Cokertme Kebabi is a Turkish Beef Kebab made with marinated beef strips piled onto crispy fries, garlic yogurt, and tomato sauce. It is Bodrum’s most famous dish, named after the nearby village of Çökertme.
This recipe needs about 40 minutes at the stove, and the marinade does its work in the fridge beforehand. Every part of it is simple, but the finished plate looks like it came from a restaurant.
Çökertme has three parts: the fries, the tomato sauce, and the beef. None of them is hard on its own, so don’t let the list put you off.
If you like homestyle Turkish kebabs such as Orman Kebabi and Tas Kebabi - Turkish Beef Stew, this one belongs on your list.
What is Çökertme Kebabı?
In Turkey, you will also hear it called Bodrum kebabı or çentik kebabı, and restaurants along the Aegean coast all have their own version. It is traditionally made with veal, though most home cooks use beef these days.
If you would rather watch than read, there is a quick video in this post that shows each step.
The contrast is the point of the dish. The fries stay hot and crisp, the yogurt stays cool, and the sauce ties the whole plate together.
Why This Recipe Works?
- Everything cooks in an ordinary pan. There is no grill, no skewers, and no special kebab equipment.
- The beef stir-fries in a couple of minutes, so once the fries are out of the pan, dinner is nearly ready.
- You can swap the beef for chicken and it works just as well. Tavuklu çökertme is a real dish in Turkey, not a compromise.
- One batch feeds 2 hungry people, and everything doubles easily for a family dinner.
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.
- Steak - Veal is the traditional choice, but any tender beef steak works. I prefer fillet, and sirloin or rump are fine too. Slice it against the grain so the strips stay tender.
- Vinegar - A little vinegar in the marinade tenderizes the steak. White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar both work.
- Potatoes - A floury frying potato gives the crispest result. Yukon Gold, Idaho, russet, Maris Piper, and King Edward all work well.
- Yogurt - Plain, unsweetened natural or Greek yogurt. In Turkey it usually goes on as garlic yogurt, so stir in a finely grated clove if you like it that way.
- Tomato - Use the ripest tomatoes you can find, as the sauce is only as good as they are. I prefer beefsteak or Roma, but any juicy tomato works.
- Tomato paste - A staple of Turkish cooking. One tablespoon deepens the color and rounds out the sauce. You can find it in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops.
How to Make Cokertme Kebabi
Marinate the Beef
Trim off any fatty and sinewy bits of your steak, and cut it into thick julienne. In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Add the steak pieces and give it a good stir, making sure all the meat is covered with the marinade. Let the meat marinate refrigerated for a minimum of two hours, ideally overnight.
Prepare the Tomato Sauce
To make the sauce, place the grated tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt, paprika, and water in a small saucepan.
Stir well to mix them all and let them gently simmer for 15 minutes on low heat while preparing the potatoes.
Prepare the Potatoes
Peel and cut the potatoes into matchstick-size strips and transfer them into a bowl with cold water to remove the starch in the potato and increase flavor.
Drain the potatoes and pat them dry with a kitchen towel.
Heat a cup of oil in a pan over medium-high heat, then fry the potatoes until golden and crispy. Do it in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Remove them on a paper towel to get rid of excess oil and start stir-frying your beef.
Stir Fry the Beef
Remove the marinated meat from the fridge and place a wok or a large pan on high heat. When the wok is hot enough, add the meat and stir fry for a couple of minutes, until it's cooked evenly.
Build Your Cokertme Kebab
To serve your kebab, place some fried potatoes on a plate and top them with a dollop of yogurt. For extra flavor, you can add grated or finely chopped garlic to your yogurt. Drizzle some tomato sauce on the yogurt and place the beef on top.
Finish with some more drizzle of the tomato sauce over the beef and garnish with some parsley.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Get the wok properly hot before the beef goes in, so the strips sear in a couple of minutes instead of stewing.
- Dry the potatoes really well after their cold water soak. Wet potatoes spit in the oil and never crisp up properly.
- Fry the potatoes in batches. A crowded pan drops the oil temperature and you end up with pale, soft fries.
- Assemble the plate just before serving. The fries soak up the yogurt and sauce quickly, so everything should go together at the last minute.
