Season, squeeze, sizzle — dinner's on the table in 25 minutes

Lamb mince is the only mince that arrives ready for this job. It's got the richness to stay juicy over fierce heat and the flavour to stand up to cumin and garlic — which is why cooks around the Mediterranean have been shaping it around skewers for about as long as anyone's been grilling. This is the weeknight version: one bowl, eight koftas, a quick tzatziki stirred together while they sizzle, and warm pitas so everyone builds their own at the table. The kids get dinner they can hold. You get 25 minutes, start to plate.

25 mins 4 servings Prep 15 minsCook 10 minsMain CourseGreek

Ingredients

  • 480g Your Farmer grass-fed lamb mince
  • 1 small brown onion, coarsely grated and squeezed dry
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed (2 for the koftas, 1 for the tzatziki)
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, for grilling
  • 200g Greek yoghurt (for the tzatziki)
  • 1 Lebanese cucumber, coarsely grated (for the tzatziki)
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint (for the tzatziki)
  • 4 pita breads, warmed, to serve

Instructions

For the koftas

Put the mince, grated onion, two of the garlic cloves and the cumin in a large bowl. Season well and mix with clean hands for a full minute, until the mixture turns slightly sticky — that stickiness is what holds the koftas together.

480g lamb mince1 grated onion2 cloves garlic2 tsp cumin

With wet hands, shape the mixture into 8 sausage-shaped koftas about 10cm long, squeezing each one firmly around a skewer if you're using them.

Heat a grill pan (or barbecue plate) over medium-high heat. Brush the koftas with the oil and cook for 8–10 minutes, turning every couple of minutes, until browned all over and cooked through — no pink in the middle.

1 tbsp olive oil

For the tzatziki

While the koftas cook, squeeze the grated cucumber as dry as you can in your hands, then stir it through the yoghurt with the last clove of garlic, the mint and a pinch of salt.

200g Greek yoghurt1 cucumber1 tbsp mint

Pile the koftas onto a platter with the warm pitas and the tzatziki, and let everyone wrap their own at the table.

4 pita breads

Appears in

In every lamb share — Mince (approx 480g)

Your Farmer CSA grass-fed lamb share — Pack B selection of pasture-raised lamb cuts, vacuum-sealed, NSW & ACT delivery
CSA Pastured Lamb Share
Sale price From $150.00Regular price $162.41

The Mince That Was Made for This

There's a 480g pack of grass-fed lamb mince in every Your Farmer® lamb share, and koftas are the fastest way I know to turn it into a dinner people cheer for. Lamb mince carries a little more richness than lean beef mince, and over fierce heat that's exactly what you want — it bastes the meat from the inside while the outside chars, so the koftas come off the pan browned and juicy instead of dry and worthy. Ours is minced from whole-animal trim off the same pastured lambs as your chops, so the flavour is all lamb, nothing added.

The technique that matters is the mixing. Work the seasoned mince with your hands for a full minute, until it turns slightly sticky and starts clinging to the bowl. That stickiness is the bind — no egg, no breadcrumbs. It's the reason a kofta grips its skewer when a burger patty never would. And squeeze that grated onion properly dry first; a wet mixture is the number one reason koftas slump.

Swaps and Variations

  • Different spice, same method: swap the cumin for smoked paprika and dried oregano, or go warmer with cumin plus a half teaspoon of cinnamon.
  • Roll them round: the same mixture makes lovely meatballs — simmer them in tomato sauce the way we do our grass-fed beef meatballs.
  • No grill pan? A heavy frying pan or the barbecue plate does the same job.
  • Kofta burgers: flatten the mixture into small patties and serve them in the pitas with the tzatziki as the sauce.

Storage and Leftovers

Raw koftas freeze beautifully — lay them on a tray between sheets of baking paper, freeze solid, then bag them for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Cooked koftas keep 3 days in the fridge; reheat them covered in a low oven for about 10 minutes so they don't dry out. And the best leftover move barely counts as cooking: slice cold koftas over salad leaves, cucumber and tomato, and use the leftover tzatziki as the dressing.

Reserve your share and there's a pack of lamb mince in every delivery — which means kofta night is never far away.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need skewers to make koftas?

No. Skewers make them easier to turn, but free-form koftas cook exactly the same. If you use bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes first so they don't scorch.

How do I know when the koftas are cooked through?

Cut one open — there should be no pink in the middle and the juices should run clear. On a meat thermometer, 71°C in the centre is the number to hit.

Why do my koftas fall apart on the pan?

Usually the mixture wasn't mixed long enough to turn sticky, or the onion went in wet. Mix for a full minute, squeeze the grated onion very dry, and let a crust form before you turn them.

Can I make the kofta mixture ahead of time?

Yes — shape the koftas, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. The flavour actually improves as the cumin and garlic settle in.

Can I use beef mince instead?

You can — the method is identical. Add an extra half onion, grated and squeezed, to keep the mixture juicy, since beef mince runs a little leaner.

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