South African Sosaties: Lamb and Apricot Kebabs

Last Updated on August 16, 2024 by Carne Diem

Protein:

Origin: South African, African

Method: Grill

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A staple of any African Braai, sosaties are skewers or tender meat, typically lamb, marinated with curry and apricot and grilled along with dried apricots. Cooked over an open flame these lamb and apricot kebabs are simple, yet delicious.

Making the South African Sosaties

Selecting your meat for your Lamb and Apricot Kebabs

Sosaties are traditionally made with lamb or mutton. Feel free to use your favorite cut of lamb or what you can easily source. We have had great results with boneless leg of lamb and lamb loin. We have also made a fantastic version with a rack of lamb, but that will require some additional knife work to trim the meat. Although it is not traditional, these sosaties can also be made with beef if you prefer.

Prepare the lamb by cubing the lamb into roughly 2 inch cubes then set aside.

Prepare the marinade

For the marinade you will need salt, white wine vinegar, apricot jam, turmeric and Caribbean or African curry powder.

If you can not find Caribbean curry powder you may substitute with another mild curry powder. Try to avoid the red Thai curry powders for this dish.

Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine.

Add the cubed lamb, cover with plastic wrap and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Prepare the skewers

If using, cut the red onion into 2 inch pieces.

Place the lamb, onion, and dehydrated apricot on the skewers, alternating between the three. Be careful not to poke yourself with the sharp skewers.

Grill the South African Sosaties

Heat your grill, smoker, or fire pit to a medium high heat (about 400 degrees). If you are cooking over an open fire or a grill without a grill thermometer you can estimate your grate temp by holding your hand carefully over the grate (obviously do not touch the grate). With a medium high heat of about 400 degrees you should be able to hold your hand there for about 2-3 seconds before it becomes uncomfortable and you need to move your hand. Obviously there is a lot a variation to this, but it is a good guestimate.

Grill the Lamb and Apricot Kebabs over direct heat. Rotate and flip them about every 5 minutes to prevent them from burning. If they seem to be cooking to fast, move to a cooler section of the grill, raise your grill grate a little bit, or rotate more frequently. Check the meat with a meat thermometer and remove when they reach your desired temp. The recommended safe temp for lamb is 145 degrees which will put it at the upper edge of medium. There is always some carryover temp, however, so we typically pull the South African Sosaties off the grill at an internal temp of about 137-140 degrees.

Let the sosaties rest for about 5 minutes before enjoying. Serve with Jollof or Party Rice, and an assortment of other meats for a classic Braai, or alongside some South African Chicken Curry.

If you are interested in more great lamb recipes on the grill, be sure to check out our Balkan Style Kebabs. If you are just a huge fan of meat on sticks then check out our recipe for Grilled Souvlaki (Greek Chicken Skewers) or Peruvian Anticuchos de Pollo: Peruvian Chicken Skewers.

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