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Halal lamb Adana kebab

Turkish Adana kebabs of Halal lamb mince kneaded with red pepper, Turkish pepper paste and pul biber, chilled, shaped long and grilled until crisp outside.

Turkish · Main · Easy · 12 köfte or 8 skewers · 140 min

Each method follows published technique for the dish, and every Halal substitution is checked against the ingredient pages we cite. Photographs come from our ingredient library rather than the finished dish.

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Why Halal checks matter here

An Adana kebab is lamb mince, so it is only Halal with Halal-slaughtered lamb; in kebab shops the meat supplier decides, not the Turkish name.

Halal-critical ingredients

• The lamb: Lamb is only Halal from a Halal-slaughtered animal. In kebab shops the meat comes from the outlet's supplier, and a Turkish kitchen is not proof on its own. Buy mince from a Halal butcher or in a certified pack. When ordering kebabs out, ask who supplies the meat and whether it is certified. See Lamb and Döner kebab.
• Red pepper paste: Turkish pepper paste is a bought product with its own ingredient list. Read the jar's ingredients, or use one with a Halal mark.

Ingredients

Kebabs

• 2 large red romano peppers, cored, deseeded and cut into chunks
• 800 g Halal lamb mince, about 20% fat
• 3 tbsp Turkish mild (sweet) red pepper paste
• 1 tbsp pul biber (Turkish chilli flakes)
• 1½ tsp flaky sea salt
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil

Method

1. Prepare the peppers. Finely chop the peppers in a food processor, then tip them into a sieve and press so they release all their juice.
2. Knead the mince. Put the peppers in a bowl with the Halal lamb, pepper paste, pul biber, salt and 2 tbsp of the oil. Knead well for at least 2 to 3 minutes, wetting your hands with cold water if it sticks, until the mixture is sticky. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 12.
3. Shape. Heat the grill to high, or the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 6. Divide the mixture into 12 portions of about 85 g and shape each into a 20 cm köfte on a lined tray, pressing indents along it with wet fingers. Or divide into 8, roll into balls and press each tightly along a skewer so no metal shows.
4. Cook. Brush with the remaining oil. Grill on the top shelf for 10 to 12 minutes, turning regularly, or bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until crisp outside and juicy in the middle.

Allergens

none

How this recipe was researched

Method from BBC Good Food's 'Adana kebab' by Meliz Berg (serves 4: 2 red romano peppers chopped and pressed dry, kneaded 2 to 3 minutes with 800 g 20% fat lamb mince, 3 tbsp Turkish mild red pepper paste, 1 tbsp pul biber, 1½ tsp flaky salt and 2 tbsp sunflower oil; chilled 2 to 12 hours; shaped into 12 köfte or 8 skewers, brushed with oil and grilled high for 10 to 12 minutes, or baked at 220C/200C fan/gas 6 for 16 to 18 minutes). We specified Halal lamb mince and a label check for the pepper paste. Timings follow the published technique rather than a kitchen test.

Photograph from our ingredient library: seekh kebabs, a similar minced-meat kebab, not the finished dish from this recipe.