Spice up your dinner routine with this tender and juicy Adana kebab tarifi. Made with ground lamb or beef– these Turkish kabobs are a guaranteed hit! Serve them with tangy sumac onions, crisp cucumber slices, and creamy labneh to complete the meal.
What is Adana Kebab?
Adana kebabs feature seasoned ground lamb or beef on skewers grilled over a pit of hot coals as is tradition. The name comes from the city of Adana in southern Turkey, but it’s a famous dish all over Turkey, especially in restaurants.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Lamb: Use one pound of ground lamb to form the kebabs. If you prefer an authentic Adana kebab tarifi, ask the butcher to cut the meat from around the ribs of a grass-fed male lamb or visit a local Middle Eastern grocery store or halal market.
- Spices: Season the ground lamb mixture with kosher salt, ground cumin, Urfa pepper flakes, and ground sumac.
Additions and Substitutions
- Replace the protein. Use ground beef, chicken, or turkey instead of ground lamb.
- Spice up the meal. I recommend using one teaspoon of red pepper flakes and two teaspoons of smoked paprika or ground Aleppo pepper instead of the Urfa pepper flakes. Some recipes for Adana kabob call for a small amount of a red pepper paste called biber salçası.
- Experiment with mix-ins. Incorporate finely chopped onions or fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro into the ground kebab mixture.
Tools You’ll Need
Prepare this easy Adana kebab tarifi with a mixing bowl, wide metal skewers, and a rimmed baking sheet– whether cooking them in the oven or on the grill. You can also use damp wooden skewers if you bake the kebabs in the oven.
I prepare to knead the ground lamb mixture using my stand mixer with the paddle attachment. It’s a complete game-changer! All you need to do is add the meat and a splash of water. Process on medium speed until the mixture starts sticking to the bowl. You don’t need a stand mixer to knead the ground lamb, but it gives the kebabs a perfect sticky texture to secure the meat to the skewers.
How to Make this Adana Kebab Tarifi
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Prepare the Kebabs
Step 1: Add ground lamb to a mesh strainer and use clean hands to press out any excess water. Transfer the meat to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Combine sumac, Urfa pepper flakes, salt, and cumin in a small bowl. Reserve one tablespoon of the mixture and set it aside.
Step 3: Pour the rest of the spice mixture over the lamb and knead for about 5 minutes until it is sticky. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preparation Tip
Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to knead the ground lamb for the best results.
Step 4: Remove the mixture from the refrigerator. Hold a wide metal skewer with one hand, dip your other hand in the ice water, and form two small palm-sized amounts of ground lamb onto the skewer.
Transfer it to a rimmed baking sheet and repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Preparation Tip
Be sure the ground meat wraps around the entire skewer with no spaces or cracks.
Grill the Kebabs
Step 1: Adjust the burners on your grill to high heat for 10 minutes. Then, use a wooden grill scraper to clean the grates.
Step 2: Set the skewers onto the grill over high heat. Cover and cook for 6 minutes.
Flip, and sprinkle the kabobs with some of the reserved mix of spices. Cook for another 6 minutes.
Step 3: Slide the kebabs off the skewers onto a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
- Knead the ground meat. Knead the ground meat using clean hands or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. In The Food Lab, J. Kenji López-Alt explains that kneading helps the meat bind to skewers more effectively by breaking down muscle proteins.
- Use cold water. Leave a large bowl of cold water next to the kebab mixture. Dip your hand into the water before forming the kabobs to keep the mixture cool and prevent the meat from sticking to your hand.
- Form the kebabs. Attach the meat to wide metal skewers using the same amount of meat for each kebab to ensure the kebabs cook at the same rate.
- Transport the kebabs. After forming the lamb onto the skewers, line them onto a baking sheet for easy transportation to the grill, or pop them straight into the oven.
- Prepare the grill. Preheat the grill and clean the grates– you don’t want the kebabs to stick!
If you enjoy this delicious Adana kebab tarifi, try more Mediterranean recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Serve the ground lamb kebabs on a platter with piping hot rice and a fresh salad like çoban salatasi or Shirazi salad. Tightly roll the kebabs in a warm Turkish lavash or a spinach protein wrap with sumac onions or biwaz for a quick, grab-and-go meal.
Grill the fresh tomatoes, red bell peppers, onions, and green peppers for a smoky side dish to complement the kebabs. If you’re a sauce lover like me, serve the kabobs with a flavorful yogurt dip called haydari, tahini yogurt sauce, shatta sauce, skhug, tzatziki, or garlicky toum. And finish the meal with ayran, a cooling, yogurt-based drink.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftover kebabs in the an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Let the kabobs cool and transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. Adana kebabs freeze for 2-3 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the meat in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat: Warm the leftovers in the microwave or on a skillet over medium heat.
More Kabob Recipes:
Adana Kebab Tarifi
- Small Bowl
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 2 tablespoons sumac
- 2 tablespoons Urfa pepper flakes (1 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 2 teaspoons smoked paprika)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Add ground lamb to a mesh strainer and use clean hands to press out any excess water. Transfer the meat to a large mixing bowl.
- Combine sumac, Urfa pepper flakes, salt, and cumin in a small bowl. Reserve one tablespoon of the mixture and set it aside.
- Pour the rest of the spice mixture over the lamb and knead for about 5 minutes until it is sticky. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.Tip: I use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to knead the ground lamb for the best results.
- Remove the mixture from the refrigerator. Hold a wide metal skewer with one hand, dip your other hand in the ice water, and form two small palm-sized amounts of ground lamb onto the skewer.Transfer it to a rimmed baking sheet and repeat with the remaining ingredients.Tip: Be sure the ground meat wraps around the entire skewer with no spaces or cracks.
For the Oven:
- Preheat the oven to 450℉ (232℃). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set the skewers on it. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the kebabs every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking.
For the Grill:
- Adjust the burners on your grill to high heat for 10 minutes. Then, use a wooden grill scraper to clean the grates.
- Set the skewers onto the grill over high heat. Cover and cook for 6 minutes. Flip, and sprinkle the kabobs with some of the reserved mix of spices. Cook for another 6 minutes.
- Slide the kebabs off the skewers onto a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Knead the ground meat. Knead the ground meat using clean hands or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. In The Food Lab, J. Kenji López-Alt explains that kneading helps the meat bind to skewers more effectively by breaking down muscle proteins.
- Use cold water. Leave a large bowl of cold water next to the kebab mixture. Dip your hand into the water before forming the kabobs to keep the mixture cool and prevent the meat from sticking to your hand.
- Form the kebabs. Attach the meat to wide metal skewers using the same amount of meat for each kebab to ensure the kebabs cook at the same rate.
- Transport the kebabs. After forming the lamb onto the skewers, line them onto a baking sheet for easy transportation to the grill, or pop them straight into the oven.
- Prepare the grill. Preheat the grill and clean the grates– you don’t want the kebabs to stick!