With this simple recipe for grilled lamb kebabs you can bring the flavor of Mediterranean street food to your life, even in the midst of a global pandemic that is keeping most of us from traveling anywhere at all. If don’t have skewers, you can opt to shape them into patties, but the long thin cylinder shape is nice because you get lots of surface area to brown and build flavor.
What if I don’t like lamb?
If you don’t like lamb, I encourage you to try this recipe anyway! Why? Because lamb is a nutrient dense food… According to this source, a single serving of lamb provides more than 100% of your daily need of vitamin B12 and is also a very good source of selenium, zinc, phosphorus, and vitamin B3. Lamb is part of the traditional Mediterranean diet, which is frequently touted as being ideal for cardiovascular health and more. Grass-fed lamb in particular is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid.
But if I still haven’t convinced you, do know that this recipe will work just fine and taste great with ground beef.
AIP Reintroduction Ideas
This dish as written is compliant with the elimination phase or the autoimmune protocol (AIP), but it is a beautiful canvas to showcase some flavorful reintroduced foods if you are ready to expand your horizons. Here are just a few ideas…
- Add a teaspoon of ground cumin with the salt in step 2 (stage 1 reintroduction).
- Add up to a cup of chopped pine nuts, almonds, and/or walnuts to the food processor in step 1 (stage 2 reintroduction).
- Turn the cucumber relish into a tzatziki sauce by adding a 1/2 cup of yogurt in step 5 (stage 3 reintroduction).
- Add a small red bell pepper to the food processor in step 1 or a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper with the salt in step 2 (stage 4 reintroduction).
Do you need a refresher on the reintroduction stages and the best way to test these foods? Check out this blog post by my friend and mentor Angie Alt – Reintroductions on AIP: The Definitive Guide.
Grilled Lamb Kebabs Recipe
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Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Cucumber Herb Relish (AIP, SCD)
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
These AIP-friendly grilled lamb kebabs are easy to make and easy to love, even if lamb isn’t your favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 small onion (about 1/4 cup when minced)
- 3–4 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 large cucumber
- juice from one lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint or other herb of choice
Instructions
- In a food processor, finely purée the onion, parsley, and oregano.
- Add salt and ground lamb. Process for up to 1 minute, until a thick paste has formed and the onions and herbs are completely distributed.
- Remove meat mixture from food processor and divide into 4 even portions and then shape with hands into long cylinder on metal skewers. If meat mixture is very soft and sticky, it may be easier to form the kebabs if you first place the meat in freezer for 30 minutes.
- Preheat outdoor grill to high heat. Meanwhile, place formed kebabs in the refrigerator to allow flavors to meld and prepare cucumber relish.
- Peel, seed, and dice cucumber. Add lemon juice, olive oil, and chopped mint (or other herb) and toss to combine. Add salt to taste.
- When grill is hot, carefully place kebabs on grill grate, cover, and grill without disturbing for 5 minutes.
- Turn kebabs over and continue grilling for another 10 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes to get browning and grill marks on all sides.
- Allow kebabs to rest for 10 minutes, then serve with cucumber relish.
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
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Looking for more recipes for lamb? Try these from my archives…
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3 replies on “Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Cucumber Herb Relish (AIP, SCD)”
so yummy!! i love it! i ll definitely try it!!
These were delicious for our Memorial Day grill out for two. Wanted something special, since we are not socializing due to Covid19. Was able to use fresh herbs and cucumbers from garden. My husband loves lamb. I seldom try it because restaurants often serve with dairy. I’m hooked now!
I was so excited about this meal, I totally forgot what holiday it was. It was really Labor Day