Adana Kebab

Adana kebab is a traditional Turkish dish made with finely minced lamb, mixed with red pepper flakes and spices, then shaped onto wide metal skewers and grilled over an open flame. It’s known for its smoky, charred exterior, juicy texture, and bold, slightly spicy flavor.

Traditionally served with warm flatbread, grilled tomatoes and green peppers, fresh onions, parsley ,and asprinkle of sumac, Adana kebab is a delicious celebration of Turkish grilling at its finest. 🔥

I’m making it easy for you to enjoy delicious Adana kebab right from your oven, without all the extra work! ❤️ Same bold flavors, juicy meat, and delicious taste, but with a simple, fuss-free method anyone can make at home.

Ingredients

• 2 lb. Ground beef 80/20
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 hot pepper
• 1 small onion
• 6-8 cloves garlic
• 1 heaping tbs. Red pepper paste
• 1 tbs. Beef tallow or butter
• 1 tsp. Salt1/2 tsp. Black pepper

Yogurt sauce /taratoor

• 3 heaping tbs. Yogurt
• 1 tbs. Tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tbs. Fresh lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• Parsley, chopped

Red pepper sauce

• 4 tbs. Salted butter
• 2 tbs. Red pepper paste
• 1-2 tsp. Aleppo pepper
• 2 small eggplant, 2 Anaheim peppers
• Thin pita bread or lavash

Instructions

1. In a food processor add red pepper, jalapeño, garlic, onion and process until fine. Strain completely from any liquid by pressing with a spatula. Add the mixture to the ground beef along with 2 tablespoons of red pepper paste, salt, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of beef tallow or butter. Mix well by hand for three minutes.
2. Spread the kebab mixture evenly on a parchment-lined tray (I used the oven tray), making sure it’s an even thickness. Using a dough cutter or a knife, score the meat lengthwise into kebab-shaped strips, then cut across to create portions that resemble kebabs on skewers.
3. On the other half of the tray, add the vegetables you’d like to roast. I used two small eggplants and Anaheim peppers, but you can also add tomatoes and onions. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil.
4. Preheat oven to 425 F. Place the tray in the oven and bake on the second shelf from bottom for 20-23 minutes.
5. In the meantime make the yogurt/ taratoor sauce. Make the red pepper basting sauce by cooking the ingredients until the butter is melted while whisking on low for 3 minutes.
6. Once the meat is cooked baste with the pepper sauce then cut along the scores, make a wrap by brushing the pita with the red sauce add the kebab, roasted vegetables, onion sumac salad, the white sauce and enjoy. You can also serve the kebab next to rice.

Notes

• I added tallow because my meat was not fatty enough, you can skip that step if you have fatty meat.