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Adana Kebab

Name: Adana Kebab
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 400 g ground lamb, at least 20% fat; 6 g red chilli flakes; 8 g garlic, very finely grated; 4 g sweet paprika; 2 g ground cumin; 6 g fine sea salt; 1 g black pepper; 100 g red onion, thinly sliced; 4 g sumac; 15 g flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped; 15 ml fresh lemon juice; 1 g fine sea salt; 10 ml olive oil, for lightly oiling hands and grill; 2 wedges lemon wedges

Adana Kebab is juicy, smoky, and assertively spiced, with tender lamb charred at the edges and fragrant with chilli, garlic, and cumin. The sharp sumac onion salad and lemon cut through the richness, making each bite vivid and balanced.

30 min

2 servings

612 kcal

Turkish

Ingredients

Kebab mixture

400 gground lamb, at least 20% fat
6 gred chilli flakes
8 ggarlic, very finely grated
4 gsweet paprika
2 gground cumin
6 gfine sea salt
1 gblack pepper

Sumac onion salad

100 gred onion, thinly sliced
4 gsumac
15 gflat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
15 mlfresh lemon juice
1 gfine sea salt

For grilling

10 mlolive oil, for lightly oiling hands and grill

To serve

2 wedgeslemon wedges

Instructions

1
Preheat a charcoal grill or very hot ridged grill pan so the cooking surface is thoroughly hot. If using metal skewers, have 2 wide skewers ready. In a bowl, combine the ground lamb, red chilli flakes, grated garlic, sweet paprika, ground cumin, fine sea salt, and black pepper. Knead firmly with your hand for 2-3 minutes until the mixture looks sticky and cohesive; this protein extraction helps the kebab cling to the skewers without falling apart.
2
Divide the lamb mixture into 2 equal portions. Lightly oil your hands and the skewers, then press each portion firmly along a skewer into a long flat kebab about 20 cm long and 2 cm thick. Pinch and press well so there are no air pockets; loose spots can crack during grilling.
3
In a separate bowl, toss the sliced red onion with sumac, parsley, lemon juice, and the remaining salt. Squeeze and rub the onion lightly with your fingers for 30-60 seconds to soften it and draw out sweetness without making it limp.
4
Oil the grill lightly. Grill the kebabs over high heat for 8-10 minutes total, turning every 2 minutes so they cook evenly and develop light charring on all sides. The kebabs are done when they feel springy, are browned at the edges, and the centre reaches at least 70°C.
5
Transfer the kebabs to a warm plate and rest for 2 minutes so the juices settle. Serve immediately with the sumac onion salad and lemon wedges for squeezing over the top.

Nutrition per serving

612 kcal

Calories

35g

Protein

Carbs

49g

Fat

Fiber

Notes

•Traditional Adana kebab is hand-minced and cooked over mangal charcoal on wide flat skewers; a ridged grill pan works well at home if preheated thoroughly.
•Use lamb with good fat content; lean lamb makes a dry, crumbly kebab.
•If the mixture feels too soft to shape, chill it for 10 minutes, though this may push total time slightly beyond 30 minutes.
•For a stricter paleo service, omit flatbread entirely and pair with grilled vegetables or a cucumber salad.

Background

Adana kebab comes from the city of Adana in southern Turkey, where it is famous for its bold heat and smoky charcoal grilling. The classic version is made with hand-chopped lamb and tail fat, pressed onto broad skewers and cooked over a mangal. It is one of Turkey’s best-known regional kebabs and is protected in style and identity.

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