Adana Kebab Recipe with Sumac Onions

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Turkish-style Adana Kebab is the perfect grilling recipe! Season the ground meat mixture generously, pop them onto skewers, and grill until seared. Serve with sumac onions and fluffy bread.

Adana Kebab topped with sumac onions on pita bread

Perfectly grilled Adana Kebab is my weakness.

If we’re at a Turkish restaurant, chances are, I’m ordering Adana Kebab.

And Pide of course.

And maybe some Corbasi.

But always, always Adana kebab as a main.

So you can imagine the amount of Adana kebab I consumed on our last trip to Istanbul, Turkey. I lived off of Turkish pide for lunch, Simit for breakfast, and of course, all the charcoal-cooked kebabs for dinner.

Adana kebab is seasoned ground meat smashed onto long flat metal skewers and cooked over hot coals. Typically they are served on top of flatbread (pita or naan) so that it catches all the drippings and is usually paired with a side of red onion salad and grilled tomatoes and peppers.

Absolute perfection!

sumac onions and Adana Kebab on plate with lemon and parsley

Ingredients to Make Authentic Adana Kebab
Making Adana Kebab
Adana Kebab with Sumac Onions Recipe

Ingredients to Make Authentic Adana Kebab

Ground Beef or Lamb: Start with minced meat since we don’t have a large Turkish knife (zırh) that we can use to break down large chunks of beef or lamb. I like to use 85:15 or 80:20 for this recipe. You want to use something with enough fat so that it cooks and renders some on the grill. Leaving you with a tender kebab!
Red Bell Pepper: You’ll need just half of a red bell pepper for this recipe.
Yellow Onion: roughly dice the onions, we’ll toss it all in a food processor to break it down.
Anaheim Pepper: Typically Sivri Biber is the type of green pepper used in Turkish cuisine. That isn’t an ingredient that’s easily available in my area so I swap it for half of an Anaheim pepper. If you don’t want to use an Anaheim pepper, a green bell pepper will work in a pinch.
Parsley: a handful of parsley gives the kebabs just a bit of color and flavor.
Garlic: I typically toss in the garlic cloves with the parsley and grind them down in the food processor.
Turkish Red Pepper Paste: This is the one I have and love from my local Middle Eastern grocery store. It has a great flavor but isn’t too spicy. You can also use this for other recipes, and anywhere tomato paste is called for.
Aleppo Pepper: Also known as pul biber. Aleppo pepper has a moderate spice level. I typically buy a small jar that lasts me at least a year and store it in the refrigerator to maintain quality. It isn’t the same thing as red pepper flakes and though you could make the swap, it does change the flavor a bit. You can purchase Aleppo pepper online here.
Kosher Salt: Pretty self-explanatory!
Hot Paprika: I prefer to use hot paprika over sweet or smoked paprika in most recipes. Feel free to swap as needed based on what you have on hand.
Sumac Onion Salad: The onion salad is a staple with grilled meats. You’ll need red onions that are thinly sliced, along with ground sumac, lemon juice, olive oil, a bit of minced parsley, and some kosher salt.

onions and peppers before and after food processing

Turkish kebab mixture before and after mixing

Making Adana Kebab

Process the ingredients. Add the red bell pepper, yellow onion, and Anaheim pepper to a food processor and run until finely minced. Add the ingredients to a cheesecloth or a kitchen towel, and squeeze the liquid out in the sink. Do this thoroughly so that the kebabs don’t have excess moisture!
Add it all to a bowl. Place the ground beef in a bowl, and top with the processed veggies. Break down the garlic and parsley the same way, but no need to squeeze out the water. Add this to the same bowl as the kebab mixture.
Fold and mix like a pro. Add the pepper paste, kosher salt, Aleppo pepper, and hot paprika to the same bowl. Using your hands, squeeze the kebab mixture and fold until the ingredients are evenly distributed amongst the ground beef mixture.
Smoke the kebab mixture. This is something I’ve always grown up doing so I always do when I make this recipe. But it is optional and should be done at your own risk. Heat a charcoal briquette over medium-high heat on a gas stove (preferably outdoors) until the coal lights up on all sides. Make a small basket out of aluminum foil by wrapping it around the bottom of any bottle. Place the foil on top of the ground beef mixture. Using tongs, place the briquette in the foil basket. Grab a lid that will fit the bowl. Pour 1 teaspoon of oil over the hot charcoal and immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid. Allow to ‘smoke’ for 30-45 seconds. Carefully remove the basket to sink, and pour water on it to extinguish. Cool and discard. Smoke at your own risk. Feel free to omit this step.
Make the salad. While the adana kebab mixture cools, make the salad. Combine the ingredients in a bowl and give them a good toss. Taste and adjust seasonings. Then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Skewer the ground beef. Using wet hands divide the ground beef into 5 equal balls if you are using flat skewers. For round skewers, you’ll have to make them smaller. Slide the ball of beef mixture onto the skewers then using your hands flatten the ground beef to spread and adhere to the skewer. Then yes your thumb and forefinger to create traditional kebab indents. Place the skewers in the freezer for 20 minutes or refrigerate for 30 minutes so that they don’t fall apart on the grill.
Grill and enjoy! Preheat the grill, clean the grates, then oil them. Place the Adaana kebab skewers on the grill and let cook on one side completely before flipping. Cook the kebabs for a total of 9-11 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Flip them around the halfway mark.

sumac onions, bowl with ingredients, then bowl combined

FAQs about this recipe

I don’t have a food processor, how can I make this recipe?

You can do it the authentic way! Using a large cleaver-style knife (such as this one) break down the peppers, and onions together. Drain the ingredients the same way as directed on the recipe card.

Can I make this dish in advance?

You can shape the kebabs on the skewers, gently slide them off, and lay them flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flash freeze them until solid.

I don’t have skewers, what can I use?

Use a thick boba-friendly straw to make the kebabs in the past. The shape doesn’t come out the same, but it does do the job! Keep in mind that this will make smaller kebabs so they will cook quicker on the grill.

I’ve been looking for Adana kebab skewers, where can I buy them?

I just bought this set and I’m not sure how it doesn’t have more reviews! It’s amazing!