Adana Kebap

Adana Kebap (also known as Adana Kofte) is a delicious hand-minced meat kebab mounted on a skewer and then grilled over charcoal. This spicy ground lamb dish is made with only a few ingredients and is easy to make at home. Same as Lamb Shish Kebab and Shish Tawook (Turkish Chicken Kebab), they are tender, juicy and perfect to serve on Homemade Pita Bread.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works?
• What is Adana Kebab?
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Authentic Adana Kebab?
• Related Recipes
• Top Tip From the Chef
• Adana Kebap

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 chilli 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 them 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".

It is traditionally made of male lamb meat younger than one year of age, Urfa chilli 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. 

Ingredients and Substitutes

• Lamb - 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) but 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 kebab. 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 Kebabs. 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.

How to Make Authentic Adana Kebab?

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 they bind together. The result is very satisfying and very close to an authentic Adana Kebab.

Make the Kebab Mixture

To make the kebab mixture, combine the chopped lamb meat with tail fat (or minced lamb), chilli 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 and then mould 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 but 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 preheated oven. Make sure to turn the kebabs a few times to ensure all the sides are cooked equally.

Related Recipes

For more delicious Turkish Kebab recipes why not try:

• Patlican Kebabi (Eggplant Kebab)

• Tas Kebabi (Turkish Beef Stew)

• Beyti Kebab

• Lamb Shish Kebab

• Shish Tawook (Turkish Chicken Kebab)

• Islim Kebabi (Aubergine Meatball Wraps)

• Orman Kebabi

• Tantuni

Top Tip From the Chef

If you want to cook Adana Kebabs in the oven, line a baking sheet with a 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 each side until slightly charred. You can roast tomatoes and peppers underneath the rack at the same time and serve them with your kebabs.

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

Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

FOOD SAFETY

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking points to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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