Turkish Adana Kebabs

There is no shortage of ground beef when buying a whole cow, but it can get boring pretty quickly. Here’s a fun alternative for ground beef that isn’t a burger or pot of chili.

This recipe is inspired by my travels through Turkey and all of the glorious spices that I was fortunate enough to come across. While traditionally this kebab is made from ground lamb, you can easily substitute ground beef, but I highly recommend sourcing these spices because they really make this dish pop. Plus you’ll likely start incorporating them into your everyday cooking…veggies, eggs, chicken, you name it. I particularly like the company Burlap & Barrel because they provide high-quality, single-origin spices. Many of the spices you get at the grocery store have been sitting in warehouses for years, and then on top of that, they sit in your spice cabinet for who knows how long.

While we often think of kebabs that use chunks of meat, this recipe actually uses ground meat. I recommend using flat metal skewers, which I call my “meat swords” ;), and are popular in Middle Eastern cooking. 

In Turkey, the kebabs are typically cooked over a charcoal grill, which imparts a great smokiness. But, if you don’t have access to a grill or just want a quicker alternative, you can easily form these into patties and cook on a skillet indoors! 

I’ve included two sides, Cacik and Sumac Onion Salad, which I accompanied a home-cooked meal in the southern town of Mersin. I was blown away by how much they complimented the meal and that they were so easy to make. If you’ve never had sumac before, the Sumac Onion Salad is a great way to highlight its citrus-y notes. I was told that Cacik is the Turkish, and what they believe to be, the better version of tzatziki. 

From a meal in Istanbul, Turkey; check out the kebabs that are second from the right, that’s what we want ours to look like!

  

Spice shop in Adana, Turkey: variety of chili flakes (Urfa, “Aleppo”) and sumac

“Mezze” platter at party, cacik is at the very top, along with a carrot-yogurt dip, marinated beets, home-cured olives, eggplant and pepper salad, and hummus

Home cooked meal in Mersin, Turkey. First time having sumac onions!

Now, onto the recipe!

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

Ground Beef Kebabs:

1 pound ground beef
½ small onion, small dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ bunch parsley, washed and finely chopped
2 tbsp chili flakes, Urfa or Aleppo or a combo of both
2 tsp sumac
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
Skewers, flat metal skewers are preferred, but can use bamboo

*If you don’t have all of these spices, still make the recipe just omit whatever you don’t have. Maybe add some other things you have on hand (black pepper, red chili flake) as a substitute.

Sumac Onion Salad:

1 small onion, sliced very thinly
2 tbsp parsley leaves, finely chopped
2 tsp sumac
Pinch of salt

 

Cacik:

½ cup whole milk yogurt
1 Persian cucumber, peeled and seeds removed, finely chopped or grated
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated
1 lemon, juiced
½ tsp dried mint, or sub a few fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste

 

Instructions:

Ground Beef Kebabs:

1. If using bamboo skewers (10-12), soak in water for 15 minutes.
2. Combine the kebab ingredients together. Mix well, you almost want the meat to be “sticky," which will help it stay together. Place in the fridge for about an hour (can skip if you are making patties and not using skewers). Now’s a good time to make your Sumac Onion Salad and Cacik, see below!
3. If using a charcoal grill, go ahead and get that bad boy fired up. While the coals are getting ready, you can make your skewers.
1. For the metal skewers, you can actually remove the grill grate and rest the skewers on the edges. But, if you want some extra insurance and don’t want all your hard work to go up in flames, you can place the kebabs on a CLEAN grill grate.
2. For the bamboo skewers, definitely keep your grill grate on.
4. If using flat metal skewers, divide the mixture into 7-8 balls. If using bamboo skewers, divide the mixture into 10-12 balls. I find it easier to form these into a shape like a Twinkie.
5. Use wet hands to form the meat onto the skewers. Make sure you seal the ends of the meat onto the skewer. You don’t want a gap between the meat and skewer.
1. For the metal skewers, slide the meat onto the skewer. Slide to about the middle of the skewer and squeeze the meat outwards with light pressure. Try to form the meat into a rectangular shape about 5-6 inches long and no thicker than ¾”. You want to leave some space at the tip of the skewer and by the handle so you can rest it on the grill.
2. For the bamboo skewers, just form the ball into long, flat kebabs.
6. Once your coals are ready, place your skewers on the grill. Let them sit for about 30 seconds and then flip. Repeat about 4-6 times, we’re trying to get a nice sear on the outside. I find this also helps prevent the meat from drooping too much. Once you get a nice sear, you can close the lid to cook the inside. Check and flip often. Total cook time will be about 8-12 minutes depending on thickness. If unsure, just open one up a little bit and peek inside.

Sumac Onion Salad:

1. Mix all the ingredients together.
2. Place into the refrigerator until ready to serve.

 

Cacik:

1. Thin out yogurt: If your yogurt is Greek-style meaning that it’s on the thicker side, slowly add spoonfuls of water to thin it out to your liking. If you want a thicker dip then you can just use the yogurt exactly how it is.
2. Stir the lemon juice into the yogurt.
3. Mix in the dried mint and garlic cloves.
4. Add the chopped cucumber and stir to combine.
5. Add salt to taste, feel free to add more lemon juice or mint to your liking. 
6. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
7. Garnish with some dried mint on top right before serving!

 

Enjoy! If you have any questions please feel free to reach out. I'd love to hear from you if you make these dishes :)