These succulent chunks of grilled lamb skewers are so tender and loaded with flavor. Paired with a summer fresh peach salad, my perfect tahini sauce and bread for the perfect BBQ party you can pull off in under an hour!
Today’s succulent lamb recipe is in collaboration with my friends at the American Lamb Board. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’ve been honored to work with the American Lamb Board for a few years, visited a few local farms and met incredible lamb ranchers. So if you’ve been wondering why American lamb, I can tell you so much about it!
Why American Lamb
I’ve mentioned several times how I’ve been on farm retreats and noticed how American lamb is raised. The animals get so much love, great care and really healthy diets.
The lamb is so fresh and clean tasting that you can throw lamb skewers on the grill without marinating.
Probably the BEST way to really understand the difference is this: taste. So if you don’t wanna bother about reading the industry standards, you don’t have to. You just have to taste American lamb and you’ll understand it all!
I can’t stress this point enough! Pick your favorite Lamb Recipe and buy American lamb to make it. Then TASTE the quality, freshness and all the love that goes into this industry. Just tasting is enough.
Why Grilled Lamb Skewers
Back to our lamb skewers. As many of you know I’ve been away for most of the summer. And as soon as I got back home, I went out to buy me some succulent American leg of lamb chunks to grill and throw a party!
Lamb, in my opinion, is without a doubt the KING of the bbq. The flavor is incredible, and the meat is super tender.
This grilled lamb skewers recipe takes about an hour start to finish. That includes everything to compliment the skewers platter for a delicious BBQ party spread.
I picked this grilled lamb recipe because quite frankly I’m still jet lagged, exhausted and struggling to settle back home after such a long trip. And food was probably the comforting, welcome home feeling I needed!
Similarly, lamb is pure comfort food so I longed to grill some today. Called my brother and a few friends, and just like that we had a BBQ party! 🙂
How to Make Grilled Lamb Skewers
First of all, go to your local butcher and ask for American leg of lamb. Ask the butcher to cut it up not chunks after deboning and removing all muscle from the meat. Leave some fat if you prefer, or remove all of it.
Season the lamb chunks with salt, pepper, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, fresh mint, paprika, olive oil, lemon juice and grated onion water. Ok this probably doesn’t sound familiar I know.
Grated onion liquid is this: once you grate a large onion, squeeze it out and take that onion water/juice. This magic liquid adds an amazing onion flavor to meats minus the onion chunks which tend to burn on the grill.
It seems like a hassle, but in reality it’s not. Trust me. And once you try it with this lamb recipe, you’ll be trying it with chicken and other meats.
Now start skewering your lamb chunks into wooden or metal skewers with onion chunks in between. You can certainly add mushrooms, colored peppers, tomatoes, or anything you feel like.
Grill the skewers for about 6-8 minutes on each side for a medium rare lamb. It all depends on the size of your lamb chunks, so mine were approximately an inch and a quarter sized chunks.
BBQ Party
While the word party may sound intimidating, it in fact is super fun! Plus when you’re grilling lamb, it really deserves a party to go along with it!
Here’s how I throw a BBQ party nearly every time I grill. Start with salad. Today I picked summer fresh peaches for that.
The salad is made with sweet peach slices, peppery arugula, red onion slices, fresh mint leaves and a sweet honey lime dressing.
Similarly with the salad, I pick a sauce. I chose my Perfect Tahini sauce today. It’s luscious, smokey, tangy and pairs wonderfully with lamb.
Then, I add some fresh condiments along the platter. You would probably add less or more depending on what you’ve got in the fridge. Or depending on what you feel like!
For today’s platter I added sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon wedges, spicy Harissa sauce and pita bread wedges.
Now everyone can assemble their plates with a little less or more of what they like! Platters like these are very inviting for your friends, and create a fun relaxed mood for the parties.
Tips For Lamb
Always buy American lamb. I’ve had lots of lamb and I find American lamb has far more superior taste and quality than imported lamb from anywhere.
Don’t over handle the lamb.
If you’re making this ahead of time, you can marinate the lamb chunks for up to 3 hours. However if you’re marinating overnight, then skip adding the salt until it’s time to skewer the lamb chunks.
You can use lamb shoulder for this recipe, but I prefer leg of lamb for it’s meatier chunkier texture.
Don’t over cook your lamb. The meat should still slightly bounce even if you prefer your lamb well done.
It’s best to allow the lamb to rest for a minimum of 2 minutes before serving so the juices distribute back smoothly into the meat.
A note on the Onion Water used int he marinade. This is made by grating the onions and then squeezing out the water ONLY from the onions.
Then use this onion water to flavor the lamb chunks. Don’t add in the grated onions because they burn on the grill and add an off flavor to the lamb!
