How to properly marinate lamb for barbecue recipes. How to quickly prepare marinade for lamb shish kebab

Kebab marinade recipes

A lamb shish kebab recipe is not complete without preparing the marinade. How to make the most delicious marinade for barbecue so that the meat is soft and tasty?

20 minutes

230 kcal

5/5 (1)

Lamb is a classic option for making barbecue. It is from lamb that you can prepare a traditional one. Of course, to do this you need to know how to properly marinate meat and some other useful details.

Why do you need a good marinade?

Lamb has a very specific smell, in particular when it comes to more or less adult lambs that are more than a year old. For that to make meat more palatable and aromatic, a high-quality marinade will come in handy.

In addition, a special mixture will help a little soften the lamb, which is often harsh.

It should be noted here that when preparing lamb shish kebab, you need to focus on the quality of the meat, and not try to neutralize the shortcomings of lamb with a good marinade. Accordingly, you should choose lamb that is not overly mature and pieces (for example, tenderloin) that are the most soft and suitable for barbecue.

A high-quality marinade only complements and reveals the taste. This part of the recipe allows you to learn how to enjoy classic kebab to the fullest.

How to cook lamb shish kebab - a classic recipe

Good young lamb meat requires virtually no marinating, just enough good salting of the pieces. Lamb likes salt, and if you salt the tender meat well, the taste will be great.

For high-quality meat, you need a minimum of additives, because it is better for the taste to appear thanks to the smoke and meat juices that will simmer on the grill. If you want to make a basic marinade for lamb, carefully salt each piece, add ground coriander and cumin. Leave the pieces at room temperature for about 40 minutes and then you can cook.

Marinade for tenderizing meat

Sometimes you can take lamb that is not the softest and has a strong smell, then you need use acidic foods, which soften the meat and slightly remove odors. However, be careful not to overdo it with acidic ingredients, as adding too much may cause the meat to harden rather than soften.

So, for this marinade (in proportion per kilogram of meat) you will need:

Ingredients

The meat prepared in this way is left in a loosely closed container for a day. Additionally, you can put some kind of weight on the meat so that the pieces marinate better.

Marinade for lamb shish kebab with kiwi - recipe

This recipe includes many original ingredients. For example, such exotic marinade as kiwi is used here. Moreover, each component is not some kind of whim, but serves a specific purpose, for example, the one mentioned earlier kiwi is used to soften lamb with the help of tannins in the composition.

To prepare you will need:

• highly carbonated mineral water – 200 ml;
• half a kiwi;
• a bunch of cilantro;
• garlic clove;

• a third of a lemon;
• small tomato;
• onion bulb;
• vegetable oil – 150 ml.

1. Onions and kiwi need to be pureed.
2. The remaining components are cut into arbitrary pieces.
3. Lemon and tomato warm up a little.
4. The marinade is mixed in vegetable oil and water, this amount is enough for 500-700 grams of lamb, the marinating time is about three hours.

Try marinate lamb at room temperature, or if you put the meat in the cold, then leave it to warm up a little in the room before frying it on the grill. After all, if you start frying cold meat, you increase the cooking time. Accordingly, more juice will flow onto the coals, and for a tasty kebab it is better to retain more juices in the meat itself.

By the way, to do this, immediately after you have placed the skewers over the coals, work with a fan. Then you can heat the coals, the heat of which will create a crust on the lamb. As a result, the juice will remain inside the meat.

Lamb is a specific meat that is not always tasty and sometimes has an unpleasant odor. However, if you choose the right carcass and the right marinade, you can get an amazing kebab.
Recipe contents:

Fans of this meat will confidently say that the only real kebab is the one made exclusively from lamb. And surprisingly, they will be right, since initially kebab was prepared only from this type of meat. That is why lamb shish kebab is called authentic, i.e. the original and authentic version of the dish. But, as with the preparation of many dishes, lamb also requires certain knowledge and subtleties.

How to choose meat for barbecue

No matter what wonderful marinade you make, the kebab will be tasty only when the meat is chosen correctly.

• Never buy frozen lamb, as there is a high risk that the meat will not be tasty. This is easy to check - press on the piece. If the resulting cavity fills with blood, it means the meat is frozen. In fresh meat, a hole will not appear and will not fill with blood.
• If you still purchased frozen meat, then defrost it at room temperature and start cooking immediately.
• For barbecue, it is advisable to give preference to the loin, leg or shoulder.
• When buying meat, inspect it carefully so that there is no puddle of water under it, and no bloody smudges or traces of snow above it.
• For barbecue, the best meat is young lamb. It has a soft structure and does not have an unpleasant odor. This meat is light in color with white fat. The meat of an old animal is bright red with yellow fat layers, and after prolonged heat treatment it remains tough.
• The layer of lard should be uniform. This means that the animal was well fed, and therefore the meat will be tasty.
• Smell the piece. The smell should not be sharp, neutral with a slight sweetish aftertaste. If you experience discomfort, then refuse to purchase, this product is not fresh.

