Adana Kebabs

Name: Adana Kebabs
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 42 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 1½ lb (680 g) ground lamb, about 20% fat, very cold; 2 oz (55 g) lamb fat or tail fat, finely minced, very cold; omit if your lamb is already 20-25% fat (optional); 1 small (about 5 oz) (140 g) red bell pepper, seeded and very finely minced, then squeezed dry in a towel; ½ medium (about 4 oz) (115 g) yellow onion, grated on the large holes of a box grater, then squeezed very dry; 3 cloves (12 g) garlic, finely grated or minced to a paste; 2 tbsp (10 g) Aleppo-style or Turkish red pepper flakes; 1 tbsp (7 g) sweet paprika; 1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin; 2 tsp (8 g) kosher salt, Diamond Crystal; use 1½ tsp (6 g) if using Morton or fine salt; 1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, for brushing the grill grates and kebabs; 1 medium (150 g) red onion, halved and very thinly sliced; 2 tsp (5 g) sumac; ½ cup (20 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped; 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed; ¼ tsp (1 g) kosher salt; 4 pieces (about 2 oz each) (240 g) lavash, pita or flatbread, warmed on the grill for 20–30 seconds per side; 2 medium (200 g) plum tomatoes, halved, for grilling (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Spicy, juicy Turkish ground lamb kebabs hand-pressed onto flat skewers and grilled over high heat until charred at the edges. Finely minced red bell pepper and onion keep the meat moist, while Aleppo-style pepper flakes and paprika give gentle heat. Serve with sumac onions and warm flatbread.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 12 min
Wait: 1 hr 18 min
Total: 2 hr
Makes: 8 kebabs (4 servings)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the kebabs
1½ lb (680 g) ground lamb, about 20% fat, very cold
2 oz (55 g) lamb fat or tail fat, finely minced, very cold; omit if your lamb is already 20-25% fat (optional)
1 small (about 5 oz) (140 g) red bell pepper, seeded and very finely minced, then squeezed dry in a towel
½ medium (about 4 oz) (115 g) yellow onion, grated on the large holes of a box grater, then squeezed very dry
3 cloves (12 g) garlic, finely grated or minced to a paste
2 tbsp (10 g) Aleppo-style or Turkish red pepper flakes
1 tbsp (7 g) sweet paprika
1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin
2 tsp (8 g) kosher salt, Diamond Crystal; use 1½ tsp (6 g) if using Morton or fine salt
1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, for brushing the grill grates and kebabs
For the sumac onions
1 medium (150 g) red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
2 tsp (5 g) sumac
½ cup (20 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¼ tsp (1 g) kosher salt
To serve
4 pieces (about 2 oz each) (240 g) lavash, pita or flatbread, warmed on the grill for 20–30 seconds per side
2 medium (200 g) plum tomatoes, halved, for grilling (optional)

Equipment (8)

8 flat metal skewers, ½ inch (12 mm) wide, about 14 inches (35 cm) long
Charcoal or gas grill (or a heavy grill pan or broiler)
Large mixing bowl
Box grater
Fine-mesh sieve or clean kitchen towel
Instant-read thermometer
Small bowl of water for wetting hands
Tongs

Steps

Before you start

Buy ground lamb with about 20% fat; leaner meat turns dry and won't hold onto the skewers.
Keep the meat very cold until you shape it. Chill your mixing bowl and skewers too if you can.
Use flat, sword-style metal skewers about ½ inch (12 mm) wide. Round or thin skewers let the meat spin and slide.
If using a charcoal grill, light the coals about 20 minutes before cooking so they are covered in grey ash.

