Turkey · Adana

Adana kebap

Make Adana kebap with lamb, tail fat, red pepper and salt, shaped on wide skewers and grilled until smoky, juicy and safely cooked.

Traditional Turkish recipe Main course / grilled meat
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Adana kebap skewers with charred tomatoes, green peppers, sumac onion and flatbread
Adana kebap skewers with charred tomatoes, green peppers, sumac onion and flatbread
Prep 35 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 1 hour 50 minutes
Serves 6
Ingredients ↓
Overview

About Adana kebap

Adana kebap is a long, hand-shaped lamb kebab whose character comes from the meat, tail fat, red pepper and charcoal rather than a crowded spice cupboard. The protected specification calls for lamb chopped with a zırh knife, seasoned sparingly and pressed onto broad, flat iron skewers. This home version keeps that clean flavour profile while allowing a butcher-ground lamb option.

The difficult part is adhesion: the mixture must be cold, slightly tacky and worked firmly around the skewer with no trapped air. Grill over a hot, clean fire, turn only after the first side has set, and cook ground lamb to 71°C. Serve immediately with warm lavaş, sumac onions, parsley, charred peppers and tomatoes.

A dependable Adana kebap begins before the heat is switched on. Measure 900 g boneless lamb shoulder, 135 g lamb tail fat, 8 g fine sea salt, 6 g mild red pepper flakes, 2 g hot red pepper flakes, and 6 lavaş flatbreads and keep the remaining ingredients grouped in the order in which they enter the recipe. Have Six wide flat metal skewers, Charcoal grill, and Instant-read thermometer ready as well. The planned sequence is Mix and chill, Shape, and Grill and serve. This mise en place protects the stated 6-serving yield and prevents a temperature-sensitive or fast-moving stage from being interrupted while an ingredient is still being weighed.

Use the clock as a planning guide, not as the only test of progress: allow 35 minutes of preparation, 15 minutes of cooking, and 1 hour 50 minutes overall. During Shape, Divide into six equal portions. With damp, cold hands, squeeze one portion firmly around a skewer in a long strip 2–2.5 cm thick. The useful observation is specific: No cracks or air pockets should remain. At the finish, Lay the kebap briefly over warm lavaş so the bread catches the juices; slide off the skewers and serve at once. Do not serve merely because the nominal time has elapsed; wait until the bread should soften slightly without becoming soggy.

Practical

Practical

  • Keep it coldWarm fat makes the mixture slippery and more likely to fall from the skewer.
  • Authentic seasoningGarlic, cumin and tomato paste are common in related kebabs, but they are not needed for the protected Adana profile.
  • Indoor optionBroil on a preheated rack, close to the element, turning carefully and checking for 71°C.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Kebap

  • 900 g boneless lamb shoulder well chilled, coarsely ground or finely chopped
  • 135 g lamb tail fat well chilled and finely chopped; or use very fatty lamb
  • 8 g fine sea salt
  • 6 g mild red pepper flakes preferably pul biber
  • 2 g hot red pepper flakes optional

To serve

  • 6 lavaş flatbreads
  • 1 red onion thinly sliced
  • 8 g sumac
  • 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
  • 6 long green peppers
  • 3 tomatoes halved
Directions

Directions

Mix and chill

  1. Combine the meatMix cold lamb, tail fat, salt and both peppers for 3–4 minutes, folding and pressing until the mixture becomes cohesive.

    A small handful should hold together without crumbling.

  2. Chill thoroughlyCover and refrigerate for 1 hour; keep the skewers cold as well.

    The fat should feel firm, not greasy.

  3. Prepare the accompanimentsToss onion with sumac and parsley, and ready the bread, peppers and tomatoes.

    Everything should be ready before the kebap reaches the fire.

Shape

  1. Portion the mixtureDivide into six equal portions. With damp, cold hands, squeeze one portion firmly around a skewer in a long strip 2–2.5 cm thick.

    No cracks or air pockets should remain.

