Adana kebab recipe: spicy minced lamb skewers on the grill
Adana kebab is the long, hand-pressed skewer of minced lamb that defines the Turkish grill. The meat is kneaded with red pepper, chilli and salt, squeezed onto a wide flat skewer and cooked fast over charcoal until it is crusted and smoky on the outside and juicy inside. It is served on thin flatbread that has been pressed against the hot meat to soak up the dripping fat, with grilled tomatoes and peppers and a sharp onion salad.
The dish is named after the city of Adana in southern Turkey, and it is taken seriously there: the Wikipedia entry on Adana kebabı explains that it has had protected status since 2005, with rules on the meat, fat and skewer size. You do not need a zırh (the curved cleaver used to mince the meat by hand) to make a very good version at home. You do need fatty lamb, a wide skewer and a hot grill.
What is Adana kebab?
Adana kebabı is a kıyma kebabı, a kebab of minced meat. The protected recipe calls for lamb from young male lambs, tail fat in a fixed proportion, sweet red pepper and salt, minced by hand and kneaded until smooth. Each portion is pressed onto a flat iron skewer and grilled over oak charcoal. Garlic and hot green pepper are only allowed in some cases, so home cooks’ versions vary a great deal.
Adana and Urfa kebab
Adana’s neighbour from the southeast, Urfa kebab, looks almost identical. The difference is the heat: Adana is spicy with red pepper flakes, while Urfa is milder and more aromatic. GoTürkiye’s guide to Turkish kebabs has a handy overview of the main types. In most grill restaurants you can order either, or a mixed plate.
Ingredients
Makes 4 large kebabs, serving 4. You will need 4 wide (2–3cm) flat metal skewers; thin round skewers will not hold the meat.
For the kebabs
- 600g lamb mince with about 20% fat (or 500g lean lamb mince plus 100g finely chopped lamb fat)
- 1 red Romano pepper (about 150g), deseeded and very finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste (biber salçası), hot or sweet
- 2 tsp pul biber (Turkish chilli flakes)
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cumin (optional)
To serve
- 4 lavaş or other large thin flatbreads
- 4 tomatoes
- 4 long green Turkish peppers
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp sumac
- 20g flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
How to make Adana kebab
1. Prepare the pepper
Chop the red pepper as finely as you possibly can, almost to a paste. Wrap it in a clean tea towel or muslin and squeeze hard to remove as much juice as possible. Wet pepper is the main reason Adana slides off the skewer.
2. Knead the meat
Put the mince in a large bowl with the squeezed pepper, pepper paste, pul biber, paprika, salt and cumin, if using. Knead firmly with your hand for 5 minutes, slapping the mixture against the bowl, until it turns sticky and holds together like a dough. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
3. Light the grill
Light a charcoal barbecue and wait until the coals are glowing and covered in white ash, with no flames, about 30–40 minutes. You want intense, even heat. Indoors, heat the grill to its highest setting and line a tray with foil.
4. Shape on the skewers
Divide the meat into 4 portions of about 150g. Wet your hands with cold water, take a portion and wrap it round a wide flat metal skewer, then squeeze and slide it along to form a long, even kebab about 2cm thick and 25cm long. Pinch along its length with your thumb and finger to make the ridges. Chill the skewers for 15 minutes to firm up.
5. Grill
Set the skewers over the coals, resting the ends on the sides of the barbecue so the meat does not touch the grill bars. Cook for 8–10 minutes, turning every minute or so, until browned and just cooked through. Indoors, grill 8cm from the heat for 10–12 minutes, turning often. Grill the tomatoes and peppers alongside until blistered.
6. Serve
Toss the onion with the sumac and parsley. Lay the flatbreads over the hot kebabs for a few seconds so they soak up the juices, then slide the meat off onto the bread. Serve with the grilled vegetables, onion salad and lemon wedges.
Watch: how to make Adana kebab
Shaping minced meat on a flat skewer takes a little practice, and this video shows the technique clearly.
Tips for the best Adana kebab
- Fat is essential. Lean mince will not stay on the skewer and turns dry; 20% fat is the minimum.
- Ask your butcher to mince lamb shoulder twice, or chop it by hand with a heavy knife for a coarser, more authentic texture.
- Keep everything cold. Chilled meat and cold, wet hands make shaping much easier.
- Squeeze the pepper dry and do not add raw onion. Both add water that makes the meat fall off.
- If the meat refuses to stay on the skewer, shape it into long sausages and grill them on an oiled rack or griddle instead.
- Turn often over the coals. This seals the meat evenly and stops it sagging.
What to serve with Adana kebab
In an ocakbaşı, Adana usually follows a round of starters such as lahmacun. For a home mixed grill, serve it with tavuk şiş (chicken skewers) and ızgara köfte, plus a bowl of kısır, a chopped tomato and chilli ezme and plenty of ayran or şalgam (fermented turnip and carrot juice).
Where to eat Adana kebab in London
London’s best Adana comes off the charcoal grills of its ocakbaşı restaurants, where you can watch the skewers being turned. Browse our ocakbaşı and grill listings, or read our guide to the best ocakbaşı in London.
- Et House Swiss Cottage – Turkish ocakbaşı & grill in Kilburn & West Hampstead
- Bodrum Kitchen – Turkish ocakbaşı & grill in Leyton & Leytonstone
- Coco Grill & Lounge – Turkish ocakbaşı & grill in Bermondsey
- Alaz Turkish Cuisine Finchley – Turkish meze & fine dining in Finchley
- Aksular Enfield Town – Turkish ocakbaşı & grill in Enfield
- Enfes Ocakbaşı Enfield – Turkish ocakbaşı & grill in Enfield
See all 199 Ocakbaşı & Grill places in London
Adana kebab FAQs
Can I make Adana kebab with beef?
Yes, though it will not be strictly Adana. Use beef mince with at least 20% fat, or a mix of beef and lamb, and follow the same method.
Why does my Adana kebab fall off the skewer?
Usually the meat is too wet, too lean or too warm. Squeeze the pepper dry, use fatty mince, knead until sticky and chill the meat and the shaped skewers before grilling.
Can I cook Adana kebab in the oven?
Yes. Lay the shaped skewers across a deep roasting tin so the meat is suspended, and cook at 240°C (220°C fan) for 12–15 minutes, turning once. Finish under a hot grill for colour.
What is the difference between Adana kebab and köfte?
Adana is pressed onto a skewer and seasoned mainly with pepper and chilli. Köfte are shaped into small patties or balls and usually include onion, bread or breadcrumbs, herbs and spices.
Photo: Anatolianpride, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