1
Prep the vegetables
- Mince the red bell pepper as finely as you can, almost to a paste, with a sharp knife.
- Grate the half onion on the large holes of a box grater.
- Put the pepper and onion together in a clean kitchen towel or fine sieve and squeeze hard to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Finely mince the garlic to a paste.
- If using the extra lamb fat, mince it very finely and keep it in the fridge.
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Ready when: The pepper and onion mixture feels damp but not wet, with no liquid dripping when squeezed.
Tip: Excess moisture is the number one reason adana kebabs fall off skewers, so squeeze firmly.
2
Mix the meat
- In a large chilled bowl, combine the cold ground lamb, minced fat if using, squeezed pepper and onion, garlic, pepper flakes, paprika, cumin, 2 tsp kosher salt and black pepper.
- Knead firmly with your hands for 3 to 4 minutes, squeezing and folding, until the mixture turns sticky and pasty and pulls away from the sides of the bowl in one mass.
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Ready when: The mixture is tacky and cohesive; a small ball pressed to your palm sticks when you turn your hand over.
Tip: Work quickly so the fat stays cold. If your hands warm the meat, rest the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes.
3
Chill the mixture
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
- This lets the salt and spices bind the meat and firms the fat so it is easier to shape.
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Ready when: The mixture is cold and firm to the touch.
4
Make sumac onions
- In a bowl, toss the thinly sliced red onion with the sumac, lemon juice and ¼ tsp salt.
- Massage with your fingers for 30 seconds until the onion softens and turns deep pink.
- Fold in the chopped parsley and set aside at room temperature.
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Ready when: Onions are pink, slightly softened and no longer harsh-smelling.
5
Heat the grill
- Set up a grill for high direct heat.
- For charcoal, spread glowing coals in an even layer; for gas, preheat on high for 10 minutes.
- Clean the grates well with a brush, then wipe them with a paper towel dipped in olive oil.
- You want the grate temperature around 450 to 500°F (230 to 260°C).
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Ready when: You can hold your hand 5 inches above the grate for only 2 to 3 seconds.
Tip: Clean, oiled grates keep the kebabs from sticking when you turn them.
6
Shape onto skewers
- Divide the chilled meat into 8 equal portions of about 3.5 oz (100 g).
- Wet your hands in the bowl of water.
- Take one portion and press it around a flat skewer into a long sausage about 8 inches (20 cm) long, ¾ inch (2 cm) thick and 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide, leaving the skewer's handle free.
- Pinch shallow ridges along the length with your fingertips to help it cook evenly.
- Place on a tray and refrigerate while shaping the rest.
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Ready when: Each kebab is an even thickness, firmly pressed with no air gaps or cracks around the skewer.
Tip: Rewet your hands often; wet hands stop the meat sticking to you and give a smooth surface.
7
Grill the kebabs
- Brush the kebabs lightly with olive oil.
- Lay them across the hot grates and grill without moving for 3 minutes, until the underside is browned and releases easily.
- Turn gently with tongs and grill another 3 minutes.
- Turn twice more, cooking about 10 to 12 minutes in total, until browned with charred spots all over.
- If using, grill the tomato halves cut side down alongside for 4 to 5 minutes until blistered.
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Ready when: Kebabs are deeply browned with charred edges, juices run clear, and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads 160°F (71°C).
Tip: Don't flip too soon. If the kebab sticks, give it another 30 seconds and it will release.
8
Rest and warm bread
- Move the kebabs to a platter and rest for 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, warm the flatbread on the grill for 20 to 30 seconds per side until soft and lightly marked.
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Ready when: Flatbread is pliable and warm with light grill marks.
9
Serve
- Lay each kebab on a piece of flatbread and slide the meat off the skewer by pulling the skewer out while holding the meat with the bread.
- Top with the sumac onion and parsley mixture and serve with grilled tomatoes.
- The bread soaks up the lamb juices.
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Tip: Serve right away; the kebabs are best hot off the grill.

Good to know

Tips

Don't skip squeezing the pepper and onion dry; extra water makes the mixture slump and slide off the skewers.
Knead until the mixture is truly sticky. Under-mixed meat crumbles; this is a paste, not a burger.
No grill? Lay the kebabs on a rack over a foil-lined sheet pan and broil 4 inches (10 cm) from the element for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or cook in a very hot cast-iron grill pan.
Test one small patty in a skillet first to check the salt and heat before shaping all the skewers.

Make ahead

The meat mixture can be mixed and refrigerated, covered, up to 8 hours ahead, or shaped onto skewers and refrigerated, covered, up to 4 hours. The sumac onions can be made up to 2 hours ahead (add parsley just before serving).

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Fridge: store cooked kebabs, off the skewers, in an airtight container up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze raw shaped kebabs on a tray, then wrap, up to 2 months (grill from frozen, adding 3 to 4 minutes), or freeze cooked up to 2 months. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or in a hot skillet for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Substitutions

ground lamb → half ground lamb and half ground beef (80% lean). Milder flavor and easier to find; keep the total fat near 20%.
Aleppo-style or Turkish red pepper flakes → 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes plus 1 tbsp extra sweet paprika. Standard flakes are hotter and drier than Aleppo-style, so reduce the amount to avoid too much heat.
sumac → 1 tsp lemon zest plus an extra 1 tsp lemon juice. Gives a similar tartness for the onion salad.
lavash, pita or flatbread → steamed rice or bulgur pilaf. Serve the kebabs slid off the skewers on top of the grains.