Turkish Ocakbaşı Adana Kebab
Succulent hand-chopped lamb mince seasoned with sweet red peppers, garlic, and fiery chilli flakes, grilled until beautifully charred and juicy.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 460 kcal
Equipment
- •Wide flat metal skewers
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Chef's knife
- •Clean kitchen cloth
- •Charcoal barbecue or griddle pan
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 460 kcal
- fat
- 35 g
- carbs
- 4 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 32 g
- calories
- 460 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Squeeze the finely diced red pepper firmly in a clean kitchen cloth to remove all excess moisture.
- 2
Place the minced lamb, squeezed pepper, garlic, pul biber, chilli flakes, cumin, and salt into a large bowl.
- 3
Knead the mixture vigorously with your hands for five minutes until the meat becomes tacky and binds together.
- 4
Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for at least one hour so the fat firms up.
- 5
Divide the chilled meat mixture into four equal portions.
- 6
Wet your hands with cold water, then mould each portion firmly around a wide flat metal skewer.
- 7
Flatten the meat along the skewer using your fingers to create shallow, wavy indentations.
- 8
Heat a charcoal barbecue until coals are ash-white, or heat a cast-iron griddle pan on high.
- 9
Grill the kebabs for three to four minutes on each side until deeply charred and fully cooked through.
- 10
Rest the kebabs for two minutes, then dust with ground sumac and fresh parsley before serving warm.
Chef's tips
Using lamb mince with at least 20 percent fat is vital to keep the meat juicy and prevent it from drying out. Chilling the meat thoroughly and wetting your hands before moulding stops the mixture sticking to your skin instead of the skewer.
Ingredient substitutions
- pul biber → sweet paprika mixed with a pinch of cayenne pepper
- wide flat metal skewers → thick wooden skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes
Storage
Store cooled leftover kebabs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat under a hot domestic grill or in a hot dry frying pan for two to three minutes until piping hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using lean lamb mince, which causes the kebab to crumble and fall off the skewer.
- •Skipping the squeezing step for the peppers, making the meat mixture far too wet to hold its shape.
- •Flipping the skewers too early before a protective sear forms on the meat.
Serving suggestions
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