You can make the most flavorful, moist, and delicious kebabs at home!

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These delicious Turkish lamb kebabs yiaourtlou are shared and made throughout Greece. Yiaourtlou means made with yogurt, and not only is there yogurt in the kebab recipe, but there’s also a delicious yogurt sauce that goes with them. It’s a cool, fresh, lemony sauce, and when put together with the tender, juicy flavor-packed kebabs, it’s a match made in heaven. You can prep everything a day ahead of time, and the recipe makes 16 medium size or eight large kebabs. I serve it with a tomato, onion, and mint salad, adding freshness and brightening the whole dish. It’s easy, and you’re going to love it!

Why everyone will love it

Juicy, oniony

Smoky, sweet

Garlicky, lamb

Lemony yogurt

Fresh tomato onion salad

Simple, flavorful, juicy kebabs with cool lemony yogurt dip and fresh, minty tomatoes and onions!

Everything you need

The kebabs:

Ground lamb -with 20% fat
Onion -finely chopped
Garlic cloves -grated
Roasted red bell peppers -chopped
Yogurt
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Cumin powder
Crushed red pepper flakes -for a bit of heat
Coriander seeds
Sweet paprika
Finely chopped fresh parsley
Dried fenugreek -optional for traditional flavor

The Yogurt Sauce:

Plain yogurt
Fresh lemon juice
Garlic clove -grated
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Sumac -adds a tangy, lemony flavor

Serve with:

Pita bread
Tomato, onion, mint salad (see video) -so good!

Ground meat options

Traditionally, these kababs are made with ground lamb, but you can use half-ground lamb and half-ground beef for a milder flavor. Either way, the meat should be 80% lean and 20% fat for maximum juiciness and flavor.

Lamb kebabs over pita, tomato salad, and yogurt sauce

How to make Lamb Kebab Yiaourtlou

Whisk the yogurt sauce:

Whisk together all of the ingredients except for the sumac.
Sprinkle sumac over the top and chill in the refrigerator.

Chop the Salad:

Finely chop the onion and add to a bowl.
Slice grape tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl with some finely chopped mint.
Season with salt and drizzle some vinegar and olive oil over the top.
Toss and refrigerate.

Make the kebabs:

Finely chop the onion in a food processor and add it to a large mixing bowl with the ground lamb.
Add the parsley and garlic to the food processor, pulse until finely chopped, and then add it to the mixing bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and knead the mixture well.
Drizzle some oil over your hands and divide the kebab mixture into 16 portions.
Form them into kebabs.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough olive oil to coat the pan.
Cook the kebabs until golden all around. 6-8 minutes, then transfer the kebabs to a platter.

Making the kebabs for skewers

I skip the skewer step often, but if you want to use the flat skewers as they do in restaurants, knead the kebab meat in a mixing bowl of a tabletop mixer or stand mixer. Knead it really well for about four or five minutes until it turns into a paste-like texture. Doing this will help it stick to the skewers and not fall off.

Serve with an easy tomato salad

If you watched the video on my channel, you saw the simple five-ingredient salad I make for these kababs. All you do is halve some cherry tomatoes, thinly slice red onion, and top with extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and dried mint. Toss it together, and that’s it! The perfect amount of freshness to compliment your kebabs. I toast the pita and top it with the yogurt sauce, tomato salad, and then the kebab meat. So easy, delicious, juicy, and a little bit spicy. Please share your pictures with me on Instagram. Kali Orexi!

Lamb Kebab Yiaourtlou

Yield: 16 kebabs

Ingredients

For the kebabs:

2 pounds (1kg) ground lamb
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, grated
2 roasted red bell peppers, chopped
1/4 cup yogurt
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons dried fenugreek (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

For the Yogurt Sauce:

1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, grated
salt, to taste
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
sumac

Serve with:

pita bread
tomato, onion, mint salad (see video)

Instructions

Make the yogurt sauce: Combine all of the ingredients together except for the sumac. Whisk together. Sprinkle sumac over the top and chill in the refrigerator.
Make the Salad: Finely chop the onion and add to a bowl. Slice grape tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl with some finely chopped mint. Season with salt and drizzle some vinegar and olive oil over top. Toss and refrigerate.
Make the kebabs: Finely chop the onion in a food processor and add it to a large mixing bowl along with the ground lamb.
Add the parsley and garlic to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped then add it to the mixing bowl.
Add all of the remaining ingredients to the bowl and knead the mixture well.
Drizzle some oil over your hands and divide the kebab mixture into 16 portions. Form them into kebabs.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough olive oil to coat the pan. Cook the kebabs until golden all around. 6-8 minutes.
Transfer the kebabs into a platter.
Toast the pita and top it with the salad and yogurt sauce and then with kebabs. Kali Orexi!

Notes

Ground meat options: These kebabs can be made with half ground lamb and half ground beef for milder flavor. The meat should be 80% lean and 20 %fat for maximum juiciness and flavor.

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Lamb Kebab Yiaourtlou

Watch the video

Why everyone will love it

Everything you need

The kebabs:

The Yogurt Sauce:

Serve with:

Ground meat options

How to make Lamb Kebab Yiaourtlou

Whisk the yogurt sauce:

Chop the Salad:

Make the kebabs:

Making the kebabs for skewers

Serve with an easy tomato salad