Grilled Lamb Shashlik Kebabs

By
Saad Fayed
Saad Fayed
A restaurateur and food writer, Saad Fayed has published hundreds of recipes and articles about Middle Eastern cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/3/21
Grilled Lamb Shashlik Kebabs

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Marinate: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 27 mins
Servings: 3 to 4 servings

Shashlik is a type of shish kebab that is popular in Russia and Central Asia. It consists of marinated meat that is skewered and then grilled to perfection. With skewers of vegetables grilling alongside, shashlik is the ultimate cookout food. This recipe uses lamb, onions, cherry tomatoes, and green peppers, along with a simple marinade of lemon juice, olive oil, and seasonings, making for a simple and delicious meal.

Traditionally, the shashlik is cooked on a mangal, which is an open charcoal grill—without grates—that has notches to fit the long metal skewers filled with meat and vegetables. If you'd like to replicate this cooking technique, you can simply remove the grates from your charcoal grill as long as the skewers will balance safely on the edges. Otherwise, place the skewers on the grates of a charcoal or gas grill. To keep the recipe as authentic as possible, use metal skewers and charcoal.

This recipe is quite simple, but the lamb does need two to three hours to marinate, so be sure to plan ahead. Because the meat takes longer to cook than the vegetables, they are placed on their own skewers and put on the grill earlier. Serve the shashlik with Russian potato salad (olivye), rice pilaf, beet and potato salad, or even couscous.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lamb, leg or shoulder, trimmed of all fat, cut into 2-inch cubes

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 1/2 cup lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (like cayenne)

  • 2 medium onions, cut into eighths

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes

  • 2 large green peppers, cut into 1-inch chunks

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Grilled Lamb Shashlik Kebabs ingredients

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. In a bowl, combine the lamb, olive oil, lemon juice, pepper, salt, and red pepper. Allow to marinate in the refrigeratorfor at least 2 to 3 hours prior to cooking.

    lamb and marinade in a bowl

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. Apply a light coat of oil onto each skewer prior to threading the meat. Place the marinated meat onto the skewers (about 6 cubes per skewer).

    lamb pieces on skewers

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  4. Place the vegetables on separate skewers, alternating the type of vegetable.

    tomatoes, peppers and onions on skewers

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  5. Place the lamb shashlik skewers on the grill or under the broiler and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the meat reaches your desired doneness. Rotate the skewers to ensure even cooking.

    lamb cooking on a grill

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  6. Add the vegetable skewers to the grill during the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Turn every so often to cook all sides. The vegetables should be crisp, yet tender. Be careful not to overcook.

    vegetable skewers cooking on the grill

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  7. Serve the lamb and vegetables on the skewers, or remove the meat and veg and place them on a serving platter.

  8. Enjoy.

Glass Bakeware Warning

Do not use glass bakeware when broiling or when a recipe calls to add liquid to a hot pan, as glass may explode. Even if it states oven-safe or heat resistant, tempered glass products can, and do, break occasionally.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
440 Calories
33g Fat
12g Carbs
25g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 440
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g 43%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 73mg 24%
Sodium 621mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 5%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 25g
Vitamin C 38mg 192%
Calcium 45mg 3%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 685mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)