How Authentic ADANA KEBAB is Made - Turkey's Most Famous Kebab

ground lamb

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground beef

Ground turkey is leaner, while ground beef is more affordable.

red bell pepper

🥗Healthier: yellow bell pepper

💰Cheaper: green bell pepper

Yellow bell pepper is slightly healthier, while green is often cheaper.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Avocado oil offers health benefits, while canola is budget-friendly.

pita bread

🥗Healthier: whole wheat pita

💰Cheaper: flatbread

Whole wheat pita adds fiber, while flatbread can be less expensive.

Cut lamb meat into small pieces for hand mincing, trimming sinews and connecting tissues.

Let the meat rest in the fridge for 24 hours (optional).

If using leg of lamb, add more fat as it does not contain enough fat.

Use a kebab knife called 'zirh' to mince the meat without smashing it, using a rocking motion.

Alternatively, use a dual knife cutting in opposite directions or a large chef knife (though it takes more time).

Continue mincing until you achieve a medium fine mince.

Add 5 g salt and 5 g paprika powder to the minced meat and mix gently to combine.

Optionally, add 50 g finely chopped red paprika, squeezing out the juice to combine with the meat (save the juice for salads).

Let the mixture cool in the fridge for 15 minutes to make skewering easier.

Use cold skewers to prevent the meat from getting warm and soft.

Wet your hands slightly before forming the kebabs to avoid sticking.

Divide the meat into 120 - 150 g portions and thrust the flat skewers into each piece.

Wet your fingers lightly and gently press and shape the meat from top to bottom to form the kebabs, working on both sides until even.

Seal and close both ends of the kebabs to avoid them falling off the skewers.

Keep the formed kebabs in the fridge until the grill is ready.

For the traditional salad, finely chop 1 onion, 1 tomato, and a handful of parsley, and mix with 1 tsp sumac and 1 tsp chili flakes.

Roast some tomatoes and chilies while the heat is high.

When the fire is medium hot, start grilling the kebabs, rotating them every 30 - 60 seconds to prevent falling off.

After 2 - 3 minutes, once the fat starts dripping, remove the kebabs.

Layer the kebabs between lavash bread to soak up the excess fat.

Grill the kebabs for another 3 - 4 minutes until cooked nicely but not overcooked, with a total grill time of 6 - 8 minutes depending on fire heat.

Heat the breads for the last seconds.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: