Turkey · Gaziantep

Beyran çorbası

Cook Antep beyran with long-simmered lamb and marrow bones, rice, garlic and red pepper, assembled and served fiercely hot.

Traditional Turkish recipe Breakfast soup / lamb and rice
Share
Antep beyran with shredded lamb, rice, garlic and red pepper in hot broth
Antep beyran with shredded lamb, rice, garlic and red pepper in hot broth
Prep 35 minutes
Cook 6 hour
Total 7 hour 35 minutes
Serves 6
Ingredients ↓
Overview

About Beyran çorbası

Antep beyran is a specialised Gaziantep dish of shredded lamb, plain rice, garlic, red pepper and intensely flavoured broth. Traditional shops simmer lamb and marrow bones for 10–12 hours, then assemble each portion in a copper pan over a fierce flame. The result arrives bubbling hot, with separate grains of rice beneath tender lamb and a broth sharpened by garlic and chile.

This home method shortens the stock with a pressure cooker option but preserves the order: cook and shred the lamb, clarify and season the broth, cook rice separately, then bring each portion to a full boil. It is richer and hotter than an everyday soup, so use rendered lamb fat sparingly and warn diners that the bowl is extremely hot.

A dependable Beyran çorbası begins before the heat is switched on. Measure 1.5 kg bone-in lamb neck and shoulder, 500 g marrow bones, 3.5 L cold water, 1 onion, 1 lemon, and 12 g fine sea salt and keep the remaining ingredients grouped in the order in which they enter the recipe. Have Large stockpot or pressure cooker, Fine sieve, and Six small flameproof pans or one saucepan ready as well. The planned sequence is Make the lamb broth, Cook the rice, and Assemble each serving. 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, 6 hours of cooking, and 7 hours 35 minutes overall. During Cook the rice, Rinse rice and simmer in unsalted water until just tender, 12–15 minutes; drain well. The useful observation is specific: Grains should remain separate because they cook again in broth. At the finish, Set the hot pan on a heatproof plate and offer lemon wedges. Do not serve merely because the nominal time has elapsed; wait until the broth should be fiery, garlicky and clear enough to see the lamb and rice.

Practical

Practical

  • Traditional timingThe protected preparation cooks meat and marrow bones for 10–12 hours; gentle heat matters more than a rolling boil.
  • ChileStart below restaurant intensity and offer extra pul biber at the table.
  • BreakfastBeyran is famously eaten in the morning in Gaziantep, though it is substantial at any hour.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Lamb broth

  • 1.5 kg bone-in lamb neck and shoulder
  • 500 g marrow bones
  • 3.5 L cold water
  • 1 onion peeled and left whole
  • 1 lemon halved
  • 12 g fine sea salt
  • 50 g lamb fat optional

Rice and seasoning

  • 250 g medium-grain rice
  • 8 garlic cloves crushed to a paste
  • 20 g pul biber or to taste
  • 5 g black pepper
  • 2 lemons cut into wedges
Directions

Directions

Make the lamb broth

  1. Blanch for clarityCover meat and bones with cold water, bring to a boil for 5 minutes, drain and rinse everything.

    Grey foam and loose impurities should be removed.

  2. Simmer slowlyReturn with 3.5 litres fresh water, onion, lemon and optional fat. Simmer very gently 5–6 hours, skimming, or pressure-cook 90 minutes.

    The meat should fall from the bone and the broth taste full but clean.

  3. Strain and shredLift out meat, strain the broth and discard bones, onion and lemon. Remove sinew and shred lamb while warm.

    Fibres should separate easily without becoming mush.

  4. Defat with controlChill briefly or skim excess fat, retaining up to 2 tablespoons for traditional richness; season the broth.

    The surface should glisten, not carry a thick oil layer.

Cook the rice

  1. Boil plainlyRinse rice and simmer in unsalted water until just tender, 12–15 minutes; drain well.

    Grains should remain separate because they cook again in broth.