How to cook lamb shish kebab

Lamb is perhaps the only meat that does not require rinsing under water. It is simply wiped off with a paper napkin. Meat processing consists only of removing non-edible parts - tendons and films. Afterwards, it is cut into medium pieces so that they fit in the palm of your hand. Usually their size is 5x5 cm. Pieces that are too large will not bake well, and small pieces will be dry.

For barbecue, it is advisable to use coals from cherry, birch or linden firewood. You can buy ready-made coals or burn them yourself in a fire. But no matter what kind of coals are, do not forget to heat them completely so that they burn evenly over the entire surface with a reddish heat and only a thin layer of white ash sparkles a little. Never start cooking barbecue unless the open flames have gone out. And if a flame breaks out, put it out by sprinkling a little water, wine or marinade.

Turn the skewers regularly during frying. This will allow the lamb to fry evenly, give it an appetizing crust and not burn. If the meat begins to burn in some places or has dried out, brush them with marinade or sauce. Lamb does not take very long to prepare, because... May become dry and have a rubbery taste. Grilling is enough for no more than 5-10 minutes, for medium roasting - 15-20 minutes. Lamb hardens when it reaches t40°C, so it is advisable to consume it immediately.

Delicious lamb shish kebab marinade

To make the meat juicy and soft, it needs to be marinated: a fresh young piece - for 1-3 hours, an old one - 10-12. The simplest products for pickling: olive oil, lemon and lime juice, yogurt, vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, garlic, rosemary, mint, cumin, cardamom, oregano, chili, thyme. The meat turns out delicious after marinating for a day in vegetables: celery root, onion, garlic, carrots and allspice.

In general, the marinade should be such that the lamb turns out tender with an unusual taste and is in harmony with seasonings and spices. We offer a recipe for the perfect marinade for real Caucasian lamb shish kebab.

• Calorie content per 100 g - 134 kcal.
• Number of servings - 2
• Cooking time - 20 minutes for preparing the marinade, 3-4 hours for marinating the meat

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes - 0.5 kg (per 1 kg of meat)
• Onion - 0.5 kg
• Garlic - 1 head
• Seasonings - 1-2 tsp.
• Salt - to taste

Step-by-step preparation:

1. Peel the onion and garlic. Wash the tomato.

Wipe the meat with a napkin and cut into pieces.

In a deep bowl, combine the vegetables and stir. Add meat with spices.

Leave the lamb to marinate for 3-4 hours. If you need the kebab to marinate faster, stir it every 10 minutes.

The marinade can be made in a variety of ways, but you should not experiment with it yourself for lamb meat. Not all seasonings and spices are in harmony with this variety, and it is difficult to determine the ideal proportion. And by going too far with spices, you can emphasize the unfavorable aspects of the kebab. Therefore, we offer another proven option marinade for lamb with Abkhazian flavor.

Ingredients:

• Lamb - 1 kg
• Dry red wine - 250 ml
• Adjika - 4 tbsp.
• Onion - 4 pcs.
• Garlic - 3 cloves
• Salt - to taste
• Ground black pepper - to taste
• Spices - to taste

Step-by-step preparation:

1. Mix the wine with adjika.
2. Peel the onion and garlic, finely chop and combine with salt and selected spices.
3. Combine the wine-ashite mixture and the garlic-onion mixture.
4. Cut the meat into pieces, pour in the marinade and leave for 5 hours.
5. Thread the lamb pieces tightly onto a skewer and cook over hot coals for about half an hour.

How to marinate lamb shish kebab

One way or another, let's not forget that preparing the marinade is the most important preparatory process. The final taste, softness, juiciness and aroma of the kebab will largely depend on how it is cooked. Therefore, we will not take risks, but, as with previous recipes, we offer a version of the national marinade for lamb with Turkish roots.

Ingredients:

• Lamb - 1 kg
• Dry red wine - 250 ml
• Tomatoes - 300 g
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Onion - 1 pc.
• Salt - to taste
• Ground black pepper - to taste
• Spices - to taste

Step-by-step preparation:

1. Wash the tomatoes. Peel the onion and garlic. Grind the products in a meat grinder.
2. Pour wine into the vegetable mixture, add spices and stir.
3. Cut the meat into pieces and season with the prepared sauce. Leave it to marinate for 6-7 hours.
4. Salt the kebab, stir, place on a skewer and fry over hot coals, turning occasionally for about 30-40 minutes.

