Kuzu Tandır Kebab is a delicious slow-cooked Turkish Roasted Lamb dish traditionally cooked in a clay "tandır oven" for long hours, until fork tender. With this simple recipe, you can easily make this special lamb dish at home with only a few ingredients and 10 minutes of preparation.
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The traditional way to cook lamb in a tandır oven is to hang it from a suspended hook over the coals, cover it, and leave it to cook for hours until it is falling apart easily.
This ancient way of roasting a lamb was used by the Seljuk Turks back in the 13th century in palaces kitchens.
In Turkey, there are many restaurants that still use these clay ovens to roast the lamb with the same techniques.
The traditional way to serve Kuzu Tandir is over a piece of flatbread (we love it with Garlic Naan) with some tomato and onion wedges. A definite winner dish for family gatherings or special occasions.
If you love lamb, check out my other delicious traditional Turkish Lamb dishes such as Sac Kavurma (Turkish Lamb Sauté), Lamb Beyti Kebab, and Ali Nazik.
What Part of Lamb to Use for Kuzu Tandir?
Lamb's shoulder is the perfect cut for slow-roasting due to its rich connective tissue and a generous amount of marbled fat content.
The fat melts down as the meat slowly cooks at a low temperature, creating tender, juicy meat that can be pulled off the bone.
Also, lamb shoulder is usually cheaper than lamb leg as it is not as popular. Therefore, it is perfect for big gatherings when you need to feed a crowd.
Why This Recipe Works?
- It is very easy and quick to prepare this delicious Kuzu Tandır Kebab - Turkish Roasted Lamb. All you need is 10 minutes of hands-on preparation and the rest is done by the oven.
- This recipe will give you 8 generous portions of lamb, a perfect way to feed a crowd for gatherings.
- You can store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months in a freezer or up to five days in a fridge.
- With this simple cooking technique, the lamb comes out meltingly tender, falling apart, and dripping with beautiful roasting juices.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Lamb Shoulder - I use a bone-in shoulder that weighs between 2.2 - 2.5 kg (4.8 - 5.5 lbs). Buy a half-shoulder if you are feeding a small family.
- Garlic - It is a great flavoring for lamb dishes and is absolutely essential. You can turn it into a paste with a mortar and pestle or grate it with a Microplane.
- Olive oil - A good quality olive oil to rub into the lamb.
- Thyme - Dried or fresh thyme pairs perfectly with lamb meat. You can substitute it with rosemary or oregano.
- Salt-pepper - A generous amount of seasoning is essential for that size of lamb shoulder.
How to Make Homemade Kuzu Tandir?
This Kuzu Tandır Kebab - Turkish Roasted Lamb recipe is very simple to follow. However, to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:
Preheat your oven to 220° C (430° F).
In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and dried thyme (or oregano).
Slit the top of the fatty side of the lamb shoulder joint with a small sharp knife to help the marinade go through the meat.
Rub the mixture all over the lamb, gently massaging it into the meat for a couple of minutes.
Place the lamb shoulder on a large parchment paper, skin side down, then wrap it tightly covering the lamb entirely.
Use another large parchement paper to create the second layer, trying to keep as much moisture to cook the lamb.
Repeat the same with 2 layers of large tin foil, and then place the wrapped lamb shoulder on a cooking rack sitting on a baking tray.
Place the lamb in the preheated oven. Cook it for 2 ½ hours, and then reduce the heat to 140° C (285° F).
Let the lamb cook for another 2-3 hours, until it is fork-tender.
Remove the lamb from the oven, place it in a large bowl or plate, and carefully open the wrappings.
Separate the meat from the bone using a thong or a fork, shred it, and then transfer it to a baking dish along with the cooking juices.
Set the oven temperature to 180° C (360° F), and then place the lamb meat back in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the meat lightly browns.
Place the naan bread or pita bread in the oven for 10 minutes to warm them up before serving them with your Kuzu Tandir Kebab.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full, printable recipe!
Top Tips From the Chef
- To achieve the best flavor, purchase a good quality cut of meat from your local farmers and butchers. When you buy your lamb, ask your butcher to clean off as much excess fat as possible.
- Take the meat out of the fridge 1 hour before you’re ready to start cooking to bring it to room temperature. This step is necessary to reduce cooking time and ensure more juicy meat.
- Wrap the lamb shoulder tightly with 2 layers of large pieces of parchment paper followed by 2 layers of tin foil to create steam and to keep the meat moist.
- Make sure you place the wrapped lamb shoulder on a cooking rack sitting on a baking tray before placing it in the oven.
Recipe FAQs
It is almost impossible to overcook a lamb shoulder, and it is ready when the meat falls apart when touching with a fork. The cooking time depends on the size of the lamb shoulder.
For a shoulder joint with bone in:
1 kg -1.5 kg (2.2 lb - 3.4 lb), you need to cook it for 3 hours - 3 hours 30 minutes.
1.6 kg - 1.9 kg (3.5 lb - 4.1 lb), cook it for 3 hours 30 minutes - 4 hours.
2 kg - 2.5 kg (4.4 lb - 5.5 lb), cook it for 4 hours 30 minutes - 5 hours.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days when refrigerated. If you want to keep them longer, you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
A half shoulder of lamb generally serves for up to 4 people, and a whole shoulder serves for of lamb up to 8 people.
Related Recipes
For more delicious lamb 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 Kuzu Tandır Kebab - Turkish Roasted Lamb dish as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
Kuzu Tandır Kebab - Turkish Roasted Lamb
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2.5 kg shoulder of lamb
- 1 tablespoon good quality olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic (pasted)
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
- 8 pieces naan bread (for serving)
- 1 tomato, pepper, and onion (to garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220° C (430° F).
- In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and dried thyme (or oregano).
- Slit the top of the fatty side of the lamb shoulder joint with a small sharp knife to help the marinade go through the meat.
- Rub the mixture all over the lamb, gently massaging it into the meat for a couple of minutes.
- Wrap the lamb shoulder tightly with 2 layers of large pieces of parchment paper followed by 2 layers of tin foil.
- Place the wrapped lamb shoulder on a cooking rack sitting on a baking tray, then place it in the preheated oven.
- Cook the lamb for 2 ½ hours, and then reduce the heat to 140° C (285° F).
- Let the lamb cook for another 2-3 hours, until it is fork-tender.
- Remove the lamb from the oven, place it in a large bowl or plate, and carefully open the wrappings.
- Separate the meat from the bone using a thong or a fork, shred it, and transfer it to a baking dish along with the cooking juices.
- Set the oven temperature to 180° C (360° F), and place the lamb meat back in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the meat lightly browns.
- Place the naan bread or pita bread in the oven for 10 minutes to warm them up before serving them with your Kuzu Tandir Kebab.
Notes
- To achieve the best flavor, purchase a good quality cut of meat from your local farmers and butchers. When you buy your lamb, ask your butcher to clean off as much excess fat as possible.
- Take the meat out of the fridge 1 hour before you’re ready to start cooking to bring it to room temperature. This step is necessary to reduce cooking time and ensure more juicy meat.
- Wrap the lamb shoulder tightly with 2 layers of large pieces of parchment paper followed by 2 layers of tin foil to create steam and to keep the meat moist.
- Make sure you place the wrapped lamb shoulder on a cooking rack sitting on a baking tray before placing it in the oven.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days when refrigerated. If you want to keep them longer, you can freeze them for up to 3 months
Nutrition
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Jeri
So easy and super delicious !
Ayla Clulee
Thank you, Jeri!