Assemble each serving

  1. Layer the panFor each serving add rice, shredded lamb, garlic paste, pul biber, black pepper and about 350 ml broth.

    Keep the rice beneath the lamb rather than stirring vigorously.

  2. Bring to a fierce boilHeat until bubbling strongly for 2–3 minutes and the garlic loses its raw edge.

    The entire surface should boil and the serving must be piping hot.

  3. Serve immediatelySet the hot pan on a heatproof plate and offer lemon wedges.

    The broth should be fiery, garlicky and clear enough to see the lamb and rice.
Practical

Practical

Organise the measured components

Keep 1.5 kg bone-in lamb neck and shoulder, 500 g marrow bones, 3.5 L cold water, 1 onion, 1 lemon, and 12 g fine sea salt visible and separate until their stated stage. Cover meat and bones with cold water, bring to a boil for 5 minutes, drain and rinse everything. This opening action establishes the moisture, seasoning and texture that later cooking can preserve but cannot fully repair. Before moving on, confirm that grey foam and loose impurities should be removed. 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 Make the lamb broth, Cook the rice, and Assemble each serving are Grey foam and loose impurities should be removed., Grains should remain separate because they cook again in broth., and Keep the rice beneath the lamb rather than stirring vigorously.. 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 The surface should glisten, not carry a thick oil layer., Grains should remain separate because they cook again in broth., and The broth should be fiery, garlicky and clear enough to see the lamb and rice.; together they describe texture, moisture and safe doneness more accurately than a single minute count.

Plan service and leftovers before cooking

Set the hot pan on a heatproof plate and offer lemon wedges. Serve when the final texture is at its best, then move leftovers promptly to the storage condition specified for this dish. Yes, and chilling makes controlled defatting easier. Reheat broth to a full boil and heat lamb and rice to at least 74°C. 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 broth is cloudy It boiled too hard or was not blanched and skimmed.
  • The soup is greasy Chill and remove excess fat before portioning.
  • The rice disintegrates It was fully overcooked before the final boil.
Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Calories570 kcal
  • Protein43 g
  • Carbohydrates37 g
  • Fat28 g
  • Saturated fat12 g
  • Fiber1 g
  • Sugars2 g
  • Sodium820 mg

1 of 6 bowls — Approximate values; actual nutrition varies with ingredients and serving size.

Allergens · Food safety

Allergens · Food safety

Allergens: No major regulated allergens in the base recipe.

Food safety: Cool stock rapidly in shallow containers and refrigerate below 4°C if making ahead. Reheat broth to a full boil and heat lamb and rice to at least 74°C.

Storage: Yes, and chilling makes controlled defatting easier.

FAQ

FAQ

Is beyran the same as ordinary lamb soup?

No. Separate rice, shredded lamb, garlic and pepper are assembled per portion and brought to a fierce boil.

Can I make it without lamb fat?

Yes. The official service may be fatty or lean; the broth still needs good lamb and bones.

Can the broth be made ahead?

Yes, and chilling makes controlled defatting easier.

What matters most

What matters most

Clear, intense lamb broth with tender shreds, separate rice, abundant garlic and controlled chile heat.

Long gentle extraction followed by a fiercely hot per-portion finish.

Explore the recipes

Turkey National Food

Open →
Sliced Beyti kebabı rolls with tomato sauce, garlic yogurt and grilled vegetables
Turkey National Food

Beyti kebabı

Make Beyti kebabı: grilled lamb-beef kebabs rolled in buttered lavash, sliced and served with tomato sauce and garlic yogurt.

Open →
Small Hatay biberli ekmek rounds with red pepper paste, sesame and onion topping
Turkey National Food

Biberli ekmek

Bake Hatay biberli ekmek: small soft breads topped with pepper paste, onion, sesame, spices and olive oil until fragrant and crisp-edged.

Open →
Bodrum çökertme kebabı with crisp shoestring potatoes, garlic yogurt and beef
Turkey National Food

Bodrum çökertme kebabı

Make Bodrum çökertme kebabı with crisp shoestring potatoes, garlic yogurt and tender beef strips finished in paprika butter.

Open →