Lamb kebab marinade is the most delicious

You can't ignore and real Georgian lamb shish kebab. The marinade of this national cuisine is prepared quite simply. We will give the main ingredients for it below, and with spices, as always, you can use your culinary imagination. For example, Georgian cooks prefer: hops-suneli, cilantro, savory, marjoram, coriander, basil, and saffron.

Ingredients:

• Lamb - 2 kg
• Onions - 500 g
• Grape vinegar - 2 tbsp.
• Lemon - 1 pc.
• Salt - to taste
• Ground black pepper - to taste
• Spices - to taste

Step-by-step preparation:

1. Peel the onion and cut into half rings. Cut the lamb into equal pieces. Combine the products in a deep bowl.
2. Wash the lemon and squeeze out the juice. Combine it with grape vinegar, stir and pour over the meat.
3. Season the food with salt, pepper, spices and mix. Cover with a lid and leave in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
4. Thread the meat onto a skewer, fry on the grill and serve with thin pita bread.

You can find even more new and proven original recipes and marinades for lamb kebab on the pages of our website. And now we invite you to watch video recipes:

Spring is beginning, and soon sunny, fine days will invite us to spend more time outdoors, in a cheerful company. And in this case, what could be better than ruddy, aromatic kebab? We will tell you some excellent marinade recipes for lamb kebab to make it juicy and tasty.

Secrets of vinegar-based marinade

As you know, lamb is a special meat, quite difficult to process. It can be harsh, stringy, and many consider its smell to be specific. Therefore, it is customary to keep lamb in a marinade based on acid-containing products in order to get rid of unpleasant features.

The main secret of marinating lamb is the high acidity of the marinade. Therefore, vinegar is considered the simplest, and at the same time widespread product.

Acetic acid softens tough meat and makes it tender. When preparing the marinade, it is very important to maintain the proportions specified in the recipe, otherwise the meat may turn out sour.

Meat in vinegar marinade

• For half a kilogram of lamb you will need the following products:
• medium-sized bulbs – 2 pcs;
• lemon – 1 piece;
• vinegar – 1-2 tablespoons;
• vegetable oil – 1 tablespoon;

pepper, salt, bay leaf to taste.

1. This marinade is very easy to make:
2. Take a deep bowl, place the chopped meat in it, add the onion, cut into rings.
3. Pour in lemon juice, oil and vinegar.

Mix thoroughly, sprinkle with salt and pepper, add bay leaf and leave to marinate.

Please note: it is very important to cut the barbecue meat correctly. Pieces that are too small will take on more marinade than necessary and will be dry and tough after frying. Large pieces will not be completely soaked and may not be cooked completely: they will be browned on the outside and raw on the inside.

If you leave the lamb in the vinegar marinade to infuse at room temperature, the meat will be ready in literally 2-3 hours. But it’s better to prepare in advance and keep the preparation in the refrigerator for about 6 hours, so the meat will be soaked more evenly. Do not forget to stir the pieces of lamb with the marinade every hour.

Lamb shish kebab in kefir

Kefir marinade will help make the meat tender and piquant. It's great if vinegar doesn't seem like the best option for you. For example, for children, shish kebab in such a marinade is the most suitable recipe.

We offer you 3 options for kefir marinade recipes.

• For the first recipe you will need:
• lamb – 3 kg;
• kefir – 3 glasses;
• medium-sized bulbs - 3 pieces;

1. basil, dill, parsley, mint - to taste.
2. Peel the onion and cut it into half rings.
3. Finely chop the dill and parsley, and tear the mint and basil with your hands.
4. Place everything in a deep bowl, mix evenly and pour in kefir.

Pour this marinade over the meat and leave for about 3-4 hours.

To prepare the marinade according to the second recipe, take:

• lamb – 3-4 kg;
• kefir – 1 liter;
• vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons;
• bulbs – 4 pcs;
• salt, black pepper - to taste.

1. Place the peeled and chopped onion into rings in a bowl, add pepper and salt.
2. Stir thoroughly so that the onion releases its juice, and then pour in the oil and kefir.
3. Stir again and pour the marinade over the meat.

Third type of marinade:

• lamb 3 kg;
• kefir – 1 liter;
• onion – 500 grams;
• khmeli-suneli seasoning – 1 tablespoon;
• salt and black pepper - to taste.

1. Pour kefir over chopped onion, salt, pepper and seasoning and mix thoroughly.
2. You need to keep the meat in this marinade for about 3-4 hours.

Kefir and yogurt for a piquant and spicy marinade

The peculiarity of previous recipes with kefir is that salt can be added not to the marinade, but right before you thread the meat onto the skewer. And the following recipe will help you prepare a piquant spicy kebab. Take these products:

• lamb – 1.5 kg (try to take soft, young meat);
• kefir – 500 ml (fat content 3.2%);
• onions – 5-7 pieces;
• powdered sugar – 1.5 teaspoons;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

Cool the lamb, cut it, wash it and place it in a bowl. Start preparing the marinade.

