Turkish · Adana · dinner

Adana Kebabı (Spicy Hand-Minced Lamb Kebab)

Adana kebabı

Adana kebabı comes from Turkey's southern city of the same name, where butchers still hand-chop lamb shoulder and tail fat together into a coarse, sticky paste that grills into something no food processor can replicate. It's the spicier, bolder cousin of Urfa kebab — red with pul biber and pepper paste, charred on the outside and juicy within — and it's the kind of meal that turns a backyard grill into a proper occasion.

• bone-in lamb shoulder, deboned and trimmed to ~20% fat (ask your butcher, or use 80/20 ground lamb as a fallback)

  2 lbs

  900g

• lamb fat trimmings (from the shoulder above) — or substitute beef suet or beef fat from butcher

  3 oz

  85g

  Substitution · hard-to-find

  Original: kuyruk yağı (lamb tail fat). Lamb tail fat is the authentic choice and gives a sweeter, richer result. Use fat trimmings from the shoulder, beef suet, or ask a butcher for beef fat. Avoid pork fat — it changes the flavor profile entirely.

• Aleppo pepper (pul biber) — see substitution note

  2 tbsp

  16g

  Substitution · specialty-store

  Original: pul biber (Maraş or Aleppo pepper). Aleppo pepper is available at Whole Foods and Middle Eastern markets. If you can't find it, mix 1½ tbsp sweet paprika + ½ tbsp red pepper flakes. The real thing has a fruity, oily quality no blend quite matches, but the sub works.

• Turkish or Middle Eastern red pepper paste (biber salçası) — see substitution note

  1½ tbsp

  22g

  Substitution · specialty-store

  Original: biber salçası (Turkish red pepper paste). Find it at Middle Eastern or Turkish grocery stores. Substitute: 1 tbsp tomato paste + ½ tbsp sweet paprika + a tiny pinch of cayenne, stirred together. The paste adds depth and a slight sweetness — don't skip it entirely.

• garlic cloves, minced to a paste

  3 cloves

  12g

• fine sea salt

  1¼ tsp

  7g

• black pepper, freshly ground

  ½ tsp

  1g

• ground cumin

  ½ tsp

  1g

• red onion, very finely grated (squeeze out excess liquid)

  ½ medium onion (about ¼ cup grated)

  60g

• flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, finely chopped

  3 tbsp

  10g

• lavash or thin flatbread (store-bought is fine)

  4 large pieces

  4 pieces (approx. 200g total)

• Roma or plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

  4 medium (about 1 lb)

  450g

• long mild green peppers (Anaheim, Italian frying, or Turkish sivri biber if available)

  4 peppers (about 10 oz)

  280g

• red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons (for sumac onion salad)

  1 large (about 1½ cups sliced)

  150g

• sumac — see substitution note

  1½ tsp

  4g

  Substitution · specialty-store

  Original: sumac. Sumac is worth finding — Whole Foods, Middle Eastern markets, or online. Substitute: 1 tsp lemon zest plus a tiny pinch of citric acid (or an extra squeeze of lemon juice). It won't be quite as floral, but it does the job on the onion salad.

• flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (for sumac onion salad)

  ¼ cup loosely packed

  8g

• kosher salt (for onion salad)

  ¼ tsp

  1.5g

• vegetable oil or olive oil (for brushing grill and vegetables)

  2 tbsp

  30ml

  Substitution · accessibility

  Original: neutral oil or olive oil. The original called for a neutral oil (such as grapeseed or avocado oil) or olive oil. Plain vegetable oil or canola oil — available at every major chain — works perfectly here for brushing the grill and vegetables. Olive oil is equally fine and widely available; use whichever you have on hand. There is no meaningful flavor or authenticity loss at these quantities.

