BBQ Lamb Kofta Meatballs
These bbq lamb kofta meatballs are full of flavour, perfectly spiced & grilled over charcoal for maximum flavour. They’re great with tzatziki!
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If you’re a fan of both meatballs and lamb koftas, this is the recipe for you!
For this dish, we’re making a classic lamb kofta mix, with minced lamb, grated onion, garlic, spices & fresh herbs which we’re then shaping into meatballs, sticking onto skewers and grilling over some really good charcoal.
Our bbq lamb kofta meatballs are absolutely jam packed full of flavour, they stay nice & juicy once cooked and work fantastically with some homemade tzatziki & pittas. They’re seriously tasty & incredibly easy to make!
There’s an ever growing collection of barbecue recipes on the blog! To name a few, there’s pulled pork, lamb shawarma & smoked pork belly. If there’s a recipe you’d like to see, drop us a comment at the bottom of this page!
What You’ll Need
- Lamb Mince – Make sure to use lamb mince with a fat content of around 20%. If you’re mincing your own lamb, I’d recommend using shoulder.
- Onion – You’ll need a large white onion for the kofta mix or 2 smaller ones.
- Garlic – We’re using fresh garlic cloves for our koftas. I’d recommend using a microplane to grate these, so that they’re nice & fine.
- Herbs – We’re using a mix of fresh & dried herbs to flavour our lamb. This includes mint & coriander.
- Spices – You can make your meatballs as spicy as you like (with chilli flakes)! We’re also using smoked paprika & cumin.
- Breadcrumbs – Adding breadcrumbs to our meatball mix helps keep them moist & juicy once they are cooked. I used blitzed up day old bread but ready made or panko breadcrumbs will work as well.
- Egg – Adding a singular egg to our meatball mix helps bind the ingredients together, meaning that the meatballs won’t fall apart as they cook.
A Note On Barbecues
I cooked my lamb kofta meatballs on a Weber kettle grill but this recipe can be cooked on any barbecue, as long as you can cook on it both directly and indirectly. If you’re using a charcoal barbecue, I’d recommend cooking over a really good hardwood charcoal, for the best flavour!
How To Make BBQ Lamb Kofta Meatballs
The full, printable recipe card for these BBQ meatballs can be found at the bottom of this post! Here’s a quick rundown of the recipe…
- Grate Onion
First, we grate a large white onion on a box grater then transfer to a sieve (set over a bowl) then leave to drain whilst we prep the rest of the ingredients. I like to grate my onion using the finer side of the grater but feel free to grate them coarsely if you’d prefer. - Toast Seeds
Next, we toast cumin & coriander seeds in a frying pan over a medium heat for a minute or two, until lightly toasted & fragrant. We then use a pestle & mortar to crush the seeds into a coarse powder. - Kofta Mix
To make the kofta mix, we add lamb mince into a mixing bowl along with the crushed seeds, grated onion, garlic, spices, herbs, breadcrumbs & an egg. We season the lamb with salt & pepper then mix well, to combine. - Check The Seasoning
Once our lamb is mixed, we take a small amount & cook it in a frying pan. We then give it a taste, to check the seasoning then add in more salt & pepper to the kofta mix, as required. - Shaping
Now that our lamb kofta mix is ready, we can shape it into meatballs. I like to make my kofta mix into 45 grams meatballs, which will yield 16. To shape a meatball, simply weigh out a portion then roll into a ball with your hands. - Chilling
Once shaped, I recommend chilling your meatballs in the fridge for at least 2 hours before skewering & cooking them. This helps the meatballs hold their shape as they cook. It also gives the flavours a chance to develop.
How To Cook Meatballs On A Barbecue
If you grill your meatballs directly over charcoal, chances are that the outside will be beautifully seared but the inside will be undercooked. The best way to get around this, is to cook them indirectly (after searing)!
Here, we tip our lit charcoal into one side of our barbecue (as pictured below), in an even layer. Once our grill is hot, we cook the meatballs directly over the charcoal, for 3-4 minutes on each side, to sear. We then move the meatballs over to the cooler side of the grill, pop the lid back on the grill then cook until the meat is cooked through, flipping every 5 minutes or so.
Grilling Meatballs Indirectly – Step By Step
- Light a chimney starter full of lumpwood charcoal with a natural fire lighter & leave to get white hot.
- Carefully tip the charcoal into your barbecue, so that it sits in an even layer on one side.
- Add the grill & lid back onto the bbq & leave to preheat for 10 minutes or so. We’re aiming for a temperature of 200°c/400°f.
- Place your meatballs onto skewers (I do 4 per skewer) then drizzle lightly with veg oil.
- Set the meatball skewers onto your grill, directly over the charcoal then cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, to sear.
- Move the seared meatballs over to the cooler side of the grill, pop the lid back onto your grill (if it has one) then cook indirectly until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 75°c/167°f, flipping them every 5 minutes or so.
Serving Suggestions
The great thing about these lamb kofta meatballs is that they can be served like traditional koftas or like regular meatballs. They’re great either way, whether you’re serving them with flatbreads & hummus or with spaghetti and a homemade tomato sauce!
