Recipes

Ground Lamb Kebabs with Pine Nuts and Tahini Sauce

Name: Ground Lamb Kebabs with Pine Nuts and Tahini Sauce
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds ground lamb; 3/4 cup pine nuts (4 ounces); 1/4 cup finely chopped mint; 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup); Kosher salt; Freshly ground pepper; Olive oil, for brushing; Tahini sauce, lemon wedges, and warm pita for serving; 1/2 cup tahini; 1 1/4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley; 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint; Kosher salt

5.0

(5,553)

1 Review

Among Eden Grinshpan’s all-time favorite dishes are the ground-lamb kebabs studded with pine nuts that she had at the Shuk Hacarmel (Carmel Market) in Tel Aviv.

By Food & Wine Editors

Updated on February 15, 2023

Total Time:

55 mins

Yield:

8 kebabs

Eden Grinshpan’s TV show Eden Eats celebrates immigrant food cultures in the U.S. on the Cooking Channel.

Creamy and nutty, Food & Wine's classic tahini sauce is great with chicken and lamb kebabs. This 10-minute recipe yields 1 1/4 cups.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground lamb
3/4 cup pine nuts (4 ounces)
1/4 cup finely chopped mint
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for brushing
Tahini sauce, lemon wedges, and warm pita for serving

Tahini Sauce

1/2 cup tahini
1 1/4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
Kosher salt

Directions

Make the tahini sauce

In a food processor, combine the tahini with the lemon juice and garlic. Add 3/4 cup of water and puree until smooth. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and whisk in up to 1/2 cup more of water, until the sauce is pourable. Stir in the chopped parsley and mint, season with salt and serve.

Make the ground lamb kebabs

Light a grill. In a bowl, mix the lamb with the pine nuts, mint, parsley, cumin, cinnamon, garlic, onion, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Form the mixture into 16 ovals and thread them onto 8 skewers.
Brush the lamb kebabs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until the kebabs are lightly charred in spots and just slightly pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with tahini sauce, lemon wedges, and warm pita.

Make ahead

The tahini sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Suggested pairing

The fresh mint, pine nuts and spice in these kebabs make them a good match for a full-bodied white wine, rather than red. Juicy, citrusy Chenin Blanc from South Africa is a good choice.