Gaziantep's extraordinary lamb and rice soup — a fiery, red-tinged broth of pulled lamb, rice, and garlic, eaten for breakfast in the bazaar.
Beyran is one of the most extraordinary soups in Turkey — a fiery, deeply flavoured broth unique to the city of Gaziantep, eaten exclusively for breakfast at beyran restaurants that open before dawn and close when they run out. The soup is built on a rich lamb stock, into which thin slices of slow-cooked lamb and cooked rice are placed. The broth is ladled in hot, seasoned with garlic and salt, and finished with a drizzle of sizzling red chilli oil. The result is simultaneously light and intensely flavoured — a breakfast that wakes you up more effectively than coffee. Gaziантep's beyran culture is so serious that specific restaurants are known to have queues forming before they open at 7am.
Serves 4
Place lamb, onion, peppercorns, bay leaves, and 2 litres water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim foam, then simmer gently for 2–2.5 hours until lamb is very tender. Remove lamb, shred thinly. Strain stock and season with salt and minced garlic.
Cook rice separately in salted water until tender. Drain.
Melt butter in a small pan until foaming. Add red pepper flakes and Aleppo pepper. Swirl and remove from heat immediately.
Place a spoonful of cooked rice in each bowl. Add sliced lamb on top. Ladle very hot seasoned stock over. Drizzle the sizzling chilli butter dramatically over the surface. Serve immediately.
The soup must be extremely hot — beyran restaurants keep their stock at a rolling boil at all times.
The garlic in the broth is the defining flavour — be generous.
Isot pepper (Urfa pepper, dark and smoky) gives the most authentic Gaziantep flavour.
Skim the stock thoroughly — beyran broth should be clear and clean-tasting.
Add chickpeas to the broth for a heartier version.
Use lamb neck for an even richer stock.
Squeeze lemon into the bowl at the table for brightness.
Stock keeps refrigerated 4 days. Assemble each bowl fresh to order.
Beyran is exclusively a Gaziantep dish, so specific to the city that Gaziantepliler living elsewhere consider it one of the things they miss most about home. Its origin is disputed but it is thought to date from the Ottoman period when Gaziantep was a prosperous trading hub. Beyran restaurants — beyrancı — are institutions in the city, with some having served the same recipe for multiple generations.
In Turkish food culture, offal-based and rich, restorative soups have traditionally been served in the morning — they are believed to revive and energise. Beyran fits this tradition with its rich lamb stock and fortifying ingredients.
Yes — use leftover lamb stock (or good shop-bought lamb stock) and sliced leftover lamb. The freshly made version is superior but this shortcut gives a good result.
Per serving · 4 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes