Turkish Lamb Kebabs with Greek Tsatziki Sauce

How many favorite recipes or meals can you tick off…on one hand? I keep finding these gems and know they will be on a regular rotation in our meal planning. Seriously, I just can’t say enough about this one. It was very Mediterranean with the orzo, flatbread, lamb kebabs and Tsatziki sauce.



Ingredients you'll need.....

3 lbs. lamb tenderloin
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup olive oil
1 TB tomato paste
1 TB molasses
1 TB ground cumin
1 TB Mint (from our garden)
1 TB Dried oregano (I used fresh)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon hot paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt



NOTE: This marinade is thick and substantial. With other liquidy marinades you end up tossing the remainder. This stuff sticks all over the meat chunks. Messy to thread the kebab ...but the flavor is out of this world.



Slice the lamb into one-inch cubes and marinate in the rest of the ingredients for 4 hours. If you are not using metal skewers, soak wooden skewers in water to avoid burning on the grill. Thread pieces of lamb on the skewer. Grill over medium high heat, turning ever so often.





Tsatziki Sauce:

1 English cucumber
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TB white wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
2 TB dill, chopped
2 ½ cups Greek yogurt
2 TB olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
Sea salt and 12 grinds of black pepper

Peel and grate cucumber. Mix all ingredients together and serve chilled.

We served with flatbread (which had been brushed with olive oil and placed n the charcoal grill) and orzo cooked in chicken broth. That stuff really puffs up like rice.

This recipe was taken from the book SEAsoned: A Chef’s Journey with Her Captain. Review may be found HERE.




These kebabs were so moist and succulent ….you could eat more than you ought to it was just that good. HIGHLY recommended.