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    Cooking Gorgeous » All Recipes » Main Dishes

    Sac Kavurma (Turkish Lamb Sauté)

    Published: Feb 23, 2022 · Modified: May 11, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Sac Kavurma (Turkish Lamb Sauté) is a simple yet delicious Turkish dish made by sautéing the lamb with onions, peppers, tomatoes and spices over high heat.

    Sac Kavurma tava served with Turkish rice
    Delicious Sac Tava - Kavurma served with Turkish Rice (Sehriyeli Pilav)

    Kavurma is traditionally cooked in a shallow two-handled pan called "sac" which has its origins in the cooking utensils used by nomad Turks. But don't worry if you don't have a sac pan, you can still make saç kavurma using an Asian wok to create high heat and sear the meat in its own fat.  

    Jump to:
    • What is Kavurma?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Related Recipes
    • Top Tip From The Chef
    • Sac Kavurma (Turkish Lamb Sauté)

    This delicious and traditional Turkish Lamb sauté recipe is very easy to prepare and is ready in just 40 minutes. Although it is traditionally made during Eid, you can also serve it as a weekday meal or for a dinner party.

    What is Kavurma?

    Kavurma is a type of sautéed meat dish popular in Turkish cuisine and there are a few different versions. Apart from Sac Kavurma, there is a dish called Coban Kavurma or Shepherd's Kavurma similarly comprises meat sautéed with onion, tomato and capsicum.

    Another related dish is Winter Kavurma is made by slow cooking the meat in its own fat, very similar to confit. This type of kavurma was in the past an important part of the diet and was particularly used in times when fresh meat was scarce. It was often prepared from the meat of sheep slaughtered in the autumn, for storage during the winter, when small amounts would be used to flavour vegetable and rice dishes.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Ingredients for Coban kavurma (Turkish lamb sauté)
    • Lamb - I use marbled cut meat with some fat such as shoulder or neck fillet. Cut the meat into small cubes and trim the fat off to render it for your kavurma.
    • Lamb fat - Lamb tail fat is a common ingredient for this dish but it is not easy to find it here in the UK. Instead, I trim the fat from the meat and cut it into small pieces. You might also be able to find lamb fat from your butcher for rendering. Alternatively, you can use ghee.
    • Onions - You can use any onions you have in your fridge.
    • Peppers - I prefer using Turkish green peppers for this dish. They are one of the most popular peppers used in Turkish cuisine. They are usually mild but some of them can be quite hot. You can replace them with bell pepper or Spanish Padron peppers.
    • Tomatoes - Red & juicy summer tomatoes are always the best option but you can use any type of tomatoes you have in hand.
    • Garlic - You can turn it into a paste with a mortar and pestle or grate using a Microplane zester before adding it to kavurma.
    • 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.
    • Spices - You can adjust the amount of the spices to your taste.

    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:

    • Heat a large pan (sac, wok or cast iron pan) on medium heat, add the lamb fat and let it gently warm up and begin to liquify. Stir it occasionally and keep it simmering until the fat becomes tiny bits. Turn the heat up to high and then add the diced lamb.
    render the lamb fat
    Render the lamb fat
    and then add the diced lamb
    Add the diced lamb
    • Cook the lamb for 8-10 minutes over high heat, stirring continuously. Let it release its water and absorb it back. Add the cumin, freshly ground pepper, paprika and thyme, and sauté for a minute.
    Sauté until it releases its water and absorbs back
    add the spices
    Add the spices
    • Add the sliced onions and peppers to the meat and sauté for a few more minutes on high heat. Toss in the tomatoes along with the tomato paste and then cook until they are slightly tender. Add the salt, give it a good stir and then serve it hot with Turkish Rice (Sehriyeli Pilav) or Bazlama (Turkish Bread).
    add the tomatoes
    Sauté the onions and peppers
    Toss in the tomatoes

    Related Recipes

    For more traditional Turkish recipes why not try:

    • Sutlac (Turkish Rice Pudding)
    • Beyti Kebab
    • Turkish Shepherd Salad (Coban Salatasi)
    • Irmik Helvasi (Turkish Semolina Halva)
    • Cacik (Turkish Yoghurt with Cucumbers
    • Yaprak Sarma - Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
    • Turkish Pistachio Baklava
    • Kuru Fasulye
    • Izmir Kofte (Smyrna Meatballs)
    • Ali Nazik
    How to serve Kavurma?

