Turkey's fiery ground lamb kebab — seasoned with red pepper flakes and hand-kneaded onto flat skewers, chargrilled over glowing coals.
Adana kebab is Turkey's most celebrated regional kebab, originating from the southern city of Adana. Ground lamb (with a proportion of tail fat) is mixed by hand with sumac onions, red pepper flakes, and salt, then kneaded directly onto wide flat skewers and grilled over charcoal. The result is a juicy, slightly smoky, gently spiced kebab that is served over flatbread with grilled tomatoes, peppers, sumac onion salad, and fresh parsley. Authentic Adana kebab makers — ustalar — are fiercely proud of their craft, and the Adana Chamber of Commerce even holds a protected geographical indication for the dish.
Serves 4
Combine lamb mince with tail fat, 1 grated onion (squeezed of excess liquid), red pepper flakes, black pepper, and salt. Knead forcefully for at least 8–10 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky and cohesive. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Proper kneading is essential — it develops the proteins that hold the kebab on the skewer without the meat falling off.
Wet your hands. Take a fist-sized portion of meat and press firmly around a flat skewer, squeezing and shaping into a long cylinder about 2.5 cm thick. Pinch the ends to secure.
Grill over very hot charcoal (or a very hot cast-iron griddle pan), turning every 2–3 minutes, for 10–12 minutes total until charred outside and just cooked through.
Toss sliced onion with sumac, a pinch of salt, and chopped fresh parsley. Massage briefly until the onion softens slightly.
Slide kebabs off skewers onto lavash flatbread. Serve with grilled tomatoes, peppers, sumac onion salad, and chopped parsley.
Fat content is crucial — lean mince produces a dry, crumbling kebab.
Resting the meat mixture in the fridge helps it bind better.
A splash of pomegranate molasses on the finished kebab adds authentic southern Turkish depth.
Urfa kebab uses darker, milder Urfa pepper instead of hot Adana pepper.
Mix in finely diced green chilli for extra heat.
Serve as a wrap in lavash with yogurt and salad.
Raw shaped kebabs keep refrigerated 24 hours. Cooked kebabs keep 2 days — reheat in a hot pan.
Adana kebab is one of Turkey's most geographically significant dishes, named after the city of Adana in Çukurova, a fertile plain in southern Turkey. The technique of pressing seasoned ground meat onto flat skewers is ancient in the region, and Adana has been fighting for decades to protect its kebab name from imitation. In 2018, the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office granted Adana kebab geographical indication status.
Usually insufficient kneading or too little fat. The meat must be kneaded until extremely sticky. Also ensure the skewers are flat and wide, not round — round skewers cause the meat to spin and slide off.
A cast-iron griddle pan or grill pan on the highest heat gives good results. You won't get the smoke, but the char and juiciness can be replicated.
Per serving · 4 servings total
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