1. 01

   15 min

   HAND-MINCE THE MEAT (or prep your ground lamb): If you're starting with bone-in lamb shoulder, chill the meat and fat in the freezer for 20 minutes — cold fat is easier to work with. Using a large, heavy knife or cleaver, chop the meat and fat together on a large cutting board, working in a rocking motion, folding the pile back on itself every minute or so. You're aiming for a coarse, sticky paste — finer than a rough chop, but not as smooth as a food processor grind. This takes about 8–10 minutes of active chopping. If using pre-ground lamb, skip this step but know the texture will be softer.

2. 02

   8 min

   MIX THE KEBAB PASTE: Transfer the minced lamb and fat to a large bowl. Add the Aleppo pepper, red pepper paste, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, cumin, grated onion (squeeze it in your fist first to remove liquid — too much moisture and the kebab won't hold the skewer), and chopped parsley. Mix with your hands for 3–4 minutes, kneading and folding like a dough. You want the mixture to become cohesive and slightly tacky — it should pull away from the bowl cleanly. This kneading is not optional; it develops the protein bonds that keep the kebab on the skewer.

3. 03

   60 min

   REST THE MIXTURE: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to overnight). The rest lets the spices bloom into the fat and firms the mixture so it grips the skewer. Don't skip this.

4. 04

   5 min

   MAKE THE SUMAC ONION SALAD: While the meat rests, combine the sliced red onion, sumac, salt, and chopped parsley in a small bowl. Toss well and squeeze the onion gently with your hands — this softens it slightly and helps the sumac coat everything. Taste and adjust salt. Set aside at room temperature; it gets better as it sits.

5. 05

   25 min

   PREPARE YOUR GRILL: Light a charcoal grill and let it burn down to glowing coals with a white-gray ash — this takes 20–25 minutes. You want high, direct heat. If using a gas grill, preheat all burners to high for 10 minutes. Brush the grates clean and oil them lightly with vegetable oil or olive oil using a folded paper towel held with tongs. Charcoal is strongly preferred here; the fat dripping onto coals creates the smoke that defines this dish.

6. 06

   10 min

   FORM THE KEBABS: Divide the rested meat into 8 equal portions (about 3.5 oz / 100g each). Have a small bowl of cold water nearby to wet your hands — this prevents sticking. Take one portion and press it firmly around a wide flat metal skewer (at least ¾ inch / 2cm wide — a round skewer won't work; the meat will spin and fall off). Squeeze and press the meat along the skewer in a long, even cylinder about 8–9 inches long, pinching the ends to seal. Repeat with remaining portions. If you don't have flat skewers, shape the kebabs into flattened logs and grill them directly on the grates, turning carefully.

7. 07

   10 min

   GRILL THE VEGETABLES: Brush the tomato halves and whole green peppers with vegetable oil or olive oil. Place them on the hot grill alongside the kebabs (or just before). Grill the peppers, turning occasionally, until charred and softened, about 8–10 minutes. Grill the tomatoes cut-side down first for 3–4 minutes until charred, then flip for 2 more minutes. Remove and keep warm.

8. 08

   10 min

   GRILL THE KEBABS: Place the skewers on the hottest part of the grill. Grill for 3–4 minutes per side — you want a deep char on the outside while the inside stays just cooked through and juicy. Don't press them down. Total grill time is about 8–10 minutes. The fat will drip and flare; that's correct and desirable. If flare-ups are out of control, shift the skewers briefly to a cooler zone.

9. 09

   5 min

   WARM THE LAVASH AND PLATE: In the last 2 minutes of grilling, lay the lavash pieces directly on the grill grates for 30–45 seconds per side — just enough to warm and pick up a little char. To serve the traditional way: lay a piece of warm lavash on each plate, slide the kebabs off the skewer onto the bread (the bread catches the juices — eat it), and arrange the grilled tomatoes and peppers alongside. Pile the sumac onion salad on top of or beside the kebabs. Serve immediately.

• · Unknown unit "each"; assumed 50g per quantity
• · LLM tiebreak failed for "sumac — see substitution note" — picked first result as fallback

Reheating · Reheat to 165°F / 74°C internal. Slice cold for salads.

Source: foodkeeper