Yeast Free Moroccan Lamb Kefta Skewers
These boldly spiced lamb skewers are the kind of dish that makes a backyard grill feel like a street food stall in Marrakech. Ground lamb gets packed with grated onion, garlic, fresh parsley, cilantro, and a warming lineup of cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and a kick of cayenne — all mixed together by hand until the mixture is cohesive and deeply fragrant. There's no bread, no binder, no leavening of any kind, just meat and spice doing exactly what they're supposed to do, which makes this a naturally smart choice when you're avoiding anything fermented or risen. The trick to keeping them on the skewer is pressing the meat firmly and chilling the formed kefta for 30 minutes before they ever hit the heat — a small step that pays off big. High heat and a well-oiled grill do the rest, building char marks and locking in all that aromatic richness. A squeeze of lemon and a scatter of fresh parsley at the end cut right through the richness and brighten every bite. Simple, satisfying, and genuinely impressive without a single complicated ingredient.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the kefta
- 1 ½ lb ground lamb
- ¼ cup yellow onion, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For grilling
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, for brushing the grill
For serving
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional)
Instructions
- 1
If using wooden skewers, submerge them in water and soak for at least 30 minutes so they don't char on the grill.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground lamb, grated onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, black pepper, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Mix with your hands until the spices and aromatics are evenly distributed throughout the meat, about 1–2 minutes — the mixture should feel cohesive and slightly tacky.
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