Consomee

Adana kebab

⏱ ~95 min (est.)MediumLambTurkish
Adana kebab

If you've got lamb mince and pul biber, you're most of the way to this Turkish lamb: about 95 minutes of cooking across 15 steps. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 15 steps.

You'll mainly reach for oven and grill / broiler. At medium difficulty across 15 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.

What you'll need

Servings4

Shopping list (2)

Pantry staples (you likely have these)

🔁 Unit converter
=

How to make it

  1. Finely chop the peppers in a food processor, then tip them in a sieve and press into the sieve so that the peppers release all of their juices.
  2. Tip into a bowl along with the mince, red pepper paste, pul biber, 1½ tsp flaky sea salt, and 2 tbsp of the oil.
  3. Mix together, kneading well for at least 2-3 mins.
  4. If you need to, wet your hands with cold water to prevent the mixture from sticking.
  5. The mixture should be sticky when ready.
  6. Cover and chill for at least 2 hrs, or up to 12 hrs.
  7. When ready to cook, heat the grill to high or an oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 6.
  8. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions, around 85g each.
  9. If you’d like to skewer them, divide into 8 equal portions and roll into balls.
  10. Using wet hands, thread the balls onto the end of the skewers, massaging the mixture down the skewers in between the palms of your hands, until evenly distributed.
  11. Ensure that the mixture is fully wrapped tightly around the skewers without any exposed metal.
  12. Alternatively, lay them on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper if cooking in the oven, or foil if cooking under the grill.
  13. Shape into 20cm-long köfte.
  14. Wet your fingers with a little cold water and make indents all along the köfte for the traditional shape.
  15. Gently brush each köfte with the remaining 1 tbsp oil and cook under the grill, on the top shelf for 10-12 mins, turning regularly, or cook in the oven for 16-18 mins, until crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle

You'll use: Oven · Grill / broiler · Food processor · Baking tray

Watch how it's made

Hosted on YouTube — pressing play loads content from YouTube.

What to serve with Adana kebab

Tips & common questions

How long does Adana kebab take to make?

About 95 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 15 steps and 5 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.

Can I scale this recipe up or down?

Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.

How should I store leftovers?

Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.

Recipe data for Adana kebab via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.