Lamb & Beef Kofta with Citrus Mint Sauce

This lamb and beef kofta recipe with citrus mint sauce allows you to enjoy a restaurant-style Middle Eastern dish while staying true to your Paleo diet and lifestyle.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Keyword paleo appetizer, paleo fingerfood, paleo lamb

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 315kcal

Author Monica Stevens Le

Ingredients

For the kofta:

1 pound grass-fed ground beef
1 pound ground lamb
2 1/2 tablespoons Harissa
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt

For the dipping sauce:

1 cup coconut yogurt
2/3 cup dried apricot diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon fresh parsley roughly chopped
3 tablespoons fresh mint roughly chopped
Sea salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and lamb with the harissa, lemon zest, and all of the spices. Using your hands, mix well in order to distribute the ingredients well.
Carefully shape the meat into sausage-sized cylinders around each metal skewer (about 1/4 cup meat per skewer, leaving you with about 8 skewers total).
Place the skewers in a single layer on top of the lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the meat is cooked through but not overdone. You can carefully cut through one of them and check to see if the meat is done in the center. A little bit of pink is fine!
Serve the meat with your favorite sauce or my favorite sauce below.
Soak the diced apricot pieces in boiling water for a few minutes to soften them. Then, drain the water.
In a high speed blender, pour in the yogurt, fresh herbs, lime juice, dried apricot and a few pinches of sea salt.
Blend on high for 15-20 seconds until everything is well combined. Adjust the salt and citrus as needed. Now, dip the meat skewers into a big heaping of sauce. Yum.

Notes

If you do not have any skewers, you could make these into meatballs and serve them on a bed of your favorite rice instead.

Nutrition