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Two grilled potato skewers on a wooden plate with lemon wedges, a bowl of yogurt dip, and a small dish of coarse salt, garnished with mint leaves.
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Ground Lamb Tortilla Kebab

Crispy edges, juicy lamb, and layers that actually hold together on the grill. This is the tortilla kebab you've been seeing everywhere — done right. We're stacking ground lamb between layers and layers of tortillas and skewering them for the most fun, viral recipe you'll make this year.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Servings: 6 s (1 skewer per serving)
Calories: 368kcal
Author: Abi Gunasekaran

Ingredients

For the Lamb Mixture

  • 1 lb ground lamb
  • small red bell pepper finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh mint finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

For Assembly

For Serving

  • Lemon wedges
  • Fresh mint chopped
  • Tzatziki or yogurt sauce

Instructions

Preheat the Grill

  • Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat, 375°F to 400°F. Preaheat the grill for 15 to 20 minutes before the kebabs are ready to be cooked.

Make the Lamb Mixture

  • Combine ground lamb, bell pepper, onion, mint, garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until just combined. Stop as soon as it comes together.
    A bowl filled with a mixture of ground lamb, chopped vegetables, and herbs, with a wooden spoon resting in the mixture.

Build the Stack

  • Trim each tortilla into a square by cutting the curved edges. Spread a thin, even layer of lamb mixture across the surface of one tortilla. Top with another tortilla and repeat until all six are stacked, finishing with a plain tortilla on top. Press the stack down firmly with both hands.
    A stack of square tortillas stacked into layers with ground lamb filling sits on a round wooden cutting board, with a green cloth nearby.

Cut and Skewer

  • Cut the stack into 2-inch-wide strips. T
    A stack of layered meat filled tortillas cut into strips on a round wooden cutting board, with a lemon half and small bowl in the background.
  • urn each strip on its side. Insert a flat metal skewer lengthwise through the center of each strip.
    A stack of thin, layered tortillas filled with a minced lamb mixture is arranged on a round wooden cutting board on its side to easily skewer with metal kebobs.
  • Transfer to a sheet pan and freeze for 20 to 30 minutes. Brush all sides generously with melted butter.
    Metal skewers hold stacks of thin, square cuts of tortillas layered with ground lamb filling, arranged on a plate.

Grill

  • Place skewers on the grill over direct medium heat. Cook 12 to 15 minutes total, turning every 3 to 4 minutes and brushing with additional butter at each turn. Pull when tortilla edges are golden and deeply spotted and the lamb reads 160°F internal.

Serve

  • Transfer to a platter. Garnish with fresh mint and lemon wedges. Serve immediately with tzatziki or yogurt sauce.
    A pile of grilling skewers of layered with tortilla and meat layers, served with tzatziki, lemon wedges, sliced tomatoes, onions, and a bowl of salt.

Notes

  • Freezing the assembled kebabs before grilling is a structural step, not optional. It firms the fat so the layers hold on the grill.
  • Flat metal skewers only. Round skewers spin when you flip; wooden ones burn.
  • Finely chop or grate vegetables so there are no chunks creating weak points in the layers.
  • Sumac garlic butter upgrade: melt butter with minced garlic, 1 tsp sumac, and a pinch of dried oregano. Let it bloom over low heat for 1 minute before brushing on. Deep brick-red color, cuts through the lamb's richness.
  • To bake: rest skewer ends on the rim of a sheet pan, bake at 400°F for 20 to 22 minutes flipping halfway, broil 2 to 3 minutes to crisp the edges.
 
For a charcoal grill:
Bank the coals to one side for a two-zone setup. Start the kebabs over direct heat to char the tortilla edges, then slide to indirect if the outside is browning faster than the lamb is cooking through. Charcoal runs hotter and less predictably than gas, so watch the first turn closely. Pull when the lamb reaches 160F.

For a gas grill:
Preheat all burners to medium, then turn off one burner and cook the kebabs over the unlit burner with the lid closed. Leave the lid open for the last 2 to 3 minutes to let the tortilla edges crisp up properly. 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servings | Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 700mg | Potassium: 265mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 416IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 3mg