and pine nuts can be substituted with sunflower seeds for a nut-free version. For sesame-free, almond butter works as a tahini alternative. You can also make this with beef mince instead of lamb for a delicious variation.

Lamb Kefta

Prep 30 minutes minutes

Cook 10 minutes minutes

Total 40 minutes minutes

Serves: 8

This Lamb Kefta is an easy to make, nourishing meal that my whole family loves. Serving it with the Tomato Salad and Tahini Sauce is a match made in heaven.

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Ingredients

• 1 red onion/s
• ¼ bunch/s fresh coriander leaves
• ¼ bunch/s fresh parsley leaves
• ¼ bunch/s fresh mint leaves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ground black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt - or to taste
• 1 kg lamb mince

Tomato salad

• 8 vine ripened tomatoe/s -seeds removed and diced
• 1 red capsicum/s -diced
• 1 red onion/s (small) finely diced
• ¼ bunch/s fresh parsley leaves
• ¼ bunch/s fresh mint leaves
• ½   lemon/s -juice
• 60 ml extra virgin olive oil (4 tbsp)
• 35 g pine nuts -toasted (¼ cup )

Tahini Sauce

• 250 g natural, Greek or coconut yoghurt (1 cup)
• 40 g hulled tahini  (2 tbsp approx.)
• 1 clove/s garlic -minced
• ½ tsp sea salt - or to taste
• ground black pepper

Method

• In a food processor mince the onion and fresh herbs until very finely chopped. Thermomix 10 seconds, speed 5 (you may need to scrape the sides).
• You can make this without a food processor, but you will need to make sure the onion and herbs are all very finely chopped (important for the texture and flavour).
• Add the oregano, paprika, cumin, cinnamon and seasoning and mix to combine. Thermomix 3 seconds, speed 4.
• Add the lamb mince and mix until the herbs and spices are evenly distributed throughout the mince. This can be done in your processor or by squeezing through with your hands. Thermomix 30 seconds, reverse, speed 4 or until well combined.
• Form patties and place on a plate.
• Heat your BBQ or griddle pan and cook to brown on all sides. This is a good job for hubby or the kids whilst you throw the salad together.

Salad

• Combine all of the ingredients into a bowl and toss well. I sometimes bulk this out by adding extra greens like baby spinach or lettuce leaves.

Tahini sauce

• Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and mix well.

Serve

• Serve the hot Kefta on a plate with the salad and sauce.

Make-ahead

• Re-heat in a low oven until just hot.

Store

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
• They can also be frozen (either the raw mixture to cook another night or the cooked meatballs).

Variations

Dairy-free

Replace the yoghurt with coconut yoghurt or Cashew Cream.

Garlic-free

Replace the garlic in the sauce with a teaspoon of ground cumin.

Onion-free

Replace the onion in both the Kefta and salad with a small bulb of fennel.

Nut-free

Replace the pine nuts with sunflower seeds.

Sesame-free

Replace the tahini with almond butter.

Beef Kefta

This is also delicious so feel free to sub the lamb mince with beef mince.

I'd love to hear how dad enjoys this recipe.Post a comment or rate this recipe below.

Course: Main Course

Author: Georgia Harding

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