When I made my bbq kofta meatballs I served them with some of my pizza oven pittas, courgette tzatziki, grilled halloumi & a courgette, mint & feta couscous salad. It was seriously tasty!
BBQ Kofta Meatball Tips & Tricks
- Use lightly toasted, crushed cumin & coriander seeds instead of ground, to add even more flavour to your lamb koftas.
- Cook a small amount of the kofta mix after mixing then give it a taste, to check the seasoning. Add more salt & pepper as needed!
- Weigh your meatballs, to make sure they’re all the same size.
- Chill the meatballs in the fridge for at least 2 hours before cooking. This helps them hold their shape as they cook & gives the flavours a chance to develop.
- Grill your kofta meatballs over a good quality lumpwood charcoal, for a sweet & mild smokey flavour.
- Grill the meatballs over a direct heat, to sear then move them over to the cooler side of your grill to finish cooking. This prevents the meatballs from burning. I like to lightly drizzle my meatballs with veg oil before cooking, to stop them sticking to the grill.
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t have to grill your meatballs on a skewer but it makes flipping them quicker & easier. If you are using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for at least 20 minutes before using them.
When grilling lamb, it’s best to use a really good lumpwood charcoal. Lamb has quite a delicate flavour, so I’d recommend using a charcoal that’s made with mild woods like apple, cherry, ash or sycamore.
Any charcoal bbq will work when grilling meatballs, as long as you can cook both directly & indirectly on it! I use a kettle barbecue but a drum or ceramic kamado style grill will work as well.
For lamb kofta meatballs it’s best to use lamb mince with around 20% fat. If you’re mincing your own lamb, I’d recommend using lamb shoulder.
Once you’ve made the kofta mix & shaped it into meatballs, they can be kept in the fridge for up to a day before being cooked. Any leftover cooked meatballs will keep in the fridge for a day or two & can be eaten cold.
To cook your meatballs in an oven, place them onto a lined baking tray (don’t worry about skewering them!) then cook at 200°c/392°f, until cooked through. This will take around 15-20 minutes.
Equipment Used
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More Main Course Recipes To Try!
- Grilled Spatchcock Chicken With Chermoula Sauce
- Smoked Pulled Lamb Shawarma
- Beef Wellington
- Crispy Chicken Cutlets With Parmesan Polenta & Salsa Verde
- Nduja Stuffed Porchetta
- Four Cheese Sriracha Mac & Cheese
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BBQ Lamb Kofta Meatballs
Equipment
- Charcoal Barbecue (See Notes)
- Digital Food Probe
- Box Grater
- Small Frying Pan
- Pestle & Mortar
- Microplane
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Skewers (See Notes)
Ingredients
- 500 g Lamb Mince (See Notes)
- 1 Large White Onion (Or 2 Smaller Ones)
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Coriander Seeds
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Dried Mint
- ¼ tsp Chilli Flakes
- 3 Garlic Cloves (Grated)
- 1 tbsp Fresh Mint (Finely Chopped)
- 1 tbsp Coriander (Finely Chopped)
- 50 g Breadcrumbs (See Notes)
- 1 Large Egg
Instructions
Meatballs
- Peel the onion, grate using a box grater then place into a sieve & set over a bowl. Leave to drain whilst you prep the other ingredients.I like to grate my onion quite finely (using the side of the grater with smaller holes) but feel free to grate it coarsely if you prefer. Once drained, the onion liquid came be thrown away.
- Place the cumin & coriander seeds into a small frying pan then toast for 1-2 minutes over a medium heat, until fragrant.
- Transfer the toasted seeds into a pestle & mortar then grind into a coarse powder.
- Add the lamb mince into a large mixing bowl, along with the grated onion, toasted seeds & all of the remaining kofta ingredients. Season the mix with sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper then mix well.I'd recommend using your hands to mix the lamb. A pair of food safe gloves come in handy here!
- Cook a small amount of the kofta mix in a frying pan, taste to check the seasoning then add more salt & pepper as necessary.
- Next, divide the kofta mix into 16 equal portions (each weighing around 45 grams) then shape into balls, with your hands. Place the meatballs on a baking tray, cover with clingfilm then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cooking.Chilling the meatballs helps firm them up slightly, so that they don't lose their shape as they cook.
Cooking The Meatballs
- Fill a chimney starter up with good quality lumpwood charcoal, light with a fire starter then leave to get white hot.
- Once the charcoal is ready, tip it into a kettle bbq, so that it sits in an even layer on one side. Pop the grate & lid back on the bbq & leave to heat up for 10 minutes or so. We want the temperature bbq to sit around 200°c/400°f.
- Whilst your grill heats up, place your meatballs onto skewers. I like to serve 4 meatballs per skewer. I also use 2 skewers to hold the meatballs, as this makes it easier to flip them as they cook.
- Drizzle the meatballs with a small amount of veg oil then place on your grill, directly over the charcoal.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until well browned then move the meatballs over to the cooler side of the grill. Pop the lid back onto your grill (if it has one!) then continue cooking until the meatballs' internal temperature reaches 75°c/167°f. This will take around 15 minutes.Flip the meatballs every 5 minutes or so, so that they cook evenly!
- Once cooked, serve the meatballs immediately. I've included some serving suggestions in the post above!
