Search locations or food
OR
Already have an account? Log in
OR
Authentic Adana Kebap Recipe
Adana, Turkiye
JUMP TO RECIPE
We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Adana kebab, colloquially known as Kıyma kebabı, is a famous skewered meat dish originating from the southeastern Turkish province of Adana. Traditionally, Adana kebab is made with hand-minced lamb meat and tail fat that have been mixed, then seasoned with salt, red chili powder, and finely chopped sweet red pepper - a unique crescent cleaver is used for mincing the ingredients, called zirh. The meat is supposed to come from a male lamb not older than 12 months and be cleansed of its nerves, silverskin, and internal fat. Once seasoned, kneaded, and left to rest, the meat is divided into several portions and placed on long and thin iron-cast skewers on which it is barbecued for several minutes. Adana kebabs are roasted on an open mangal (flameless barbecue) filled with burning oak wood charcoal. While roasting, kebabs are frequently turned, and their dripping fat is collected with a traditional lavaş flatbread or pita bread, with which the kebabs are served later on.... Read more
Pair with
Serve With
Cooking tips
-
skewers
Traditionally, Adana kebabs are barbecued on iron skewers which require a bit more maintenance than aluminum or steel ones. Unlike iron, however, aluminum and steel tend to overheat and dry the meat on the inside, so they should be avoided when making kebabs. Wooden skewers are the most accessible option, and they do the job well, but iron ones lead to the best results. -
mincing knife
Outside of Turkey, you will have a hard time getting your hands on a zirh, so you will have to settle for a regular mincing knife. It is important to keep the knife sharp; otherwise, you will be crushing the meat instead of mincing it, which will impact the kebab’s texture and homogeneity. -
lamb
The meat should come from a male lamb not older than one year. Typically, Adana kebabs are made from a combination of shoulder and rib meat cleansed of nerves, silverskin, and internal fat. Ideally, after the cleansing and slicing, the meat should rest in the refrigerator for 24 - 48 hours. -
serving
Onion salad with sumac is a must serve when it comes to Adana kebabs. Simply chop some red onions and sprinkle them with salt, red pepper flakes, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, and pomegranate molasses. However, gavurdağı salad also goes well with kebabs, which is basically a combination of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and onions seasoned with salt and sumac, and sprinkled with olive oil, parsley,... Read more
Recipe variations
-
Adana Kebabı
Ready in 42minA classic Adana kebab is made from a young male lamb’s meat that has been naturally grown and fed. Ideally, 75% of the meat should come from the lamb’s shoulder and 25% from the ribs. Traditionally, Adana kebabs are served with grilled tomatoes and peppers and onion salad with sumac on the side. This recipe is adapted from the official Türkiye Culture Portal website.
-
Urfa Kebabı
Ready in 2h 55minUrfa kebabs are known as the non-spicy variant of the Adana kebab. Both dishes are prepared in largely the same way, but Urfa kebabs are often seasoned only with salt and served with grilled tomatoes and green peppers, onions, fresh parsley, and lemon. This recipe is adapted from the official Türkiye Culture Portal website.
-
Sumac and Cumin Adana Kebabı
Ready in 42minIn addition to Urfa pepper flakes, this Adana kebab is seasoned with cumin and sumac. Since it is a recreation of the Adana kebab recipe for those outside Türkiye, this recipe excludes the use of tail fat, which is often hard to come by. The recipe is courtesy of J. Kenji López-Alt, food writer, cook, and New York Times best-selling author.
Adana Kebabı
PREP 30min
COOK 12min
READY IN 42min
A classic Adana kebab is made from a young male lamb’s meat that has been naturally grown and fed. Ideally, 75% of the meat should come from the lamb’s shoulder and 25% from the ribs. Traditionally, Adana kebabs are served with grilled tomatoes and peppers and onion salad with sumac on the side. This recipe is adapted from the official Türkiye Culture Portal website.
Ingredients
2.2 lb (1 kg) rested and cleansed lamb
8.8 - 10.6 oz (250 - 300g) tail fat (depending on how lean the meat is)
1 ½ tbsp chili powder
2 capia peppers
salt, to taste
Preparation
Step 1/14
Using a sharp mincing knife, mince the sliced, cleansed, and rested lamb meat, transfer it to a bowl, and refrigerate.
Step 2/14
Mince the tail fat and combine it with the meat.
Step 3/14
Finely chop and drain the capia peppers by squeezing them with your hands, then mix them with the minced meat and fat.
Step 4/14
Add salt and chili powder.
Step 5/14
Gently knead the meat, making sure not to crush it with your hands. At this point, you can run a mincing knife over the mixture one more time.
Step 6/14
Return the seasoned meat to the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Step 7/14
Prepare 6 iron skewers. On average, Adana kebabs contain 6.3 oz (180 g) of meat per skewer.
Step 8/14
Take enough meat to fill the palm of your hand and make a ball out of it. Pierce the meat ball with a skewer until its tip comes out on the other side. Do not wet your hands no matter how sticky the meat is because the water will help boil the kebab, which will impair its taste. Proceed by gently squeezing the meat ball with your thumb, middle, and ring finger. You want to distribute the meat as equally as you can, making the kebab creased and thin.
Step 9/14
Repeat the process until you have made 6 kebabs.
Step 10/14
For the best taste and overall results, barbecue the kebabs over oak charcoal that has turned to embers.
Step 11/14
While barbecuing, it is important to collect the dripping fat by placing the skewers between two pieces of pita bread (do not press too hard). Otherwise, the dripping fat might extinguish the fire.
Step 12/14
Frequently turn the kebabs, and after 6-7 minutes, they should be cooked to perfection and brownish on the outside. Make sure not to overcook them as they will end up being too dry.
Step 13/14
One at a time put the kebabs between two pieces of fat-soaked pita bread and pull out the skewers.
Step 14/14
Serve with onion salad with sumac and charred tomatoes and green bell peppers on the side.
Other Variations
-
Urfa Kebabı
Ready in 2h 55minUrfa kebabs are known as the non-spicy variant of the Adana kebab. Both dishes are prepared in largely the same way, but Urfa kebabs are often seasoned only with salt and served with grilled tomatoes and green peppers, onions, fresh parsley, and lemon. This recipe is adapted from the official Türkiye Culture Portal website.
-
Sumac and Cumin Adana Kebabı
Ready in 42minIn addition to Urfa pepper flakes, this Adana kebab is seasoned with cumin and sumac. Since it is a recreation of the Adana kebab recipe for those outside Türkiye, this recipe excludes the use of tail fat, which is often hard to come by. The recipe is courtesy of J. Kenji López-Alt, food writer, cook, and New York Times best-selling author.
Other authentic recipes
Rating And Comments
Rate It
Wanna try?
Add To List