Lamb Beyti Kebab is a traditional Turkish Kebab made with seasoned ground lamb wrapped in a yufka or filo pastry. Same as Lamb Shish Kebab, Cokertme Kebabi, and Shish Tawook (Turkish Chicken Kebab), it is one of the easiest and most delicious kebabs you can make at home.

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Turkey has many different varieties of juicy and scrumptious kebab dishes and Beyti Kebab is definitely one of the most popular ones. You can find them on almost every restaurant's menu around the country, usually served with some Bulgur Pilavi (Turkish Bulgur Pilaf) on the side. With this simple recipe, you can make your own version of this delicious Turkish kebab dish and serve it to your family and friends.
Why This Recipe Works?
- It is very easy to prepare and just as delicious as the ones you can have in your local Turkish restaurant.
- You can prepare the kofte mixture a couple of days in advance, it tastes even better when rested!
- It is one of the best and most satisfying kebab dishes that any kebab lover should try.
Ingredients and Substitutes

- Lamb mince - The main ingredient for kofte is minced lamb and its fat content is as important as the quality of the meat. Ideally, it should have %20 fat for soft and delicious koftes. Using lean minced meat will make them dry and tough. You can also use beef or chicken mince. However, you might need to add some extra fat to your mixture to achieve a juicy&soft Koftas.
- Onion - It adds extra flavour and moisture to the koftas. I prefer grating it into the mixture. You can finely chop and sauté them if you prefer. You can substitute it with two banana shallots.
- Garlic - It is another great flavouring for kofte dishes and is absolutely essential. You can turn it into a paste with a mortar and pestle or grate it with a Microplane. You can substitute the fresh garlic with the garlic powder.
- Spices and seasoning - Adjust the amount to your taste and add or leave out any spices you prefer.
- Tomato paste - It is the staple of Turkish cooking. It adds an umami flavour to the dishes as well as a bright red colour. You can find it in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops. You can also buy it online from Amazon.
- 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.
- Filo Pastry - Filo is a very thin unleavened dough used for making pastries such as baklava and borek in Turkish cooking. You can substitute with 2 pieces of Turkish yufka sheets.
- Oil - It adds an extra crispness to the filo pastry. Substitute it with melted butter, olive oil, sunflower oil or rapeseed oil.
- Soda water - It gives crispness to the filo pastry. Substitute it with sparkling water or melted butter.
- Yoghurt - You can use both thick strained Turkish yoghurt or Greek yoghurt.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This is a very simple, straightforward recipe and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:
Prepare the Lamb Kofte
Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Place the mince, grated onion, garlic, salt, paprika, cumin and freshly ground black pepper in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix everything until it’s thoroughly combined.


Divide the mixture into four equal parts and then shape them into flat long sausages. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper and then place the lamb koftes on. Bake the koftes for 10 to 12 minutes and then let them cool down for a few minutes. Drop the oven temperature to 180 °C before proceeding to build the kebabs.


Build the Beyti Kebab
Mix the olive oil with soda water in a small bowl. Line one large sheet tray with silicon paper. Lay one sheet of filo on a clean work surface and then drizzle 1-1 ½ tablespoon of the sauce, spread it evenly using a brush. Lay another sheet of filo on top and then drizzle some more sauce, spread it evenly. Repeat the same steps until you have three sheets of filo. Place a piece of kofte on the short side of the filo sheets and then start rolling them tightly into a log shape.


Cut the log diagonally into eight equal pieces and then place them on your paper-lined tray. Repeat the same steps with the remaining filo sheets and koftes. Brush the pastries with melted butter to help them brown nicely. Bake them for 20 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Prepare the tomato sauce while the kebabs are baking.


Prepare the Tomato Sauce
Put a small saucepan over medium heat and then melt the butter. Add tomato paste, pepper paste, salt, paprika, and water and then stir until all are dissolved. You may need to add more water if the sauce is too thick as the consistency of the tomato & pepper paste varies depending on the brand.

Serve the Beyti Kebab
Place the yoghurt in the middle of the plate and arrange the baked lamb rolls around it. Drizzle some of the hot tomato sauce over the yoghurt and kebabs and then garnish the plate with roasted peppers and tomato slices.

