Just a few more summer grilling posts, never! My grill is always on and for those of you who like to be adventurous these Cumin Chile Lamb Kabobs I am serving up today are a perfect example of this site for big and bold flavors, not an overwhelming prep and in your belly in no time.
The kicker in this lamb kabob for me is the caraway seed in the dry spice rub that includes cumin, chile peppers and other pantry spices. The cool and refreshing lemon garlic yogurt that’s drizzled on top of these is a perfect counter for them. I warmed up a pita, spread it with some hummus, a few other toppings and we were good to go!
The whole spices go in the spice grinder, or in my case a coffee bean grinder devoted to spices. Keep them chunky, not completely ground up. Rubbed on the lamb shoulder cubes of meat and get that grill going. Easy enough, right?
Whip up that lemon garlic yogurt sauce and set aside in the refrigerator for the flavors to meld.
Grilled for 4 minutes until a little charred and moved off to the side to cook another 4 minutes and you’re set.
I added some fresh hummus, quick pickled red onion slices and cilantro sprigs. Warm the flatbread or pita in microwave for 30 seconds and spread with hummus. Add grilled lamb kabob meat, drizzle with lemon garlic yogurt sauce, sprinkle with quick pickled red onion slices and cilantro.
I like to keep pickled red onions on hand in my refrigerator for different salads and as a garnish on Mexican dishes like my Broccoli Tarragon Salad of these Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef Bowls. Simply thinly slice a red onion, cover it with rice wine vinegar and keep in your refrigerator. For this I would suggest allowing the onions to marinate at least 15-20 minutes if you don’t have any on hand. Wrap and enjoy!
Cumin Chile Lamb Kabobs
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless lamb shoulder
- olive oil
- Spice Rub:
- 2 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 tsp caraway seeds
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Lemon Garlic Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 clove garlic smashed and minced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice zest (See Note1)
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Whisk together the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and yogurt in a small bowl to combine. Season with salt and set aside in refrigerator, covered.
- In a spice or coffee grinder coarsely grind cumin seeds, peppercorns, caraway seeds, red pepper flakes, sugar and salt until only a few whole spices remain. This will be a coarse spice rub.
- Clean and heat grill to 425°F, indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off).
- In a bowl or plastic bag add cubed lamb and spice rub. Massage lamb, pressing spice blend onto the meat with your hands to coat.
- Thread lamb cubes onto 8-12 skewers, leaving a small gap between each piece of meat. Drizzle with olive oil.
- Grill lamb over direct heat, turning every minute or so, until browned and you see visible char marks, about 4 minutes. Move to cooler side of grill and continue to grill until lamb is cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes longer for medium-rare.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes on platter and serve with yogurt sauce, warm flatbread or pita and your favorite condiments (See Note 2).
Notes
2. I spread the warmed pita with hummus, added pickled red onion slices and chopped cilantro for toppings with a drizzle of the lemon garlic yogurt.
Nutrition
These are very similar to Uyghur skewers from northwestern China. I absolutely adore them, especially fresh off the coals. I want to come to your grill party!
There’s something fantastic and flavorful when fresh off the grill, so tasty. If we were neighbors you and Dean would definitely be invited. Cheers!
I had been scared to try lamb for so long, and I can’t believe how much I was missing out. These look amazing, friend!
Hi Sarah! Thanks so much for stopping by and for your comment. I have a lot of lamb recipes here, it’s definitely a favorite of mine and I hope you take a look at the others. Lamb makes for a wonderful meal and it’s so versatile.
I barely use my actual cookbooks anymore after discovering you. Your food is incredibly creative, beautiful, and delicious. You are really good at this!
Kimberly, that has got to be one of the nicest comments I ever read! Thanks and I hope to continue to inspire! 🙂
And now I am SO hungry. That first photo Kevin – honestly, my jaw dropped. This is exactly the kind of food that we love to eat and we’re still grilling – take that autumn!! 😉
Thanks Marissa! Actually most of these photos somehow got corrupted on the flash drive so I was lucky to salvage these four. Dave was helping as guest hand model. 😉
If we lived closer I know you and Keith would be our grilling buddies.
Oh my gaaaaaaawd – gimme gimme gimme GIMMMMEEEEE! These kabobs look freggin’ delicious, Kevin!!! Seriously, we keep the grill a-rockin year round, with the exception of a couple days it might snow, so I am TOTALLY adding these kabobs to our must grill list! LOVE all the spices you used, especially caraway seeds! Those totally don’t get used enough! And that lemon-garlic yogurt sounds like the perfect accompaniment. So much YUM going on here, buddy! PINNED! Cheers!
Always LOVE your 2 enthusiastically thumbs up comments. You make my day! Thanks Chey… these really are killer. 🙂
Hey Kevin! Spicy lamb tucked into pita bread…drooling!! I buy whole leg of lamb on sale and have the butcher cut it in half. Gonna send Gary on a mission to find a hunk in the downstairs freezer! Whenever I roast a half leg for dinner I turn the leftover meat into lamb stew which I spoon into pita bread, so good! My second coffee (spice) grinder has gotten a lot of use over the years.
And spiced it is Dorothy! The flavors are BAM and tempered with the hummus and yogurt sauce. I love a handheld food where all the ingredients come together. Lamb stew is on my list to make soon, too. Thanks for the reminder!
This sounds so good. We have a couple of legs of lamb, or should I say mutton:-). We need to do something with them and I love the spice rub and yogurt sauce. Also have a coffee grinder for my spices, so this would really work nicely!
Thanks Cathy, this spice rub is a kicker and with the yogurt sauce to keep things cool you’re set. I used to think dusting out my coffee grinder for beans would be OK until I tasted fennel once in my espresso. While interesting it made me realize I needed a spice grinder for it’s own purpose. 🙂
I do just the same thing – have a coffee grinder just for herbs and spice…used it this weekend, actually for enchilada sauce 🙂
Your rub sounds perfect and even better with that lemon garlic yogurt sauce! Hubby and I regularly eat tacos cause we like to mix and match toppings and sauces so this would be a great way to change things up a bit with these lamb kabobs. Though, I do love your suggestion of pickled red onion 🙂
Pinning and I see these in my future real soo 😉
Yes, don’t want your morning cup ‘o Joe tasting like fennel or red pepper flakes, right? It’s so hand and I just make sure to dust it out after. I made a batch of green chile enchiladas myself this weekend. We are too funny. And yes, that pickled red onion touch adds that acidity it just needs with the heat and creamy hummus and yogurt. Too good!
This one sounds delicious, Kevin! I never make lamb here at home, but I do love me a good kabob. And hummus. And tacos. So I’m pretty sure this meal is right up my alley…oh and nice spice mix you’ve got going on there! Good tip on saving a coffee bean grinder just for herbs.
Spicy grilled goodness right here Dave. LOTS of good flavors and just wrap it up with the fixin’s and your set. I read somewhere caraway is considered Persia’s cumin.