Name: Grilled Lamb and Fig Skewers with Mint Pepper Glaze
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: ⅔ cup apricot preserves or jam; ⅓ cup sherry vinegar; 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes; The zest of 1 lemon; 1/4 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves, finely chopped; A few mint sprigs set aside as a final garnish; 3 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of fat, cut into 1½-inch cubes; 12-14 fresh Black Mission figs or Brown Turkey Figs; ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons minced garlic (4-5 medium cloves); 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of ground cumin; 2 teaspoons of ground coriander; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper; 6 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces (look for thick scallions); Special equipment: 8-10 (17-inch) metal skewers

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Here’s a kebab recipe for your next summer dinner party. Lamb and figs are seasoned with garlic and cumin, threaded onto skewers and grilled. As they cook, they're brushed with a sweet, spicy, minty glaze.

Delicate sweet fresh figs and charred rich grilled lamb are a match made in heaven. The spicy minty glaze takes this dish over the top.

Two kebabs threaded with cubes of lamb, halved fresh figs and pieces of scallions, surrounded by lemon slices and mint sprigs

This is one of my longtime favorite grilling recipes for spring and summer entertaining. It's an easy and elegant dish made with fresh seasonal ingredients and the flavors are outrageously delicious.

All the credit for this recipe goes to Chef Chris Schlesinger and Epicurious. I've made only minor modifications to the recipe since I first discovered it ten years go.

I reduced the salt and increased the cumin. I made the lamb cubes a bit larger because I find they're juicier that way. I added green onions because I love the flavor and they go really well with grilled lamb and figs. Also, I like the way the kebabs look with bits of green and white to break up the brown color of the grilled lamb and figs.

5 lamb and fig kebabs on a white platter

How to Make These Lamb and Fig Skewers

This recipe has 4 steps:

Make the glaze
Season the lamb and figs
Assemble the kebabs
Grill the skewers, brushing them with glaze as they cook

Make the glaze

Add apricot preserves, vinegar and red pepper flakes to a small saucepan and simmer until thick and jammy. When cool, stir in fresh chopped mint leaves. Set the glaze aside while you prepare the lamb skewers.

saucepan on a striped dish towel, filled with mint pepper glaze.

Season the lamb and figs

To a large mixing bowl, add the cubes of lamb, figs, olive oil, cumin, coriander, fresh garlic, salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.

Glass mixing bowl filled with cubes of lamb, fresh figs, cumin and garlic.

Assemble the Kebabs

Thread the lamb, figs and green onions onto eight long (~17 inch) skewers, alternating each ingredient.

7 metal skewers threaded with cubes of raw lamb, fresh fig halves and scallions

Grill the Lamb Skewers

Heat the grill to high and grill the lamb skewers for about 4 minutes per side, brushing them with glaze towards the end of the grilling time.

5 lamb and fig skewers on a grill rack being brushed with glaze

What to Serve with Grilled Lamb and Fig Skewers

Rich spicy lamb calls out for a crunchy salad with citrusy dressing. I love to serve these lamb skewers with this Shirazi cucumber and tomato salad. Add some crumbled feta and chopped mint on top of the salad to amp it up even further since feta goes so well with lamb.

I also love basmati rice with this dish. If you want to get fancy, cook the rice and then toss it with a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, a teaspoon or more of Maldon sea salt, and a few tablespoons of fresh chopped scallions and or herbs, such as parsley, mint or basil.

Three kebabs threaded with cubes of lamb, halved fresh figs and pieces of scallions, surrounded by lemon slices and mint sprigs

If your herb garden is overtaken with mint, as mine often is, you might want to consider making these minty frozen mojitos to accompany your grilled lamb and fig kebabs - an exciting fusion of spicy Mediterranean kebabs with a frosty Caribbean cocktail.

And if you love grilled figs as much as I do, you will adore this appetizer recipe, grilled figs, prosciutto and burrata.

Here's the grilled lamb and fig skewers recipe. If you make this dish, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think.

Recipe

Grilled Lamb and Fig Skewers with Mint Pepper Glaze

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 4 reviews

Author: Lisa
Total Time: 45 mins
Yield: 6-8

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Description

Seasoned lamb, fresh figs and scallions are threaded onto skewers, brushed with a sweet, tangy, spicy, minty glaze and grilled. This is an outstanding dish for the grill, with exciting Middle Eastern flavors.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For The Mint-Pepper glaze:

⅔ cup apricot preserves or jam
⅓ cup sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
The zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup (packed) fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
A few mint sprigs set aside as a final garnish

For The lamb

3 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of fat, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
12-14 fresh Black Mission figs or Brown Turkey Figs
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic (4-5 medium cloves)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper
6 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces (look for thick scallions)
Special equipment: 8-10 (17-inch) metal skewers

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Instructions

In small saucepan combine apricot preserves, vinegar, red pepper flakes and lemon zest and set over high heat. When liquids come to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes, until thickened and jammy. Remove glaze from heat and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes. Stir in the chopped mint.
Preheat the grill to medium high. Cut the figs in half lengthwise through the stem. Add them to a large bowl along with the lamb, olive oil, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine and thread lamb figs and scallions onto skewers.
Grill the skewers for about 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Start with the grill cover closed and cook for four minutes. Brush the kebabs on both sides with glaze, turn, and grill for 3 minutes more with the cover closed. Brush on both sides once more and cook for 30 seconds, uncovered. (Lamb will be slightly underdone but will continue to cook after being removed from grill)
Serve kebabs with fresh chopped mint sprinkled on top

Notes

Buying Lamb: If the lamb is excessively fatty, consider buying an extra half pound or so, as you will be trimming off most of the fat.

Buying Figs: look for firm ripe figs. If they're overripe or mushy they won't hold up on the grill

Aleppo Pepper Substitute: Maras pepper is the best substitute. Crushed red pepper flakes will work well too but use only 1 teaspoon instead of 2.

Nutrition Information: The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and is not a substitute for the advice of a professional nutritionist.

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Category: Dinner
Method: Grill
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

This post was first published on May 16, 2017. It was updated on August 19, 2023 with new photos, added nutritional information, updated text and clearer recipe instructions.

Grilled Lamb and Fig Skewers with Mint Pepper Glaze