  2. Make finger ridgesPinch evenly along the kebap while rotating the skewer slightly, sealing both ends tightly.

    The meat should grip the metal when the skewer is held horizontally.

Grill and serve

  1. Build a hot fireArrange glowing charcoal in an even bed and grill the peppers and tomatoes around the cooler edges.

    The coals should be hot but not flaming.

  2. Set the first sidePlace skewers 8–10 cm above the coals. Cook 3–4 minutes before the first turn.

    The surface should brown and release without tearing.

  3. Finish the kebapTurn every 1–2 minutes until browned, lightly charred and 71°C at the centre, about 10–12 minutes total.

    Clear juices and a springy, juicy centre indicate doneness.

  4. Rest on breadLay the kebap briefly over warm lavaş so the bread catches the juices; slide off the skewers and serve at once.

    The bread should soften slightly without becoming soggy.
Practical

Practical

Organise the measured components

Keep 900 g boneless lamb shoulder, 135 g lamb tail fat, 8 g fine sea salt, 6 g mild red pepper flakes, 2 g hot red pepper flakes, and 6 lavaş flatbreads visible and separate until their stated stage. Mix cold lamb, tail fat, salt and both peppers for 3–4 minutes, folding and pressing until the mixture becomes cohesive. This opening action establishes the moisture, seasoning and texture that later cooking can preserve but cannot fully repair. Before moving on, confirm that a small handful should hold together without crumbling. If the sign is absent, correct the immediate mixture, heat or handling rather than compensating with an unrelated ingredient.

Read the food at every stage

The key checkpoints across Mix and chill, Shape, and Grill and serve are A small handful should hold together without crumbling., No cracks or air pockets should remain., and The coals should be hot but not flaming.. These observations are more reliable than colour alone because pan material, starting temperature, ingredient size and heat output vary between kitchens. Work in the stated order, keep the batch dimensions similar and pause when a cue has not appeared. The final confirmations are Everything should be ready before the kebap reaches the fire., The meat should grip the metal when the skewer is held horizontally., and The bread should soften slightly without becoming soggy.; together they describe texture, moisture and safe doneness more accurately than a single minute count.

Plan service and leftovers before cooking

Lay the kebap briefly over warm lavaş so the bread catches the juices; slide off the skewers and serve at once. Serve when the final texture is at its best, then move leftovers promptly to the storage condition specified for this dish. Mix and refrigerate for up to 12 hours; shape shortly before grilling. Cook the centre to 71°C and use a clean platter for cooked kebaps. This closes the recipe as deliberately as it began: service, cooling and reheating are part of quality control, not an afterthought once the pan has left the heat.

Control points

Control points

  • The meat falls off The mixture was too warm, insufficiently worked or loosely pressed around a narrow skewer.
  • The outside burns first Raise the skewers or spread the coals; do not grill over open flames.
  • The kebap is dry Use enough lamb fat and stop cooking once the centre reaches 71°C.
Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Calories610 kcal
  • Protein34 g
  • Carbohydrates42 g
  • Fat35 g
  • Saturated fat13 g
  • Fiber4 g
  • Sugars5 g
  • Sodium690 mg

1 kebap with accompaniments — Approximate values; actual nutrition varies with ingredients and serving size.

Allergens · Food safety

Allergens · Food safety

Allergens: Contains gluten if served with lavaş.

Food safety: Keep ground lamb at 4°C or colder until shaping. Cook the centre to 71°C and use a clean platter for cooked kebaps.

Storage: Mix and refrigerate for up to 12 hours; shape shortly before grilling.

FAQ

FAQ

Can I make Adana kebap without tail fat?

Yes. Ask for lamb shoulder with roughly 20–25% fat, though tail fat gives the characteristic texture.

Why use wide skewers?

They support the long strip of meat and conduct heat into the centre.

Can the mixture be made ahead?

Mix and refrigerate for up to 12 hours; shape shortly before grilling.

What matters most

What matters most

Smoky, juicy lamb with clean chile heat, crisp edges and a springy centre.

Cold meat, enough fat, firm shaping and a hot fire without flames.

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