1. Finely chop half the onion. If possible, it is better to grate it on a coarse grater. Add onion to meat, pepper and salt.
2. Pour kefir into the bowl with lamb. The meat should be well soaked in it, but not drowned. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and mix thoroughly again.
3. Chop the remaining onions into rings and place on top of the meat. Cover the dish with a lid and refrigerate for 10 hours.

The next marinade is prepared using yogurt. Spicy, so important for meat, will be given by seasonings. You will need:

• lamb – 1 kg;
• yogurt – 0.5 l;
• marjoram – 3 pcs;
• paprika – 1 tablespoon;
• bulbs – 2 pcs;
• 1 chili pepper;
• 7 cloves of garlic;
• rosemary – 3 pcs.

Meat in yoghurt marinade

1. Cut the meat into cubes with sides of at least 3 cm - the most optimal size.
2. Finely chop the onion, garlic, rosemary, marjoram and chili pepper (you can use ground pepper).
3. Mix thoroughly with meat, pouring yogurt over everything. It is enough for this marinade to brew for about 3 hours at room temperature.

Soy sauce and wine are a great option for meat

Due to its optimal acid content, soy sauce is excellent for marinating meat, especially lamb. This absolutely natural product is obtained by fermenting soybeans, and the monosodium glutamate it contains will relieve lamb of its specific odor. There is no need to add salt to this marinade; there is enough of it in the sauce itself.

For 1 kilogram of meat you will need the following products:

• 100 ml soy sauce;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• juice of half a lemon;
• sugar – 0.5 tsp;
• spices to taste: basil, pepper, tarragon (tarragon) and others.

1. Finely chop or grate the garlic, mix it with the sauce, lemon juice and spices until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.
2. Pour the resulting marinade over the sliced ​​meat so that it is evenly coated. Leave for 3-4 hours.

Wine contains a large number of different natural acids - malic, succinic, acetic, lactic and citric, in the proportions necessary for the body. Therefore, from time immemorial, wine has been used for marinating meat, especially lamb.

Dry red wine is considered the most suitable because it gives the meat a tart taste.

Wine is very popular as a marinade for meat

• For one and a half kilograms of lamb you will need:
• 1 glass of red wine;
• 4-6 medium onions;

1. spices and salt - to taste.
2. Cut the meat, put it in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and spices and leave to steep for half an hour.
3. Cut the onion into rings and add to the meat.
4. Pour in the wine so that it does not cover the meat. Otherwise, it is better to drain a small part. Do not mix the onion with the meat, let it remain on top.

Cover the dish with a lid and place it in the refrigerator. By morning the kebab will be completely marinated. If you leave it at room temperature, the marinating time will be reduced to 4 hours.

Fruits at your service: lamb in kiwi and orange

Kiwi, due to its natural acid content, is also perfect for marinating meat. Moreover, this fruit will come in handy if your lamb is old and tough: kiwi will make the meat very soft, as if from a young lamb.

Please note: kiwi contains substances that break down animal protein. Do not use too much kiwi to prevent the marinated meat from turning into a pate. The optimal amount is 1 medium-sized fruit per 1 kg of meat.

Try marinating barbecue meat in kiwi

The main ingredient, kiwi, must be added to the marinade no later than 2 hours before frying the kebab. Therefore, when the meat is infused, grind the kiwi pulp using a blender, meat grinder or grater, and mix this puree with the pickled lamb. The shish kebab will be ready for frying just at the moment when the coals of the fire reach the desired condition.

The orange marinade will not only make the meat juicy and soft, but also give it an unusual aroma. This kebab is a little different from the usual one, but it will surely win your love.

Take these products:

• 1 kg lamb;
• 1 liter of orange juice;
• 2/3 cup orange liqueur;
• 1 green chili pepper;
• 100 g coriander seeds;
• 6 oranges;
• Fresh cilantro for garnish.

For this kebab, take young, lean lamb. Cooking will take time and patience.

Shish kebab in orange marinade

1. Place the chopped meat in a deep bowl. Rub it with chopped coriander. Pour in liqueur and orange juice.
2. Grind the chili pepper and add to the meat. Add peeled and sliced ​​oranges there. Cover the dish with a lid and leave it in the refrigerator for a day. Stir every 3 hours.
3. After time has passed, remove the lamb from the marinade. Thread the meat onto skewers alternately with orange slices. Place them on the grill or coals for frying.
4. While the kebabs are cooking, prepare the marinade sauce. Place the pan on the heat and simmer until the liquid becomes sticky but not thick. Pour this sauce over the finished kebab and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Shish kebab with mineral water and mayonnaise - the most common options

Mineral water is a very popular base for marinade. It is not only inexpensive, but also quite simple to prepare. All you need for this barbecue is:

• 3 kg of lamb (it is advisable to take meat from the ham);
• 500 ml sparkling mineral water;
• 2 medium sized lemons;
• 2 large tomatoes;
• 2 medium onions;
• 300 g rye bread;
• pepper, salt, spices - to choose from.

