Techniques · 3 min read ·
Turkish Kebabs Explained: Adana, Şiş, Köfte, İskender and Döner
A Pakistani cook's guide to Turkish kebabs: what makes Adana different from seekh kebab, how şiş, köfte, İskender and döner are made, the role of fat and pepper, and how to cook each one at home.
In Pakistan, “kebab” usually means minced meat: seekh, shami, chapli. In Turkey, kebap is a much bigger word that covers almost any grilled or roasted meat, minced or in pieces, on a skewer, in a pan or sliced from a spit. A Turkish kebab house menu can run to dozens of names, many of them named after cities.
Here are the ones you’re most likely to meet, how they differ, and how to make them in a Pakistani kitchen.
Minced meat on a skewer
Adana kebab is the closest relative of our seekh kebab. Lamb mince with plenty of tail fat is kneaded with red pepper and , pressed onto wide flat skewers and grilled over charcoal. It’s spicy, very juicy and served on thin flatbread.
Urfa kebab is made exactly the same way but without the hot pepper, so it’s mild.
The big differences from seekh kebab are the fat (much more of it), the seasoning (red pepper instead of garam masala and green chili), and the absence of binders like egg or gram flour. The mince holds together because it’s kneaded hard and chilled.
Pieces on a skewer
Şiş kebab means “skewer kebab”: cubes of lamb or beef marinated and grilled. Tavuk şiş is the chicken version, marinated in yogurt, olive oil, garlic and pepper paste. It’s built like a chicken tikka but tastes milder and more herby.
Köfte
Köfte are small, flat, grilled patties of mince with onion, parsley and cumin. Every region has its own: İnegöl köfte are small and juicy, Tekirdağ köfte are long and smoky. They’re the everyday kebab of Turkish homes and cheap restaurants.
Sliced from a spit
Döner means “turning”. Layers of seasoned meat are stacked on a vertical spit and roasted as it turns, and thin slices are shaved off as they brown. It’s served in bread as a wrap or on a plate with rice.
İskender kebab takes döner meat and serves it on cubes of bread with tomato sauce, sizzling butter and yogurt. It was created in Bursa in the 19th century. At home, thinly sliced marinated meat seared in a very hot pan gets close without a spit.
Kebabs that aren’t grilled
Some Turkish kebabs never see a grill: tas kebabı is a slow-cooked stew, testi kebabı is cooked in a sealed clay pot that’s broken open at the table, and orman kebabı is a forest-style stew of meat and vegetables. Even lahmacun is sold in kebab houses.
The rules that matter
Whatever the kebab, Turkish grill cooks follow the same principles Pakistani BBQ cooks know:
- Fat for juiciness. Minced kebabs need around 20% fat or more.
- Knead and chill. Mince that’s kneaded until sticky and chilled stays on the skewer.
- Wait for the ash. Charcoal should be glowing under grey ash, not flaming.
- Flat skewers for mince. Round skewers can’t hold it.
- Butter at the end. Brush on melted butter in the last minute, never at the start.
Our guide to Pakistani BBQ at home covers charcoal and the smoking trick, which works just as well for Turkish kebabs cooked on a tawa.
How to serve them
A Turkish kebab plate is generous with vegetables: grilled tomatoes and long green peppers, sliced onions tossed with and parsley, a fresh çoban salatası, thin flatbread or bulgur pilavı, and a jug of ayran. It’s the same spirit as a Pakistani BBQ platter with naan, onions and raita, just with a different accent.
