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Orange-glazed Grilled Lamb Kabobs Recipe

Lamb Kabobs are slightly sweet with an Asian flair. Marinating and grilling the lamb makes sure that every bite is tender and delicious. 

Close-up angle view of chunks of lamb kabob drizzled in an orange glaze sitting on a bed of brown rice and garnished with fresh cilantro.

Marinating and grilling Lamb Kabobs couldn’t be easier. This tender slightly sweet lamb recipe has an Asian flair that makes a quick and easy weeknight meal.

Sometimes people think lamb should be reserved for special occasions.

You can definitely serve lamb as an elegant meal such as our Pistachio Crusted Lamb Chops, Grilled Lamb Loin Chops, or our Lamb Roulade, but lamb is actually a quick and easy protein that makes it perfect for weeknight cooking.

This post is sponsored by True Aussie Beef & Lamb but the opinions here, and love I have for their products and their story are all my own. 

I recently purchased a boneless leg of lamb. It’s not as big as a ginormous pork shoulder but it goes a long way.

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Top down view of a lamb kabob sitting on a bed of brown rice. Roasted onions and red peppers it beside the rice with orange wedges on the back of the white plate which sits on a blue napkin. A set of chopsticks sit on the plate. Small bowls of the orange sauce and cilantro sit beside the plate.

Since the bone is removed, the meat is netted together making it so easy to create a lot of recipes from.

The largest piece is perfect for roasting that Lamb Roulade or you can make several meals from it which is what I chose to do.

I’d already used part of this boneless leg of lamb in our Homemade Pho with Lamb and had plenty left, and we decided to make Lamb Skewers for an easy dinner.

I love Asian flavors but we’re very picky when it comes to eating in Asian restaurants since so many of those meals are loaded with salt and can include preservatives that make me feel awful. Therefore, we make a lot of them at home.

Close-up angle view of chunks of lamb kabob drizzled in an orange glaze sitting on brown rice. Roasted red peppers sit next to the rice on a white plate. A plate of grilled kabobs and a bowl of rice sit in the background.

These Orange-Glazed Lamb Kabobs included that ginger flavor that we associate with Asian dishes. Fresh Ginger worked amazingly in our Lamb Marinade recipe. Here’s how we made it.

How to make Lamb Kabob Marinade

Bowls of raw chunks of lamb, fresh ginger, garlic, sweet chili, sauce, orange juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
  1. In a resealable bag, I recommend the gallon size, combine the following ingredients.
    1. Orange juice – Purchased or fresh squeeze.
    2. Soy Sauce – Original or low sodium is fine
    3. Sweet Chili Sauce – This ingredient is relatively easy to find in most grocery stores where other Asian ingredients are found.
    4. Sesame oil – I love the flavor that this oil adds. You can use another oil suitable for cooking too. I store sesame oil in the refrigerator since I don’t use a lot of it.
    5. Fresh ginger – no need to peel it, just thinly slice it.
    6. Garlic – Just peel it and slice it. No need to mince it.
    7. Brown sugar – light or dark is fine. We love the dark brown sugar since it has more of a molasses flavor.
    8. Crushed red pepper – We love that sweet and spicy combination in our Asian recipes.
  2. Remove 1/2 cup of the marinade before you add the lamb and set it aside. We’ll use it to make our glaze.

Use high-quality lamb. The True Aussie Beef & Lamb Company produces lamb that is free-range and naturally fed on Australian pasturelands, so it’s mild tasting and naturally lean and tender. Aussie Lamb is free of artificial additives and hormone growth promotants.

This locator can help you find True Aussie Lamb in your area.

How to make Lamb Skewers

A reclosable plastic bag filled with chunks of lamb marinating in an orange asian sauce. A reserved cup sits next to it.
  1. Add the cubed lamb to the bag of marinade and refrigerate it for 30 minutes up to two hours.
  2. Remove the lamb from the marinade. The ginger and garlic have done their job so discard it with the marinade.
  3. Slide the lamb cubes onto the skewers. It’s better to use several skewers and not overload each skewer. The lamb will cook evenly if you leave enough space in between the cubes for the heat to surround each piece.
  4. Add the reserved marinade to a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Allow the sauce to cook until it begins to thicken. Remove the pan from the heat. The orange glaze will continue to thicken as it cools.
  5. Grilled lamb kabobs can be served on the skewer or removed for serving.

Tips to make Grilled Lamb Kabobs

Top down view of skewers filled with marinated chunks of lamb on a white plate next to a chopped red pepper and sliced onion. It all sits on a wooden cutting board.
  • Kabob recipes often include chunks of vegetables interwoven with the meat. We don’t do this because lamb is best if it’s not overcooked. Since the vegetables take longer to cook, we grilled them separately and started them before our kabobs.
  • If you use wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20-30 minutes before adding the lamb. That will prevent the skewers from burning.
  • Use a spatula to turn the lamb kabobs. This will keep the pieces of lamb from turning and allow each side to get that beautiful grilled flavor.
  • You can make the orange glaze prior to grilling the kabobs.
  • We drizzled our glaze on after our grilled lamb kabobs were done for two reasons.
    1. We didn’t want to contaminate it with the raw meat.
    2. Drizzling the glaze on the lamb after it’s removed from the skewer allows the entire piece to be favored with the glaze.
A cooked piece of lamb glazed in orange marinade being held with a pair of chopsticks over a blurred serving of lamb kabobs on brown rice.