    This traditional dish is best enjoyed with some side dishes such as Bulgur Pilavi, Homemade Pita Bread, Piyaz (Turkish Bean Salad), Crispy Sauté Potatoes with Garlic or Greek Cucumber Salad.

    Can you freeze Sac Kavurma?

    Yes, the Kavurma dish is freezer friendly. Let the leftovers cool down and place in an airtight container before freezing. You can keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    Top Tip From The Chef

    If you want your lamb sac kavurma tender and soft, cook it on high heat and don't add salt until the very end of the cooking process.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making this traditional Sac Kavurma 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.

    Sac Kavurma (Turkish style lamb sauté)

    Sac Kavurma (Turkish Lamb Sauté)

    Ayla Clulee
    Sac Kavurma (Turkish Lamb Sauté) is a simple yet delicious Turkish dish made by sautéing the lamb with onions, peppers, tomatoes and spices over high heat. 
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Middle Eastern, Turkish
    Servings 4 portions
    Calories 539 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 Sharp knife
    • 1 measuring spoons
    • 1 wok
    • 1 Rubber spatula
    • 1 2-Piece Cutting Board Set

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 100 g lamb fat (or ghee)
    • 800 g diced lamb (1 cm diced)
    • 1 large onion (sliced)
    • 2 Turkish green peppers (or 1 green bell pepper) (sliced)
    • 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
    • 2 large tomatoes (small diced)
    • ½ tablespoon tomato paste
    • 1 red chilli (or ½ teaspoon chilli flakes) (optional)
    • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    Instructions
     

    • Heat a large pan (sac, wok or cast iron pan) on medium heat, add the lamb fat and let it gently warm up and begin to liquify.
    • Stir it occasionally and keep it simmering until the fat becomes tiny bits. Turn the heat up to high and then add the diced lamb. 
    • Cook the lamb for 8-10 minutes over high heat, stirring continuously. Let it release its water and absorb it back. 
    • Add the cumin, freshly ground pepper, paprika and thyme, cook for a minute.
    • Add the sliced onions and peppers to the meat and sauté for a few minutes on high heat.
    • Toss in the tomatoes along with the tomato paste and cook until they are slightly tender.
    • Add the salt, give it a good stir and then serve it hot with Turkish Rice (Sehriyeli Pilav) or Bazlama (Turkish Bread).

    Nutrition

    Calories: 539kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 43gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 194mgSodium: 737mgPotassium: 1011mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1140IUVitamin C: 81mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #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 point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ashley

      February 25, 2022 at 4:05 pm

      5 stars
      I love this recipe, and usually make it with chicken. I will try the lamb version, looks absolutely amazing.

      Reply
    2. Gerome

      March 26, 2022 at 3:57 pm

      5 stars
      It turned out so delicious! I served it with couscous and went down really well.

      Reply
    3. Neil

      March 30, 2022 at 12:34 pm

      5 stars
      Fantastic recipe with great instructions. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        April 02, 2022 at 5:20 am

        You’re welcome, Neil! Thank you for your review.
        Best wishes
        Ayla x

        Reply
    4. Jenn

      April 24, 2022 at 11:36 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely fantastic! Followed recipe exactly, except I did have to buy bone in shoulder so cut the meat off.

      Reply
    5. Sandy

      April 25, 2022 at 1:42 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is such comfort food and has amazing flavour. I’ve made it twice. Half the meat the first time and now per recipe. My family loved it! This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!!

      Reply
    6. Tirina

      May 11, 2022 at 5:10 am

      5 stars
      Made this yesterday since I had some lamb. I tried following everything as outlined, came out really incredible. Thank you so much!

      Reply

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    Hi! Thank you for visiting Cooking Gorgeous. My name is Ayla, and I’m a professional chef based in the UK. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    More about me →

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