Turkish Adana Kebabs

Mildly spicy, tender and juicy Kebabs made from lamb minced and grilled. Served with Onion salad, garlic sauce and Turkish Bread.

There’s something irresistible about smoky, spicy kebabs sizzling on a grill — especially when they’re as bold and flavourful as Turkish Adana Kebabs. This recipe brings the authentic taste of Adana street food to your kitchen, whether you’re using a charcoal grill, stovetop, or oven.

What is Adana Kebab ?

Turkish Adana Kebabs get their name from Adana, a city in southern Turkey where this dish originated. Traditionally made with minced lamb or beef, these kebabs are shaped onto wide metal skewers and grilled over open flames.

They’re mildly spicy, juicy, and incredibly tender. Despite the simple list of ingredients, the flavour is rich, deep, and unmistakably Turkish.

Jump to Recipe

Ingredients for Turkish Adana Kebabs

Adana kebabs are surprisingly easy to make at home with just a few ingredients and some key techniques. Traditionally, lamb mince is used, and an authentic version includes lamb tail fat, which adds richness and moisture. But its is definitely not necessary to make delicious Adana Kebabs

One thing that sets Adana kebabs apart from other skewered kebabs is the unique hand-chopping technique. Instead of using a food processor, the meat and chillies are chopped together using a sharp knife on a cutting board. This gives the kebabs a coarser, more authentic texture that helps them hold together on the skewers.

The ingredients required for making Adana Kebabs are below:

• Lamb Mince – Use lamb with some fat (around 20%) for juicy kebabs. Avoid mince that is too lean or ground too finely. Beef mince works perfectly fine too.
• Peppers – Use a mix of red and green mild peppers. If they’re spicy, deseed them to control the heat.
• Garlic – Freshly minced garlic adds bold, savoury flavour.
• Red chilli Flakes- Essential for that signature Adana spice. You can reduce the quantity to suit your heat preference.
• Paprika – Adds colour and mild smokiness.
• Cumin – A warm, earthy note that’s classic in Turkish cuisine.
• Salt

Preparing the Adana Kebab Mixture

Start by finely chopping the peppers and garlic using a sharp knife. Once they’re minced well, add the spices and lamb mince, and continue chopping and mixing everything together directly on the board using the knife. This traditional technique helps achieve the perfect texture and even flavour distribution.

Let the mince mixture rest for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to develop and the mixture to firm up.

For shaping, the authentic method is to use wide, flat metal skewers, which help cook the kebabs evenly and hold their shape. If you don’t have metal skewers, you can use flat wooden skewers (soaked in water) or any available skewers. Shape the kebabs onto the skewers, pressing them gently so they are slightly flattened and secure.

To achieve the signature indented shape of Adana kebabs, gently press the meat between your thumb and index finger along the skewer after flattening it. This creates the traditional ridges that help the kebab cook evenly and hold its form.

Grilling Adana Kebabs

You can cook Adana kebabs using any of the following methods, depending on what you have available:

1. Charcoal Grill (Traditional Method)
   This is the most authentic way to cook Adana kebabs. Grilling over hot charcoal gives the kebabs a delicious smoky flavour and perfectly charred edges.
2. Pan-Fry
   Use a cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan with a drizzle of oil. Cook the kebabs on medium heat, turning occasionally, until they’re evenly browned and cooked through.
3. Oven Grill (Broiler)
   Preheat your oven’s grill/broiler function and place the kebabs on a wire rack or foil-lined tray. Grill until nicely browned, then carefully turn them to cook the other side. Keep a close eye on them — they can burn quickly under high heat.

Whatever method you use make sure you don’t overcook the kebabs. Overcooking makes the kebabs dry and tough.

What to Serve with Turkish Adana Kebabs

Serve Turkish Adana Kebabs with grilled peppers, onion and tomatoes. You can make onion salad with thinly sliced onions, Sumac , lemon juice and olive oil. Serve them with traditional Turkish Bread Lavash.

If you want any dip to serve along with Adana Kebabs try out Babaganoush or Hummus.

Adana Kebab vs Shish Kebab – What’s the Difference?

While both Adana kebabs and Shish kebabs are grilled favourites from Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisines, they differ in ingredients, texture, and preparation:

Feature	Adana Kebab	Shish Kebab
Meat Used	Minced lamb (traditionally with tail fat)	Cubed pieces of lamb, chicken, or beef
Spicing	Spicy, with red pepper flakes and garlic	Mildly seasoned, often marinated with yogurt and spices
Preparation	Meat is minced, mixed with spices, and shaped on skewers	Meat is marinated, then skewered as whole pieces
Skewers	Flattened around wide skewers	Threaded onto regular skewers
Texture	Juicy and soft, almost like a spicy kofta	Grilled, firm texture with charred edges

If you’re curious to try both, check out my other kebab recipes too:

👉 Lamb Shish Kebab – Juicy grilled lamb cubes with Middle Eastern spices
👉 Chicken Shish Tawook – Tender chicken kebabs marinated in a creamy garlic-yogurt blend

Watch how to make Turkish Adana Kebabs

https://youtu.be/zrzBftVe4KQ

More Turkish Recipes to Try