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!
Servings: 16 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!
Notes
1. Lamb Mince - For this recipe it's best to use lamb mince with around 20% fat. If you're mincing your own lamb, I'd recommend using lamb shoulder.
2. Charcoal Barbecue - These meatballs are best cooked on a charcoal barbecue. I used a Weber kettle. To cook inside, bake the meatballs at 200°c/392°f.
3. Skewers - If you're using wooden skewers, it's best to soak them in water for at least 20 minutes before using. This stops them burning on the grill!
4. Breadcrumbs - I blitzed up some day old white bread for my breadcrumbs but ready made or panko will work as well.
5. Internal Temperature - Make sure to cook your meatballs to an internal temperature of 75°c/167°f. A digital food probe comes in handy here!