Beyti Kebab
Spiced ground lamb wrapped in thin crepes, topped with tangy tomato sauce and cooling yogurt. A stunning Turkish street-food classic that looks restaurant-worthy but cooks in under 45 minutes.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 620
- Protein
- 42g
Ingredients
- ¾ lb ground lamb
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 clove garlic cloves
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 can (14.5 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 4 piece thin crepes or Turkish lavash flatbread
Instructions
- 1
Peel the onion, cut it in half from root to tip, then place each half flat-side down and slice crosswise into thin half-rings about the thickness of a coin.
- 2
Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about pencil-tip dots.
- 3
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 4
Add the ground lamb and break it apart with a wooden spoon into pieces smaller than a walnut, stirring constantly until no pink remains and the meat looks crumbly and light brown, about 5 minutes.
- 5
Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring once every 30 seconds, until the onion softens and turns translucent at the edges, about 4 minutes.
- 6
Add the minced garlic, cumin, and cinnamon, and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the mixture smells strongly fragrant—this blooms the spices so they taste deeper.
- 7
Pour in the crushed tomatoes with their juices and stir to combine everything evenly, breaking up any lumps with the spoon.
- 8
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring once every minute, until the sauce thickens to the consistency of pasta sauce and no liquid pools on the surface when you push the mixture to the side, about 8 minutes.
- 9
Warm the crepes or lavash in the dry skillet over medium heat for 15 seconds on each side, just until they are pliable and warm—do not let them crisp.
- 10
Place one warm crepe on a plate, spoon one-quarter of the lamb mixture down the center in a 2-inch-wide stripe, then roll the crepe tightly around the filling like a burrito.
- 11
Repeat with the remaining crepes and lamb filling, placing each rolled kebab seam-side down on the plate.
- 12
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of yogurt in a thin zigzag across the top of each kebab.
- 13
Sprinkle the remaining yogurt around the base of the kebabs on the plate if desired.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch skillet
- wooden spoon
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- measuring spoons
- can opener
- small spoon or spreader
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