ENJOY lamb whenever you can, it’s delicious, versatile and so good for you!
Lamb Recipes
There are plenty of lamb recipes on the blog. If you use the search bar and type in lamb, you’ll get plenty of them. I’ve picked a few seasonal lamb recipes below for you to try.
The Ultimate Lamb Kebab Platter: Look no further, just try this one! The Best Lamb Burgers Loaded with Nachos: Another crowd pleaser for your summer BBQ! American Lamb Meatball Subs on the Grill: Bite Size delicious lamb goodness! Spicy Harissa Lamb Shoulder chunks in Pita Cones : A party staple and Tailgate favorite! Finally, Grilled Lamb Chops with Black Olive Herb Butter: A classic with a Greek twist!
Enjoy!! 🙂
Grilled Lamb Skewers BBQ Party
Ingredients
Lamb Skewers
- 3 pounds leg of lamb boneless and cut into an inch chunks
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt Pink Himalayan or Kosher Slat
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1 Tablespoon oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 2 Tablespoons fresh mint leaves chopped
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup onion grated and squeezed, this liquid is from a large yellow onion or two small ones
- 1 yellow onion large and cut into large dices. Separate the dices into onion pieces for skewering
- 1 teaspoon sumac spice for sprinkling once cooked (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves chopped, for garnish (optional)
Peach Salad
- 2 Peaches lage, deseeded and sliced
- 3 cups arugula or your favorite greens
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves coarsely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon Sumac spice for garnish optional
BBQ Party Platter
- Perfect Tahini Sauce
- 3 Pita Breads cut into wedges
- 1 cucumber sliced
- 2 cups baby tomatoes
- 1 lemon cut into slices
- 1/2 cup Harissa hot sauce
- Lime Mojitos for drinks
Instructions
-
Start by making the lamb skewers. Add all the lamb ingredients (except the diced onion, sumac spice and mint garnisin a bowl. Mix well.
-
Note on the onion water/liquid. This is made by grating the onions and then squeezing out the water ONLY from the onions. Then use this onion water to flavor the lamb chunks. Don’t add in the grated onions because they burn on the grill and add an off flavor to the lamb!
-
Start skewering the lamb chunks with some onion pieces, alternating one lamb chunk and one onion slice.
-
Preheat your BBQ to medium high and start grilling the lamb skewers for 6-8 minutes on each side covering the lid of the BBQ.
-
When the lamb is done, set it aside for a couple of minutes before serving.
-
While the lamb is grilling, start preparing your plater. Make the salad by tossing the peaches, arugula, onions and mint together. Make the dressing using salt, lemon juice, olive oil and honey. Mix well and drizzle over the salad. Sprinkle sumac spice for a tangy finish to the salad (optional).
-
Make the Perfect Tahini Sauce (follow the link to the full recipe on the blog).
-
Assemble the platter with the remaining ingredients and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Always buy American lamb. I’ve had lots of lamb and I find American lamb has far more superior taste and quality than imported lamb from anywhere.
Don’t over handle the lamb.
If you’re making this ahead of time, you can marinate the lamb chunks for up to 3 hours. However if you’re marinating overnight, then skip adding the salt until it’s time to skewer the lamb chunks.
You can use lamb shoulder for this recipe, but I prefer leg of lamb for it’s meatier chunkier texture.
Don’t over cook your lamb. The meat should still slightly bounce even if you prefer your lamb well done.
It’s best to allow the lamb to rest for a minimum of 2 minutes before serving so the juices distribute back smoothly into the meat.
A note on the Onion Water used int he marinade. This is made by grating the onions and then squeezing out the water ONLY from the onions.
Then use this onion water to flavor the lamb chunks. Don’t add in the grated onions because they burn on the grill and add an off flavor to the lamb!
ENJOY lamb whenever you can, it’s delicious, versatile and so good for you!
We made this last night and it was quite good. Thanks. One question tho, you say ‘1/4 grated onion’ but not how much juice. And you mention ‘from a large onion’ which is much more than a quarter cup when shredded. Do you mean 1/4 cup onion juice?
Thanks!
This is a fabulous recipe for so many reasons: a) I can make it under one hour; b) it is lamb skewers after all 🙂 and c) the skewees look absolutely amazing. Can’t wait for my next barbie!
I love the grilling season. This is the time when all the dishes take another spin and get a new flavor. And once you’ve tried a dish like these lamb skewers, there is no way back – its flavor will hunt you forever – it is just too good.
What a feast! This grilled lamb skewers and all that salads and colours, oh my!! I want to tuck in right now. I like all the flavours and textures in this dish, the perfect treat for this BBQ season. Beautiful presentation and pictures too!