- You can use julienne-cut chicken breast or lamb steak instead of beef. The cooking time changes a little with the meat.
What to Serve with Cokertme Kebabi?
This kebab is a complete and filling meal on its own, so keep the sides light. A fresh salad like Lebanese Fattoush Salad, Arugula Spinach Salad, or Turkish Acili Ezme Salad is all it needs.
A cold glass of Ayran is the classic drink next to it.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
Çökertme is a make-ahead friendly dish as long as you keep the parts separate. You can marinate the beef up to 2 days ahead and make the tomato sauce up to 3 days in advance, both covered in the fridge. At dinner time, all that is left is frying the potatoes and the quick stir-fry.
Store any leftovers in separate containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the beef in a hot pan, crisp the fries back up in the oven or an air fryer rather than the microwave, and assemble the plate fresh.
Recipe FAQs
No, not as written. The seasoning is mild: salt, pepper, and a little paprika in the sauce. Add red pepper flakes if you want heat.
The plate sat too long. The yogurt and sauce soften the fries within minutes, which is why the dish is always assembled right before it is eaten.
Both stack meat over a base with yogurt and tomato sauce. Iskender Kebab uses sliced doner meat over pieces of pide bread with melted butter, while çökertme uses stir-fried beef strips over crispy fries.
Yes, in a pinch. Fry or air-fry them until deeply crisp before building the plate. Thin homemade matchstick fries are still closer to the real thing.
Related Recipes
For more easy and delicious Turkish Kebab dishes why not try:
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I hope you enjoy the process of making this delightful Cokertme Kebabi as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Cokertme Kebabi - Turkish Beef Kebab
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 1 lbs fillet steak or sirloin (cut in julienne) (450 grams)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Tomato Sauce
- 1 large tomato (grated)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup water
For Serving
- 1 lbs potatoes (450 grams)
- 1 cup vegetable or sunflower oil for frying
- 1 cup plain natural yoghurt
Instructions
Marinate the Beef
- Trim off any fatty and sinewy bits of your steak, and cut it into thick julienne.
- In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, and then add the steak pieces.
- Give it a good stir, making sure all the meat is covered with the marinade.
- Let the meat marinate refrigerated for a minimum of two hours, ideally overnight.
Prepare the Tomato Sauce
- To make the sauce, place the grated tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt, paprika, and water in a small saucepan.
- Stir well to mix them all and let it gently simmer for 15 minutes on low heat while preparing the potatoes.
Prepare the Potatoes
- Peel and cut the potatoes into matchstick-size strips and transfer into a bowl with cold water to remove the starch in the potato and increase flavor.
- Drain the potatoes and pat dry them with a kitchen towel.
- Heat a cup of oil in a pan on medium-high heat and fry the potatoes until golden and crispy. Do it in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Remove them on a paper towel to get rid of excess oil and start stir-frying your beef.
Stir Fry the Beef
- Remove the marinated meat from the fridge and place a wok or a large pan on high heat.
- When the wok is hot enough, add the meat and stir fry for a couple of minutes, until it's cooked evenly.
Build Your Cokertme Kebab
- To serve your kebab, place some fried potatoes on a plate and top it with a dollop of yogurt.
- Drizzle some of the tomato sauce on top of the yogurt and place the beef on top.
- Finish with some more drizzle of the tomato sauce over the beef and garnish with some parsley.
Video
Notes
- Marinate the beef for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. It can be marinated up to 2 days ahead, and the tomato sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance.
- Get the wok properly hot before the beef goes in, so the strips sear instead of stewing.
- Dry the potatoes really well after their cold water soak, and fry them in batches so they crisp up.
- Assemble the plate just before serving. The fries soak up the yogurt and sauce quickly.
- Stir grated or finely chopped garlic into the yogurt for the classic garlic yogurt layer, or use it plain.
- You can use julienne-cut chicken breast or lamb steak instead of beef. The cooking time changes a little with the meat.
- Storage: keep leftovers in separate containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Re-crisp the fries in the oven or an air fryer, reheat the beef in a hot pan, and assemble the plate fresh. The assembled dish does not store well.
- About 200 grams of meat per person is a generous portion.
Tina says
It was lovely. Definitely going to make this again. Thank you so much