1. Rinse the lamb thoroughly and cut the meat into small pieces. Be sure to cut across the grain.
2. Place the meat in a deep bowl, sprinkle with chopped onion in half rings, and press down a little. Place the tomatoes cut into slices there. Leave it for a while.
3. Take another bowl and place the rye bread cut into small pieces into it.
4. Cut the lemons into 2 parts and squeeze their juice onto the pieces of bread.
5. Fill with sparkling mineral water. Stir and add to the bowl with the meat.
6. Season with salt, pepper and spices.
7. Stir and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours. This marinade will soften the meat to the desired consistency without disturbing its structure.

Mayonnaise, like mineral water, is very popular as a base for marinade. You will need:

• 2 kg lamb;
• 6 onions;
• 200 g mayonnaise;
• 200 g mustard;
• pepper, salt - to taste.

A mixture of mayonnaise and mustard is an excellent option for a marinade.

1. Place the chopped meat in a bowl, add salt, pepper and finely chopped onion. Remember to let the juice flow.
2. Mix mustard with mayonnaise, pour into the bowl with the meat, remember again.
3. Cover with a lid and leave for 6 hours.

Tip: the taste of the kebab largely depends on the choice of mustard. If you like spicy meat, choose traditional Russian mustard. If you prefer fragrant meat with a mild taste, then sweet mustard - French or Dijon - is suitable.

Spices, herbs and herbs that go well with barbecue

Video about preparing marinade for barbecue

As you can see, there are many options for preparing the marinade, and some of them are quite unusual. Surely you have your own original recipes. Share them with us in the comments. Bon appetit and warm spring days!

Lamb kebab is the most correct among all other varieties of meat fried on skewers. Initially, it was prepared only from lamb tenderloin. Today, this meat has been replaced everywhere by pork, but in Asia and the Caucasus, flocks of sheep are still raised in the same way as they did many centuries ago.

Meat selection

Not all lamb is suitable for frying on skewers. While there are a lot of recipes for marinating lamb kebab, there are only a few rules for choosing meat. Experts recommend choosing lamb meat that is no more than 1 year old. In appearance, its tenderloin is light red, and the layers of fat are almost white. An adult or old ram has bright red meat and yellow fat.

Parts of the carcass suitable for cooking on the grill include the ham, loin and ribs in the front part. Here the meat is most tender with a small amount of fat, not tough and almost odorless. The back part is not suitable for lamb kebab; the muscle fibers here are very dense and tough.

Frozen tenderloin is not suitable for baking. During the defrosting process, the meat loses some of its juice, which is why it will be dry in the future. Therefore, when going to a store or market, the products are checked for freshness. Good meat quickly returns to shape when pressed. Frozen and stale materials form dents that may not disappear at all. In addition, when pressed, such pulp releases a lot of liquid - water and juice.

To buy a quality product, choose fresh chilled tenderloin from trusted producers, preferably farms that work without intermediaries.

Preparation of lamb

The kebab meat should be a large, solid piece, which is cut into cubes along the grain. The size of one serving is 4 by 4 cm. If you only managed to buy a frozen product, defrost it naturally or in cold water. This way the meat will not lose its juiciness in the future.

Portioned pieces for barbecue

If you are lucky enough to purchase a young ham, you can make even larger pieces of lamb for barbecue. They will have time to quickly fry without losing their juiciness. Large pieces of fat, if any, are cut off and the films are removed. When ribs are cooked along with shish kebab, the largest of them are chopped in half and marinated separately. Young tenderloin does not need to be pre-soaked in vinegar or other acids to soften the fibers.

Almost all vegetables are used for barbecue with lamb. Due to the large amount of juice that is released during grilling over coals, the vegetables on the skewers are saturated with it, becoming tasty and crispy. You can cook pieces of tenderloin either on skewers or on a grill or barbecue pan. In all cases it will turn out delicious.

Recipes for marinades without vinegar

High-quality meat and the right marinade allow you to prepare juicy and tasty kebab. Among the variety of recipes for marinating meat, there are those in which vinegar is the basis, and those in which it is replaced by natural fruit or vegetable acids or other ingredients. Marinades without vinegar are preferable, as they do not harm the health of people with problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Onions are an essential ingredient in all marinades.

Not all spices and sauces are suitable for lamb, here are the best ones:

• black pepper;
• red pepper;
• turmeric;
• caraway;
• tkemali;
• garlic;
• spices.

