Coming together in just 30 minutes, this dinner can sidestep cutlery entirely in favor of warm pieces of torn pita. It’s the sort of easy, breezy meal we crave as the weather warms up. You’ll start by heating smoked paprika in hot oil to unleash its smoky bite before whisking it into rich Greek yogurt. The ground lamb (you can substitute beef) is generously seasoned with cumin, whose earthy savoriness amps up the natural umami of the meat. To balance the heartiness, crunchy cucumbers and onions join tender leaves of parsley atop each bowl. For a burst of contrasting sweetness, toss in some pomegranate seeds along with a drizzle of hot honey and a tuft of fresh mint too.
Test Kitchen Tip: Using ground meat with a lower fat percentage and forgoing the fruitless task of achieving any browning by cooking it hard means the meat will remain succulent and tender.
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
3
1
1½
6
1½
2
2
1
1
2
½
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Heat 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium skillet over medium. Cook 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika, stirring constantly, until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and transfer about half of infused oil to a medium bowl; mix in 1½ cups plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, 1 garlic clove, finely grated, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Taste sauce and season with more salt if needed; set aside.
Step 2
Place pan with remaining infused oil back over medium heat. Add 1 small red onion, finely chopped, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes (add a splash or so of olive oil if pan becomes dry). Add 2 tsp. ground cumin, 1 tsp. sugar, and remaining 5 garlic cloves, finely grated, and cook, stirring, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-low; add 1 lb. ground lamb or ground beef (preferably 10% fat) and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and press into an even layer. Break up meat into marble-size pieces with a wooden spoon and cook, mostly undisturbed, until cooked through underneath and it releases easily from pan, 5–7 minutes. (Meat should not be deeply browned and caramelized on the bottom.) Mix and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until just cooked through, about 1 minute more. Remove pan from heat; taste meat mixture and season with more salt if needed. (If there is a lot of excess fat in the pan, drain it off.)
Step 3
Spread reserved sauce in shallow bowls, then spoon in lamb mixture. Top with 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced, ½ cup (lightly packed) parsley leaves with tender stems, and 1 small red onion, thinly sliced, and serve with warmed pitas.