Adana Kebab (Adana Kofte)

Adana Kebab (a.k.a Adana Kebap or Adana Kofte) is a delicious hand-minced meat kebab mounted on a skewer and then grilled over charcoal. This delicious spicy ground lamb kebab is a staple of Turkish street food and can be found on menus around the world.

The good news is that all you need is a few ingredients and 4 metal skewers to make this easy recipe at home. The best way to serve these flavorsome and juicy kebabs is on flatbread, or with rice and a variety of salads and mezes.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works?
• What is Adana Kebab?
• A Brief History
• Where to Eat the Best Adana Kebab?
• Ingredients You'll Need
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• How to Cook Adana Kebab in an Oven?
• Top Tips From the Chef
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Adana Kebab

Same as Lamb Shish Kebab, Kuzu Tandir Kebab - Turkish Roasted Lamb, and Shish Tawook (Turkish Chicken Kebab), Adana Kebabs are tender, juicy, and perfect to serve on Greek Pita Bread or Middle Eastern Lavash Bread along with Sumac Onions - Turkish Red Onion Salad.

This unique kebab is one of the most delicious and famous kebabs of Turkish cuisine and originated in Adana city of Turkey. It’s traditionally made with hand-minced lamb meat, tail fat, a generous amount of Urfa chili pepper, and salt.

The best way to cook them is to grill them on charcoal but can work on an indoor grill pan or cast-iron skillet as well as in an oven. 

Why This Recipe Works?

• These kebabs are extremely delicious and easy to make with only a few ingredients. 

• You can prepare this traditional Adana Kebab in advance and keep them refrigerated for up to three days. They taste even better the day after.

• You can make Adana Kebabs in batches and keep them in the freezer for up to three months. Perfect for emergency guests!

What is Adana Kebab?

Adana Kebab is a Turkish kebab dish made of hand-minced lamb meat mounted on a wide iron skewer.

The traditional way to cook them is to grill them on an open coal fire (mangal in Turkish). It is named after Adana, the fifth-largest city in Turkey, and was originally known as the "Kıyma Kebabı".

These delicious kabobs are traditionally made of male lamb meat younger than one year of age, Urfa chili peppers, and tail fat hand-minced together. The animal has to be grown in its natural environment and fed with the local flora. The meat should then be cleansed of its silverskin, nerves, and internal fat. 

A Brief History

The origins of Adana Kebab can be traced back to the city of Adana, located in southern Turkey.

The dish is named after the city and is believed to have been created by the local shepherds who needed a hearty and filling meal to sustain them during their long days in the fields. Over time, Adana Kebab became a popular street food in the city and eventually spread throughout the country.

Today, it's one of the most popular dishes in Turkey and is widely available in restaurants and food stalls across the country.

Where to Eat the Best Adana Kebab?

If you're looking to try the best Adana kebab, it's important to understand that this dish is traditionally associated with the city of Adana, located in southern Turkey.
As a result, many people consider Adana to be the best place to try this delicious dish. However, Adana kebab can be found in restaurants and food stalls throughout Turkey, and each region may have its own unique spin on the dish.

Be sure to ask locals for recommendations and try different variations of the dish to find your favorite.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

How to Pick the Lamb Meat?

Authentically, Adana Kebabı is made from the meat of a male lamb that is younger than one year of age.

For this recipe, I used lamb shoulder and cleaned as much of the silver skin and nerves as possible to have soft and delicious kebabs.

Alternatively, you can use lamb mince with a high-fat ratio (minimum of %30).

However, the taste and the texture of Adana Kebab won't be the same as a hand-chopped lamb.

Lamb Fat

It is essential as it is the most important key for this delicious Adana Kabob.

However, finding tail fat is very difficult if you are not in Turkey.

Therefore you can use regular lamb mince with a high-fat ratio in this recipe.

It still comes out super tasty without being as authentic.

• Chilli - It is the only spice used for Adana Kebap (Adana Kofte). Adjust the amount to your taste.

• Red pepper paste - Turkish red pepper paste is a rich, delicious paste made with juicy, spicy red peppers and I use it quite often in my Turkish recipes. You can buy it from Turkish or Middle Eastern shops or online from Amazon.

Step-by-Step Instructions

This simple recipe for Adana Kebab is very easy to make.

However, you need a special knife called the "Zırh" to achieve the best results.

This knife is used for combining lamb meat pieces with tail fat, a special technique called "zırhlama" in Turkish.

This technique is the most important part of making a delicious & authentic Adana Kebab.

Today, however, like with most traditional recipes, there are different variations of this kebab recipe.

You can use ground lamb instead of hand-chopping your meat.

The taste will be different and it will lose its authenticity but it will still be delicious.

I personally don't own a "zirh knife" (yet) so I use my Japanese knife to chop the meat and tail fat.

As the mixture is slightly coarse when chopped with a regular knife, I put it in my Thermomix and then blitz it for 30 seconds until it binds together.

The result is very satisfying and very close to an authentic Adana Kebab (or Adana Kofte) recipe.

Make the Kebab Mixture

To make the kebab mixture, combine the chopped lamb meat with tail fat (or minced lamb), chili flakes, red pepper paste, and salt.

Mix the ingredients together with your hands until you have an evenly sticky mixture.

Place the Mixture on Skewers

Divide your lamb mixture into four equal parts.

Wet your hands with water in between handling the minced meat.

Mold the meat around the skewer to form a flattened kofte kebab.

You can use metal skewers or wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for half an hour.

Cook the Kebabs

The best way to cook them is on charcoal.

However, you can cook them on a gas BBQ, on a griddle pan, or even in the oven.

It takes 15 to 20 minutes on the BBQ, 10 to 12 minutes on the griddle, and 18 to 20 minutes in a 200° C (392° F) preheated oven.

Make sure to turn the kebabs a few times to ensure all the sides are cooked equally.

How to Cook Adana Kebab in an Oven?

To cook Adana Kebabs in the oven, line a baking sheet with silicone paper and then add a wire rack over the sheet.

Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F) and lay the kebabs in a single layer on the wire rack.

Cook them for 20 minutes, 10 minutes on each side until slightly charred.

You can roast tomatoes and peppers underneath the rack at the same time and serve them with your kebabs.

Top Tips From the Chef

• A knife called "zirh" is used for combining lamb meat pieces with tail fat, a special technique called "zırhlama" in Turkish. This technique is the most important part of making a delicious & authentic Adana Kebab.

• Ideally, use metal skewers for your Adana Kebabs. However, wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for half an hour would work too.

• Have a bowl of water with you while handling and molding the minced meat around the skewer to form a flattened kofte kebab.

• While cooking the Adana Kebabs, make sure to turn them a few times to ensure all the sides are cooked equally.

Serving Suggestions

I usually serve Adana kebabs over Turkish Pide Bread (Ramazan Pidesi) or Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread) along with some traditional accompaniments such as Ezme Salad (Acili Ezme), Turkish Shepherd Salad (Coban Salatasi), Batata Harra (Lebanese Potatoes), and some grilled peppers, onions, and tomatoes on the side.

Another popular way to serve these spicy ground lamb kebabs is to make Adana wraps (Adana Durum in Turkish) with some sumac-onion salad on a flatbread.

Adana wraps are usually served with a variety of sides and condiments, such as grilled vegetables, pickles, and yogurt sauce.

Some people also like to add a spicy red pepper paste or squeeze a wedge of lemon over the top for an extra kick of flavor.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For more delicious Turkish Kebab recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Adana Kebab as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

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