Suggested Side dishes

We served simple brown rice and roasted vegetables with our Simple Lamb Kabobs. I always make my rice in our Instant Pot. The instructions can be found in our Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe.

You could dress this rice up and make our 5-Spice Asian Seasoned Rice or our Simple Asian Rice Instant Pot Recipe.

A simple cool salad such as the following would also be delicious.

HERE ARE A FEW MORE EASY LAMB RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY

We love lamb and you can find all of our lamb recipes here!

Products we use to make Grilled Lamb Kabobs

  • Skewers – I used to use the wooden variety but kept forgetting to soak them. I now use this variety and can reuse them. These beauties are stainless steel and have a push so you can remove the food on the skewers. They’re my newest obsession!
Close-up angle view of chunks of lamb kabob drizzled in an orange glaze sitting on brown rice. Roasted red peppers sit next to the rice on a white plate. A wedge of orange sits in the background.

Orange-Glazed Grilled Lamb Kabobs

Author: Julie Menghini
Lamb Kabobs are slightly sweet with an Asian flair. Marinating and grilling the lamb makes sure that every bite is tender and delicious.
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinating Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Appetizer, Main Dish
Cuisine American, Asian
Keyword: Grilled lamb skewers, lamb kabobs
Servings: 6

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 lbs lamb cubed into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup soy sauce low sodium ok
  • 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
  • 1/4 cup sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic sliced thinly
  • 1 inch ginger sliced thinly, no need to peel
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper

Garnishes such as sliced scallions, sesame seeds, or cilantro.

Instructions
 

  • Combine all of the above ingredients except the lamb into the sealable bag or bowl. Remove 1/2 cup and refrigerate it in a covered container.
  • Add the lamb to the large bag and allow the lamb to marinate 30 minutes up to 2 hours.
  • When you're ready to cook the lamb, discard the marinade and fill each skewer with approximately 6 pieces of the cubed lamb.
  • To make the glaze, put the reserved marinade in a small saucepan and cook it on low until it's reduced and slightly thick. The glaze will continue to thicken as it cools.
  • Grill the lamb skewers on medium-high for approximately 4 minutes and then use a spatula to help turn the skewer over to the uncooked side and cook an additional 4 minutes or until the meat is approximately 125°F when tested with an instant-read thermomether.
  • Serve with a side of the orange glaze or lightly drizzle the meat with the sauce and mix on a serving dish.

Notes

  • Kabob recipes often include chunks of vegetables interwoven with the meat. We don’t do this because lamb is best if it’s not overcooked. Since the vegetables take longer to cook, we grilled them separately and started them before our kabobs.
  • If you use wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20-30 minutes before adding the lamb. That will prevent the skewers from burning.
  • Use a spatula to turn the lamb kabobs. This will keep the pieces of lamb from turning and allow each side to get that beautiful grilled flavor.
  • You can make the orange glaze prior to grilling the kabobs.
  • We drizzled our glaze on after our grilled lamb kabobs were done for two reasons.
    • We didn’t want to contaminate it with the raw meat.
    • Drizzling the glaze on the lamb after it’s removed from the skewer allows the entire piece to be favored with the glaze.
We don’t include nutritional information here since the marinade is discarded, the information is incorrect.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 665kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 28gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 1730mgPotassium: 535mgFiber: 1gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 182IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 3mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

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A close-up angle view of chunks of lamb kabob drizzled in an orange glaze sitting on a bed of brown rice. Roasted red peppers and onions sit next to the rice on a white plate. A wedge of orange sits in the background and the title \"Orange Glazed Grilled Lamb Kabobs\" runs across the top.
5 from 6 votes
Recipe Rating




MICHAELA KENKEL

Thursday 30th of April 2020

I haven't tried a lamb recipe from you that we didn't like!! This one was no exception!! The kabobs turned out perfectly!! Made a great date night in the other night with the hubs!! THanks!!

Julie Menghini

Friday 1st of May 2020

Thank you, Michaela!

Amy Nash

Thursday 30th of April 2020

Wow these were amazing! My family loves lamb but I wanted a new way to make it and that orange glaze was fantastic! Couldn't have come at a better time!

Julie Menghini

Friday 1st of May 2020

Thank you, Amy! We loved them too!

Michelle

Monday 27th of April 2020

My family loved these! We'll be making them again soon!

Julie Menghini

Tuesday 28th of April 2020

Thank you, Michelle!

Kathleen Pope

Monday 27th of April 2020

Once we can get some lamb, we are trying this dish, looks perfect for a warm summer barbecue!

Julie Menghini

Tuesday 28th of April 2020

Thank you, Kathleen!

Deb Clark

Saturday 25th of April 2020

You are the lamb Queen! I know this meat will be so tender and flavorful - time to get our grill on!!

Julie Menghini

Saturday 25th of April 2020

Thanks, Deb!

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