Chicken Adana

Chicken Adana is a delicious kebab that is perfect for grilling season! Ground chicken is flavored with herbs and spices and then grilled until charred on the outside and juicy within.

These Turkish-style kebabs are easy to make, and they can be made in advance, perfect for a backyard party. The recipe is so easy to double or even triple!

Cook these outside on your outdoor grill or bring them inside and cook them in a skillet or griddle pan. Add a salad and some flatbread, and you have an easy summer dinner.

What is Chicken Adana?

Adana Kebabs are long minced meat kebabs that originated in the city of Adana in Turkey. They are one of the most popular kebabs in Turkey and are usually grilled outside over hot coals. 

Traditionally they are made with lamb hand-cut to a ground meat consistency. But beef or chicken can be used. 

Chicken Adana is ground chicken mixed with Turkish spices and then molded onto a skewer before being grilled. They are very flavorful!

Kebab sticks

Traditionally Adana Kebabs are molded onto flat metal skewers; you can find them easily on Amazon or eBay. But I usually use the more common round wooden ones. Or you could also use the round metal kebab sticks.

The meat will cook quicker with metal kebab sticks as the metal gets hot and cooks the kebabs from the inside.

If using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes to help stop them from burning on the grill.

How to cook Chicken Adana

Ingredients Notes

• Ground Chicken: Traditionally, the meat is hand-cut, but ground meat makes an easy alternative. 
• Sumac: This is a tangy spice used commonly in Turkish cuisine. 
• Red chili flakes: These add heat to chicken adana kebabs, but you can leave them out if you like. Or increase the amount if you want it spicy.
• Parsley: Use fresh parsley for a traditional taste.
• Capsicum: Use red capsicum to give your kebabs a sweet, smoky taste.

Recipe Tips

• Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes in cold water to stop them from burning.
• Wet your hand before you start to handle the meat. It helps to stop the meat from sticking to your hands. And keep a small bowl of water nearby to keep wetting your hands as you form all of the kebabs.
• To form the chicken adana, take a handful of the meat mixture, form a ball with it, and then use your hands to pull it into a sausage shape; push the kebab stick through and then use your hands to spread the mixture out to an even thickness.

How to serve Chicken Adana

What to drink with Chicken Adana

Although these are made with chicken, the spices can take a big bold red like a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentinian Malbec, or an Australian Shiraz.

An oaked chardonnay could work for white wine lovers, but I love it with a heavily chilled Riesling.

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4.96 from 21 votes

Chicken Adana

Chicken Adana is a delicious kebab that is perfect for grilling season! Ground chicken is flavored with herbs and spices and then grilled until charred on the outside and juicy within. These Turkish-style kebabs are easy to make, and they can be made in advance, perfect for a backyard party. Cook these outside on your outdoor grill or bring them inside and cook them in a skillet or griddle pan. Add a salad and some flatbread, and you have an easy summer dinner.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: Turkish

Servings: 4

Calories: 211kcal

Author: Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts

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Ingredients

US Customary - Grams

• ½ red capsicum - roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley - roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground sumac - see note 1
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes - see note 2
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions

• Place the chopped capsicum, parsley, tomato paste, and olive oil in a mini food processor and blitz to a paste. If you don't have one, then you can grate the capsicum.

  ½ red capsicum (roughly chopped)
  2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley (roughly chopped)
  2 tablespoon tomato paste
  1 tablespoon olive oil
  
  
• Place the ground chicken in a bowl and tip in the capsicum mixture.

  1 pound/450g ground/minced chicken
  
  
• Add in all the herbs and spices.

  2 teaspoons paprika
  1 teaspoon salt
  1 teaspoon ground cumin
  1 teaspoon ground coriander
  1 teaspoon sumac
  1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  
  
• Use your hands to combine the chicken and capsicum mixture thoroughly.
• Using wet hands, take a handful of the chicken mixture, form a ball with it, and then use your hands to pull it into a sausage shape; push the kebab stick through and then use your hands to spread the mixture out to an even thickness. (- see note 3)
• Cook the kebabs on the grill or in a heavy-based skillet or griddle. They will need about 4-5 minutes on each side.

Notes

1. Sumac is a tangy spice used commonly in Turkish cuisine.
2. Red chili flakes add a little heat to chicken adana kebabs, but you can leave them out. Or increase the amount if you want it spicy.
3. If you are using the traditional flat metal kebab sticks, form the mixture around the skewer rather than trying to push it through.

Nutrition

Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 720mg | Potassium: 766mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1579IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg

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