Related Recipes
For more scrumptious traditional Turkish Recipes why not try:
Beyti is a recipe dating back to Ottoman times and it was rediscovered in 1961 by a famous Istanbul restaurant owner called " Beyti Guler". This delicious Beyti Kebab is now popular all over the country with the same name as this restaurateur.
One portion of the homemade Beyti Kebab dish has 840 kcal, still a healthier option than the ones from the restaurants!
This authentic kebab dish is perfect to serve with a refreshing salad such as Greek Cucumber Salad, Rocket Salad with Parmesan and Gavurdagi Salatasi (Tomato and Walnut Salad). Or why not try it with some Saksuka (Turkish Vegetable Meze), Mediterranean Green Beans (Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye), or Mucver (Courgette Fritters) on the side?
Top Tip From the Chef
Make your Beyti Kebab even more exciting by topping it up with some grated Kasar cheese and grilling it for a few minutes before serving.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this juicy Beyti Turkish Kebab 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.

Beyti Kebab
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Lamb Kofte
- 750 g lamb mince (minimum of % 20 fat content)
- 1 large onion (grated)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
For Building the Beyti
- 500 g filo pastry or yufka sheets
- 2 tablespoon good quality olive oil (mixed with ¼ cup soda water)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter (for brushing)
For the Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoon butter (70 grams)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ tablespoon pepper paste
- ⅓ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water
- 300 g thick strained yoghurt
Instructions
Making the Kofte Mix
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
- Place the mince, grated onion, garlic, salt, paprika, cumin, and freshly ground black pepper in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Mix everything together until it’s thoroughly combined.
- Divide the mixture into four equal parts and shape them into flat long sausages.
- Line a large baking sheet with baking paper and place the lamb koftes on.
- Bake the koftes for 10 to 12 minutes and let them cool down for a few minutes.
- Drop the oven temperature to 180 °C and proceed to build the kebabs.
Building the Beyti Kebab
- Mix the olive oil with soda water in a small bowl.
- Line one large sheet tray with silicon paper.
- Lay one sheet of filo on a clean work surface and then drizzle 1-1 ½ tablespoon of the sauce, spread it evenly using a brush.
- Lay another sheet of filo on top and drizzle some more sauce, spread it evenly. Repeat the same steps until you have three sheets of filo.
- Place a piece of kofte on the short side of the filo sheets and start rolling them tightly into a log shape.
- Cut the log diagonally into eight equal pieces and place them on your paper-lined tray.
- Repeat the same steps with the remaining filo sheets and koftes.
- Brush the pastries with melted butter to help them brown nicely.
- Bake them for 20 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.
- Prepare the tomato sauce while the kebabs are baking.
Preparing the Tomato Sauce
- Put a small saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter.
- Add tomato paste, pepper paste, salt, paprika, and water and stir until all are dissolved.
- You may need to add more water if the sauce is too thick as the consistency of the tomato & pepper paste varies depending on the brand.
Serving the Beyti Kebab
- Place the yogurt in the middle of the plate and arrange the baked lamb rolls around it.
- Drizzle some of the hot tomato sauce over the yogurt and kebabs.
- Garnish the plate with roasted peppers and tomato slices.
Video
Nutrition
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 point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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Danny
My favourite kebab! Good to know I can easily make it at home. Thank you for the recipe.
Aisha
This was awesome, it turned out so well.
Ayla Clulee
Thank you Aisha!
Julian
Thank you for this delicious recipe. This will be on our menu often.
Gino
Fantastic recipe, The whole family loved it!
Sonia
My mouth really watered to see this recipe. I'll try it myself tomorrow.
Sylvia
This was awesome. So nice to follow recipe as written, and have it turn out so well. That’s the hallmark of a well written recipe.
Tricia
So easy and very delicious - my kind of dinner!
Michelle
We moved to a rural area recently and I have been craving kebabs. This recipe hit the spot and tasted better than takeout!
Wilma
Wonderful flavours. Delicious and so simple to make. I’ll definitely be able to make the same recipe for for my family at the next opportunity!
Tanya
So tasty & easy to make. Everyone loved it. I made them with tortilla wraps, didn’t look as nice but tasted amazing ! Thank you!
Bernie
I made the kebabs with the beef. Easy and nice. 8 yo liked them too. I also made some meatballs using the same recipe. This one is a keeper for us.
Luke
This was very tasty, and had excellent instructions. So easy and very delicious - my kind of dinner! Thank you!