The marinade is usually based on lemon juice, mineral water, yogurt, mayonnaise, and sour cherry plum sauce.

Recipe for shish kebab marinated with kiwi (for 2 kg of tenderloin):

1. Peel 3 kiwis and 1 orange and cut into small pieces.
2. Cut 2 large onions into small cubes, crush with a knife to release the juice, put everything in one deep container.
3. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon.
4. Add herbs to taste and desire, add 1 tsp. salt and ground black pepper, mix everything.
5. Place pieces of lamb into the resulting mixture, stir, cover the container with cling film and leave for 1-2 hours to marinate.

Marinating lamb for barbecue with kiwi is very convenient, as it allows you to soften the fibers of the meat in a very short time. Kiwi, orange and lemon contain fruit acids that are more effective than vinegar. This marinade is suitable even for old and tough meat.

Mineral water or plain water is often used as a marinade base.

Recipe for meat marinated with mineral water (for 2 kg of product):

1. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon and combine with 500 ml of sparkling mineral water.
2. Add 2 onions cut into rings.
3. Thinly slice 2 ripe tomatoes and add to the marinade.
4. Sprinkle the meat with salt and black pepper and mix in a container with vegetables and mineral water.

The most delicious kebab will be obtained if you keep the meat in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

Ingredients for yogurt marinade:

• natural yogurt without additives 250 g;
• salt 2 tsp;
• mixture of spices (ground ginger, black pepper, curry 0.5 - 1 tsp each);
• 2 cloves of garlic.

The lamb is kept in this marinade for 45-60 minutes and sent to the grill. It is better to use homemade yogurt for the marinade, which is guaranteed to have no preservatives or other chemicals.

What else can you marinate lamb in? As an alternative to the base for the brine, you can use full-fat kefir, ketchup, tkemali sauce or homemade plum sauce with tomatoes. High-quality young meat can simply be sprinkled with spices and onion rings. After 1-2 hours it can already be grilled.

Classic marinade recipes

It’s easier and faster to marinate lamb kebab in vinegar and spices. This is the most classic version of the marinade, used for all types of tenderloin. Salt, spices, and vinegar are diluted in a bowl, chopped onion is added and left for 15 minutes, then poured into a container with meat, mixed thoroughly and left overnight in the refrigerator. This way the meat is guaranteed to be tender.

Recipe for Caucasian-style lamb with wine:

• 1 glass of dry grape wine;
• 3 large onions;
• 1 kg of meat;
• salt pepper;
• vegetable oil.

The tenderloin pieces are first cut into pieces and sprinkled with a mixture of salt and pepper. Leave for 15 minutes.

The onion is cut into rings and poured with wine, vegetable oil is added. Place the meat in another container, alternating with a layer of onions. Pour marinade over everything and leave in the refrigerator for 7 hours.

You can marinate meat according to an interesting Turkish recipe, which can be considered a classic one. Here, pureed tomato and tomato paste are used as a base. For 1 kg of meat you will need 2 tomatoes and 1 tbsp. l pasta. The meat is first sprinkled with salt and black pepper, crushed cumin and hyssop are added, then poured with a tomato mixture. At the end, add chopped garlic cloves and onion rings. In this form, the tenderloin should stand for 4-5 hours. Properly marinating lamb in Turkish means taking things slowly and using only the best products.

Tomatoes and tomato juice contain acids that soften meat fibers well.

Express marinade

The fastest and easiest way to prepare marinated lamb for barbecue is to sprinkle it with spices and fill it with plain water. The main thing is to do it right. The tenderloin pieces are laid out on a flat surface and generously sprinkled with salt, black and red pepper and any other spices intended for cooking on the grill.

The meat is mixed and placed in a deep bowl. Fill with water. For 1 kg of meat you need 1 glass of clean, cool water. Next comes the most important moment. You need to knead the pieces of meat well with your hands so that the fibers lose their tone and become saturated with spices. After 30 minutes, the meat can be grilled over coals.

For quick marinating, the combination of mustard with soy sauce and spices is ideal. For a glass of mustard, usually take 1 tbsp. l. sauce. Be sure to use coriander, black pepper and a lot of onions. The meat is kept in the mixture for 1 hour. This means that you can prepare lamb for frying on the grill just before going out into the countryside.

Experts believe that the more spices used for marinating, the more aromatic and tender the kebab turns out. In the following recipe, the base is tomato juice (1 glass) and olive oil (50 ml). The remaining ingredients are spices and herbs:

• black pepper;
• garlic;
• red pepper;
• cumin;
• coriander;
• sweet paprika;
• cilantro.

This is the optimal set of spices that are designed to improve and highlight the taste of young lamb.

