Adana kebab

Difficulty

Time

50 minutes

Spicy minced meat skewer with hot pepper paste, from the grill or the pan

Adana kebab is one of the best-known minced meat skewers in Turkish cuisine. The meat is kneaded with bell pepper, onion and hot pepper paste and grilled on a skewer. With this Adana kebab recipe, the skewer works at home on the grill or in a grill pan in about 50 minutes. Don't feel like cooking? Then Yayla has the Kebap Döner Baguette to go.

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What is Adana kebab?

Adana kebab comes from the southern Turkish city of Adana. Typical are the strongly spicy taste, the juicy meat and the flat, long shape on the skewer. It is served with thin flatbread, grilled tomatoes and pointed peppers and a fresh onion salad.

Ingredients for Adana kebab

Minced meat: Minced lamb or beef, not too lean.
Pepper paste: Yayla's hot pepper paste gives color and heat. If you prefer it milder, use the mild pepper paste.
Wheat flatbreads: The wheat flatbreads (Tandır Lavaş) soak up the juice of the kebab.
Spices: Pul biber, salt and black pepper.

Your Adana kebab turns out well with these tips

Chop the pepper and onion very finely and squeeze them out well so the mixture does not get watery.
Knead the minced meat vigorously for at least 5 minutes and then let it rest, so it holds on the skewer.
Work with moistened hands so the mixture does not stick.
Grill the kebab over high heat and only turn it once a crust has formed.

You can find more grill recipes in our recipe world.

Don't feel like cooking? Kebap Döner Baguette to go

If you don't want to prepare the kebab yourself: Yayla's Kebap Döner Baguette 190 g is a filled baguette with 29% chicken meat, iceberg lettuce, onions, white cabbage and cream cheese. It is the quick alternative for on the go and in between meals, for when it doesn't have to be homemade Adana kebab.

Frequently asked questions about Adana kebab

Adana kebab is a hot-spiced minced meat skewer from the Turkish city of Adana. The meat is kneaded with bell pepper, onion and spices, shaped around a wide skewer and grilled over an open fire.

Traditionally, minced lamb with a higher fat content is used. Minced beef works too, but should not be too lean so the kebab stays juicy.

With hot pepper paste and pul biber, the kebab becomes quite hot. For a milder version, use mild pepper paste and reduce the chili flakes.

Yes. The mixture can be shaped into long, flat kebabs and cooked in a grill pan or in the oven. It is important that the meat is cooked through.

Classic accompaniments are wheat flatbreads, grilled tomatoes and pointed peppers, an onion salad with sumac and parsley, and yogurt or ayran.

Ingredients

600 g	minced lamb or beef, not too lean
1	red pointed pepper, very finely chopped
1	small onion, very finely chopped
2 tbsp	hot pepper paste
2 tsp	pul biber (chili flakes)
1 tsp	salt
½ tsp	black pepper
4	wheat flatbreads (Tandır Lavaş)
2	tomatoes
2	green pointed peppers
1	red onion, in thin rings
1 tsp	sumac
1 handful	parsley, chopped
to taste	plain yogurt for serving

Preparation

Chop the pepper and onion very finely and squeeze them out well in a clean cloth.

Knead the minced meat with the pepper, onion, pepper paste, pul biber, salt and pepper vigorously for about 5 minutes until a smooth, sticky mixture forms. Cover and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Moisten your hands, divide the mixture into four portions and shape each one flat, about 2 cm thick, around a wide skewer. Without a skewer, shape them into long, flat kebabs.

Cook the kebabs on the hot grill or in a grill pan over high heat on all sides until the meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes in total. Grill the tomatoes and green pointed peppers alongside.

Mix the red onion rings with sumac and chopped parsley.

Warm the wheat flatbreads briefly, slide the kebab off the skewer onto the flatbread and serve with vegetables, onion salad and yogurt.