Greek Main Courses
Kokoretsi Recipe (Greek Spit-Roasted Lamb Offal)
Κοκορέτσι koh-koh-REH-tsee · Kokoretsi
Photo: Susurluk Göbel Kokoreci (Balıkesir Göbel Usûlü Süt Kuzu Kokoreç).jpg by Guresfederasyonu, CC BY-SA 4.0. Placeholder until original photography is shot.
In short
Kokoretsi is seasoned lamb offal, typically liver, heart, kidney and sweetbreads, wrapped tightly in cleaned lamb intestines around a spit, and slow-grilled over charcoal until deeply browned and crisp outside. It is a traditional Easter dish, often cooked overnight ahead of Easter Sunday's main lamb.
Kokoretsi is genuine nose-to-tail cooking at its most traditional: the lamb's offal, liver, heart, kidney and sometimes sweetbreads, seasoned and wrapped tightly in the cleaned intestines, which act as a natural casing exactly as they would for a sausage, then slow-grilled over charcoal on a spit until the outside turns deeply browned and crisp while the inside stays rich and tender.
It is traditionally cooked on the evening before Easter Sunday, often while the main lamb for the following day's souvla is still resting or being prepared, making it as much a part of the Holy Saturday evening ritual as a dish in its own right, eaten while everyone waits for midnight and the end of the Lenten fast.
This is a genuine specialist project, requiring properly cleaned intestines and organs from a butcher who understands what you are making, and it rewards real patience with the slow, even turning any good souvla-style cook demands.
Key preparation steps
- Clean and prepare lamb intestines as a natural casing.
- Season the offal generously with oregano, lemon and garlic.
- Wrap the seasoned offal tightly with the intestines around a spit.
- Grill slowly over charcoal, turning constantly, until deeply browned.
Sourcing the offal and intestines
This dish genuinely needs a butcher who can supply properly cleaned lamb intestines alongside the liver, heart and kidney, and it is worth calling ahead specifically around Easter, when demand for exactly these ingredients rises sharply across Greek and Cypriot communities. Ask for everything to be delivered as fresh and clean as possible, since home-cleaning intestines from scratch is a genuinely specialist task.
Preparing and seasoning the offal
Cut the liver, heart and kidney into similarly sized pieces so everything cooks at roughly the same rate, and season generously with salt, pepper, dried oregano, crushed garlic and a good squeeze of lemon. This simple seasoning is genuinely enough, since the offal itself carries plenty of flavour and the slow charcoal grilling adds real depth of its own.
Wrapping and the long, slow grill
Thread the seasoned offal pieces onto a long skewer, then wrap the cleaned intestines tightly around the whole length, tucking and tying the ends securely so nothing unravels during the long cook. Grill over a steady, moderate charcoal fire, turning constantly or very regularly, for two to two and a half hours, until the outside is deeply browned and crisp and the inside is fully cooked through.
Slice into rounds to serve, exactly as you would carve any other spit-roasted dish, and serve hot straight from the fire.
Tips from my kitchen
Order the offal and intestines ahead
A good butcher can supply both properly cleaned, especially around Easter, but it is worth calling ahead given the seasonal demand.
Cut the offal into similar sized pieces
This helps everything cook through at roughly the same rate over the long grill.
Turn constantly
This is a genuine souvla-style slow grill, and even, constant turning is what gives a properly crisp, evenly cooked result.
Kokoretsi Recipe (Greek Spit-Roasted Lamb Offal)
Κοκορέτσι · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 1h
- Cook
- 2h 30m
- Total
- 3h 30m
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Cut the liver, heart and kidney into similarly sized pieces.
- Toss the offal with the salt, oregano, garlic, lemon juice and a good grinding of pepper. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
- Thread the seasoned offal pieces onto a long metal skewer.
- Wrap the cleaned intestines tightly and evenly around the length of the skewer, tucking and securing the ends.
- Build a charcoal fire and let it burn down to a steady, moderate bed of embers.
- Grill the wrapped spit over the coals, turning constantly or very regularly, for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until deeply browned, crisp outside, and cooked through.
- Slice into rounds and serve hot with lemon wedges.
Nutrition, per 1 portion
- Calories
- 312
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Sat fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Kokoretsi
What is kokoretsi made from?
Lamb offal, typically liver, heart and kidney, wrapped tightly in cleaned lamb intestines, which act as a natural sausage casing, then slow-grilled on a spit over charcoal.
When is kokoretsi traditionally eaten?
On the evening of Holy Saturday, often cooked overnight or through the evening ahead of Easter Sunday's main lamb, as part of the transition out of the Lenten fast.
Can you buy kokoretsi already prepared?
Yes, many Greek and Cypriot butchers sell it already wrapped and ready to grill, particularly around Easter, which is a practical option if preparing it entirely from scratch feels too specialist a task.