Everyone has their own, marinated according to special rules with their favorite set of aromatic spices. But the recipes proposed above were collected in regions where such a dish appeared a long time ago, and people understand the harmony of good taste from early childhood.

Initially, kebab was made from lamb, and today many people recognize only this. However, not everyone decides to fry this particular meat over coals, fearing that it will be tough or have an unpleasant smell. All these fears are groundless if you know how to choose the right meat for shashlik and make a delicious marinade for lamb shish kebab. If the technology for preparing meat for barbecue is well known and clear to you and you managed to find a successful marinade recipe that is suitable specifically for the meat you have chosen, you should not expect any unpleasant surprises.

How to marinate lamb correctly

In order for the lamb kebab to be tender, juicy and aromatic, it is not enough to know how to properly grill it on the grill. Meat preparation plays a much more significant role. By choosing and marinating the lamb correctly, you will almost certainly get an excellent kebab that will appeal to all picnic participants.

• Avoid purchasing frozen meat for barbecue. After defrosting, especially if it was done quickly and in violation of the rules, the meat loses its juiciness. The kebab from it will most likely come out dry and tough. Sometimes at the market they sell defrosted meat under the guise of fresh meat. Under a piece of such lamb you may find a bloody puddle, and traces of snow on the surface of the meat. Even if there are no obvious signs that the lamb has been frozen, it makes sense to try pressing the piece with your finger. If a hole forms on it and fills with liquid, this indicates that the meat was frozen. There will be no hole in fresh meat; it will quickly return to its original shape.
• For barbecue it is better to take young lamb meat. It cooks faster, turns out more tender, and has a more pleasant smell. The color of this meat is lighter and brighter than old lamb, and its fat has an almost completely white tint, while that of old lamb is yellowish.
• The length of time you should keep lamb in the marinade before frying depends on the composition of the marinade and the meat itself. Young lamb meat is usually marinated for 1 hour to 3–4 hours; old lamb needs to be marinated for 8–12 hours.
• Lamb marinade usually contains acidic products that prevent the protein from coagulating during heat treatment, which is why the kebab turns out soft. When these products come into contact with aluminum, harmful substances are formed, which is why such utensils are not suitable for marinating lamb for barbecue. It is better for this purpose to choose containers made of glass, ceramics, stainless steel, and also coated with enamel.
• Salt is added to the marinade only half an hour, maximum an hour before frying the meat. Otherwise, the salt will draw out a lot of liquid from the lamb and the kebab will turn out dry.

Each type of meat has its own set of spices and seasonings. For this reason, pork marinade recipes are not always suitable for lamb or chicken. Therefore, to prepare lamb shish kebab, you should choose marinade recipes that are suitable specifically for this type of meat.

Kiwi lamb marinade

• lamb – 2 kg;
• onions – 0.5 kg;
• kiwi – 0.3 kg;
• lemon – 1 pc.;
• orange – 1 pc.;
• vegetable oil (refined) – 5 ml;
• spicy herbs, pepper, salt - to taste.

Cooking method:

• Rinse and dry the meat. Remove inedible parts. Cut the pulp into pieces measuring approximately 5 by 5 centimeters.
• Peel the onions, cut each onion into 4-8 pieces. Grind the onion in a blender or using a meat grinder. Place in the container in which you plan to marinate the meat. Pour the onion juice released during chopping into the same container.
• Wash the lemon and cut it in half. Squeeze the juice out of it into a container with onion puree.
• Wash and peel the orange. Divide it into slices. Cut into small pieces with a knife. Place the orange in a container with the onion-lemon mixture, and pour the released orange juice into it.
• Peel the kiwi. Grind the pulp with a knife. The smaller the pieces, the better.
• Add the kiwi pieces to the rest of the chopped ingredients and mix.
• Add spices and herbs to taste, stir again.
• Dip the lamb into the resulting mixture. Toss with your hands until the marinade coats each piece of meat. Place in the refrigerator.

Fruit acids are very effective at tenderizing meat. The kiwi marinade is so good that even old lamb can be left in it for 2.5 hours, no longer. Young lamb meat will be ready in an hour. It is not advisable to keep it in the kiwi marinade for more than the specified time, since if you overexpose the meat in it, it will begin to separate into fibers right in your hands.

Marinade with vinegar and onions for lamb

• young lamb – 1.5 kg;
• onions – 0.5 kg;
• vinegar essence (70 percent) – 20 ml;
• vegetable oil – 20 ml;
• a mixture of peppers, salt - to taste;
• dried basil – 20 g;
• coriander grains – 5 g;
• water - as much as needed.

