Fundamentally, ‘kebab’ refers to meat cooked on coals or grilled in flames, without water. There are many Turkish cities famous for kebab and plenty of ways to cook this essential dish of Turkish cuisine: on oily cooking paper or in a circular sheet pan, in a frying pan, a tandoor oven or a pot – even stewed! The cooking method depends on the type of meat. Usually, the soft cuts of lamb, sheep, veal, goat or beef are used for kebab dishes.
The cooking styles and ingredients of kebabs are contingent on the region; the three main cooking styles are grilled, oven-cooked, and pot-cooked. Some cities in Türkiye renowned for delicious kebabs are Gaziantep, Adana, Urfa, Hatay, Kastamonu, Erzurum and Bursa – but some of the most famous kebabs in Türkiye can also be found in other regions: Muğla’s çökertme kebabı; Trabzon’s döner kebabı; the acılı güveç of Aydın; tepsi kebab in Antakya and Nevşehir; and Balıkesir’s dağar kebab.
Popular kebabs by city in Türkiye
Gaziantep, renowned for its gastronomic heritage, offers a variety of delicious kebabs including tike kebab, sini köfte (meatballs), garlic kebab, and ayvalı tas kebab. In the back streets near the Bakırcılar Çarşısı and the Zeugma museum, there are wonderful restaurants serving some the tastiest kebabs in the world. For a day of feasting, book a flight to Gaziantep.
Adana kebab is considered by many to be among the most famous kebabs in Türkiye. The meat – usually lamb meat or lamb tail – is chopped with a knife similar to a cleaver. The trick is to mix the minced meat with oil, pepper paste, chili pepper and salt. The Adana kebab may very well blow your mind. You can sample the original by booking a flight to Adana. Liver kebab, külbastı and kanat kebab are some other great kebabs you’ll find in Adana; many of the best kebabs are served in the area surrounding Büyük Saat. If you want to dine on kebab with a beautiful view, then visit the kebab restaurants at Seyhan Baraj Lake.
Urfa kebab is less spicy than Adana kebab, and unique to Şanlıurfa. In Şanlıurfa, Urfa kebab is prepared from minced sheep meat. Book a flight to Şanlıurfa for a memorable dining experience as Şanlıurfa’s diverse kebab dishes can contain aubergines, poppy, frenkli, onions, liver, tike, tepsi, yoghurt and apple. These specialties of Turkish cuisine include aubergine kebab, haşhaş kebab, Frenk kebab, onion kebab, liver kebab, tepsi kebab and the yoghurt and apple kebab. To sample these great dishes, head to the restaurants surrounding Valilik Konağı and Samsat Square. If you plan on visiting Şanlıurfa during March or April, do try the seasonal keme kebab, made with keme mushrooms.
Döner kebab was first made 150 years ago in Kastamonu, but you can find this well-known dish just about anywhere in Türkiye. The spice-infused meat rotates on a spit over a wood fire, seasoned with plenty of herbs. Another delicious Kastamonu kebab is kuyu kebab – lamb meat cooked in a four-meter-deep coal pit. You can find the best kuyu kebabs at restaurants in Kastamonu’s Toprakköprü district. To dine on doner and kuyu kebabs at the source, book a flight to Kastamonu.
Bursa brought us the delicious Iskender kebab, another fine staple of Turkish cuisine. Lean cuts of sheep meat are fine sliced and skewered, placed on a spit and rotated over cinder fire. Iskender kebab is served on plain pide, then drizzled with butter and tomato paste. The first İskender kebab was made by İskender Efendi in 1867 and his eponymous restaurant in Bursa is now operated by his grandchildren. To feast on a beloved dish and one of the most popular kebabs in Turkish cuisine, just book a flight to Bursa.
One of the best dishes in Erzurum, cağ kebab is made from cured sheep meat. The meat is kneaded with onion and pepper, then skewered and cooked over a wood fire. You can find the best cağ kebabs in Erzurum at the Yenimahelle and Gürcukapı restaurants. To try cağ kebab and many other delicious foods, book a flight to Erzurum.
Hatay is a culinary delight, presenting a huge selection of delicious dishes. When it comes to kebabs, the must-try dishes are tepsi (sini) kebab, and kâğıt kebab. Tepsi kebab, a favorite dish for the Ramazan fast-breaking dinners, consists of mincemeat, onions, tomatoes, peppers and onion, grilled on a tray over a wood fire. The kâğıt kebab is cooked in an oily cooking sheet with meat, tomatoes, peppers, onions, potatoes and peas. Dine on tespi and kâğıt kebabs in Hatay – along İstiklal Street overlooking the Asi River, or at little restaurants in the Uzun Çarşı. Book a flight to Hatay and treat yourself to an incredible feast.
Discussions of Turkish cuisine always include kebabs! And the preparation methods for the kebab in Turkish cuisine are seemingly endless…
