Grilled Lamb Kabobs

5 from 45 votes

These Grilled Lamb Kabobs are a must for summer grilling. Lamb chunks are tossed in a Mediterranean marinade so they're tasty, tender & juicy!

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Summer means grilling, and these easy grilled lamb kabobs are the perfect addition to any cookout. These lamb shish kabobs are marinated in lemon, garlic, and spices for a quick and delicious meal the whole family will love.

Grilled lamb kabobs served with tzatziki sauce
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This recipe for marinated grilled lamb kabobs is easy to follow and will make your taste buds happy. The lamb is marinated in a mixture of onion, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Then it is threaded onto skewers along with onions and grilled to perfection. Serve with rice or couscous and a yummy dipping sauce, and you’re ready to go! So fire up the grill and get ready to enjoy some amazing kabobs!

Why You’ll Love These Grilled Lamb Kabobs

  • Tender and flavorful. That’s what you can expect from these marinated lamb kabobs. The marinade infuses the meat with lots of flavor and helps make it nice and tender. Plus, grilling over an open flame gives it a smoky char that is simply irresistible.
  • No-fuss recipe. This recipe is simple and straightforward. Just mix up the marinade ingredients, let the lamb soak overnight, make your kabobs, and grill. Easy as that!
  • Versatile. You can easily change up the ingredients to suit your taste. Try adding peppers, mushrooms, or other veggies to the kabobs for a fun twist.
  • Something different. If you’re looking for a unique and unexpected main dish, then these lamb kabobs are it! While chicken and beef kabobs tend to be the go-to for grilling, lamb is a delicious and flavorful choice that will really wow your guests.

Ingredients For Your Marinated Lamb Kabobs

  • Lamb: Use a boneless loin or leg of lamb and trim it of any excess fat before cutting it into cubes. These are the most tender cuts of lamb and don’t require them to be slow-cooked.
  • Onion: The cubes of lamb are threaded onto the skewers with chunks of yellow onion. You could use other vegetables like bell peppers or zucchini. You’ll also grate some of the onion to use in the marinade.
  • Garlic: Mince or grate the garlic cloves for the strongest flavor.
  • Lemon: Lemon juice adds a nice zingy freshness to the lamb, and we use both the juice and the zest. Use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled.
  • Olive oil: Olive oil is essential in marinades as it helps the flavors to penetrate the meat. It also helps to evenly cook the lamb when placed on the grill.
  • Spices: These lamb shish kabobs are seasoned with a mix of cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper.
Ingredients to make the recipe

How to make grilled lamb kabobs

Now that you know what you need to get started, let’s talk about how to make these delicious lamb kabobs.

Marinate the lamb

  • Add the ingredients for the marinade to a bowl.
  • Place the diced lamb into the marinade.
  • Toss to coat the lamb, cover and refrigerate to let the flavors develop.
3 image collage to show how to make the marinade and then add the lamb to it

grill The Kabobs

  • Thread the lamb onto skewers with the onion and place on a hot grill.
  • Cook on each side until browned and cooked to your liking.
2 image collage to show the kabobs before and after grilling

Tips for grilling lamb

  1. Cut the lamb into similar-sized pieces. The lamb cooks quickly, so the cubes should be roughly the same size so that they all cook evenly.
  2. Don’t squeeze the lamb too tightly together on a skewer. They need some room in between, or they won’t cook in the middle.
  3. Allow the lamb to come up to room temperature before grilling. Take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to cook it. Thread it onto the skewers and let it sit for a bit. If the lamb is cold when you add it to the grill, it can seize up, resulting in chewy and tough meat.
  4. Don’t skip the marinating time. The marinade not only adds flavor to the meat, but the acid from the lemon juice helps to break down tough proteins so that you have a tender and juicy bite. If you can, leave it in the fridge overnight, or allow at least 4 hours.

Frequently asked questions

Can you make it ahead of time?

The lamb can be marinated overnight, and you can thread the skewers up to a day ahead too, and keep them covered in the fridge. If you do have leftovers, they will keep well for up to 4 days. It’s best to reheat them in the oven, so that they don’t overcook, at 350F for 10 minutes to warm through.

Can you make these kabobs with other meats?

The spice mix that is used on these kabobs works so well with lamb, and beef would also work great. You can use this on chicken kabobs, but as chicken has a milder flavor, it will have quite a different taste. Chicken will also take longer to cook through.

What do you serve lamb kabobs with?

These are great served with rice or a fresh salad and then some creamy sauces. Try them with:
Turmeric Rice
Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
Tzatziki
Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Plate of grilled lamb kabobs served over rice

These grilled shish lamb kebabs make such a great change from chicken or beef. Seasoned with popular Lebanese spices, they are one yummy bite! Quick to prep and grill, they make the perfect addition to your summer cookouts!

More grilling recipes to try:

If you try this healthy-ish feel good Grilled Lamb Kabobs recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!

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Grilled Lamb Kabobs

These Grilled Lamb Kabobs are a must for summer grilling. Lamb chunks are tossed in a Mediterranean marinade so they're tasty, tender & juicy!
5 from 45 votes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 321
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 yellow onion ½ grated and ½ cut into chunks
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 lemon zested and juiced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 ¼ pound boneless lamb loin or boneless leg of lamb trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Fresh dill for serving

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, mix grated onion, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Add lamb and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4-6 hours, preferably overnight.
  • Remove lamb from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium high heat. Remove lamb from marinade, shaking off excess and wiping away any grated onion bits. Thread pieces onto metal or soaked wooden skewers with the onion chunks in between the lamb.
  • Grill until lightly charred, 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Remove from heat and serve with yogurt sauce or tzatziki or over rice.

Notes

Make ahead: The lamb can be marinated for up to 24 hours before cooking.
Storage: Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days and can be reheated in the oven at 350F.

Nutrition

Calories: 321kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Sodium: 390mg, Potassium: 492mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 76IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Course: Main Course

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Comments

  1. Again, picture of spices for marinade won’t match those in the description.
    I wonder which would turn them out to be.
    Turmeric can be seen, to start with.

  2. Right from the get go the marinade smelled amazing. I don’t know how to make the lamb kabobs that I love so much from Iranian restaurants but Yumna’s recipe for lamb kabobs is the bomb. I loved this. So flavorful and sweet at the same time. I didn’t have time to wait 4 hours. I marinated the lamb leg chunks for just 2 hours and it turned out amazing. Thanks Yumna. This is your best recipe in my book now. Vielka