Cooking method:

• Prepare the meat by washing it, patting it with a napkin, removing the veins and cutting it into pieces weighing 40–50 g.
• Sprinkle with pepper and basil, coriander seeds, mix with your hands.
• Remove the skins from the onions and cut into not too thin rings or half rings. Use your hands a little to let the onion release its juice, and place it on top of the meat. Stir to distribute the onions evenly.
• Mix vinegar essence with oil and dilute this mixture in a glass of clean water.
• Pour the marinade over the meat. Add enough water to completely cover the meat.
• Place the container with the lamb in the refrigerator.

It is not necessary to marinate young lamb with vinegar and onions for a long time, two hours is enough. If the lamb is old, then it should be kept in the marinade longer, 8–10 hours. You need to salt the meat about half an hour before cooking it.

Marinade for lamb with mayonnaise

• lamb – 2.5 kg;
• mayonnaise – 0.2 l;
• mustard – 20 ml;
• onions – 0.3 kg;
• ground dried paprika – 5 g;
• sugar – 5 g;
• thyme – 5 g;
• cilantro (dried) – 5 g;
• salt - to taste.

Cooking method:

• Place mayonnaise in a small bowl or bowl.
• Add mustard, spices, sugar. Mix thoroughly until the sauce has a uniform consistency.
• Place the mayonnaise sauce in a saucepan or other container in which the lamb will be marinated.
• Peel the onion, cut into thin half rings and mix with the sauce.
• Cut the prepared meat into pieces suitable for barbecue and place in a pan with sauce. Toss with your hands until the sauce coats each piece.
• Place the pan with the lamb in the refrigerator.

Young lamb in mayonnaise is marinated for about 2 hours, old lamb for about 6-8 hours, you can leave it overnight. An hour before preparing the kebabs, the lamb can be salted. In mayonnaise sauce, lamb turns out to be especially tender and juicy, with a pleasant piquant taste imparted to the meat by mustard and spices.

Marinade for lamb with mineral water

• lamb – 2.5 kg;
• carbonated mineral water – 0.3–0.5 l;
• tomatoes – 0.5 kg;
• rye bread – 100 g;
• lemon – 1 pc.;
• salt, spices - to taste.

Cooking method:

• Prepare the lamb for marinating by washing it, patting it dry with a kitchen towel and cutting it into approximately 5cm pieces.
• Pour the seasonings into the container with the meat and roll the meat pieces into them.
• Peel the onion and cut it into thin rings. Place them on the meat.
• Wash and cut the tomatoes into circles and place on top.
• Finely chop the bread and place the bread pieces on the tomatoes. You can use rye crackers - it will be even better.
• Squeeze the juice from one lemon into a glass of mineral water and stir. Pour this mixture over the contents of the bowl.
• Add mineral water so that the liquid completely covers the meat, vegetables and bread.
• Lamb should be marinated in the refrigerator.

The mineral water-based marinade turns out to be quite soft, so it takes quite a long time to marinate the meat in it. Usually young lamb is kept in it for 2.5–3 hours, old lamb – from 10 to 12 hours. But the kebab ends up being very tender and juicy.

Marinade for lamb with wine

• lamb – 2.5 kg;
• soy sauce – 150 ml;
• dry red wine – 150 ml;
• onions – 0.5 kg;
• lemon – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• sugar – 5 g;
• spices - to taste.

Cooking method:

• Wash a piece of lamb, dry it with a kitchen towel, cut into pieces of 40–50 g.
• Sprinkle with spices and finely chopped garlic, stir.
• Peel the onion and cut into half rings. If the onions are not too large, you can cut them into rings.
• Separate the onion with your hands and add to the meat, stir, distributing the onion evenly.
• In a separate container, mix soy sauce, wine and juice squeezed from one lemon.
• Pour the resulting marinade over the lamb.

Marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours, depending on how young the lamb was. Half an hour before preparing the kebab, salt the meat.

You can also marinate lamb ribs using this recipe. They can be fried either on skewers or on a grill.

Honey marinade for lamb shish kebab

• lamb – 2.5 kg;
• onions – 0.3 kg;
• dried barberry – 5 g;
• dried basil – 20 g;
• honey – 20 ml;
• soy sauce – 100 ml;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• vegetable oil – 100 ml.

Cooking method:

• Prepare the lamb and cut it into pieces of the desired size.
• Crush the garlic with a special press, mix it with basil, soy sauce, butter and melted honey until liquid.
• Peel the onion and cut into small pieces, mix with the marinade.
• Place lamb pieces into the marinade and mix well.

Marinate the lamb in honey sauce for 2-4 hours. The delicate taste of kebab made from such meat is unlikely to leave anyone indifferent.

By choosing the appropriate marinade recipe for lamb and marinating it correctly, you will certainly be able to prepare delicious kebab, juicy, tender and aromatic. Serve it with adjika or other spicy sauce, pickled onions and fresh vegetables. Instead of bread, it is advisable to serve pita bread.