Juicy Turkish-style kabobs without a grill. One batch beef and one batch chicken, both spiced with ras el hanout and smoked paprika, pressed onto a sheet pan and baked in about 20 minutes. Serve with lavash, sumac onions and rice.
Why this works
- Sheet-pan method: no skewers, no grill, and even cooking.
- Scoring the meat into kabob shapes before baking makes it easy to slice and serve.
- Beef and chicken, two ways, so everyone at the table has a favorite.
My tips
- Dice the peppers and onion small so the kabobs hold together.
- Don’t overmix the meat, or it gets tough.
- Check doneness with a thermometer: chicken to 165°F, beef to 160°F.
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The story behind it
Are you a fan of Middle Eastern food? These Turkish Kabobs are so flavorful and rustic.
Jump to RecipeAs is often the case for me in cooking, I make two varieties of the same dish. My wife thinks she only likes steak but not any other form of beef. She is, however, starting to venture beyond steak. But I always play to my audience when cooking. Biggest lesson I have learned and a good takeaway for any home cook. When doing this, the easiest way to not make too much more work for yourself, is to prepare the exact same dish simply using ground turkey or chicken.
I saw this recipe from REFIKA’S KITCHEN whom I found on YOUTUBE. I encourage you to search recipes on Youtube so you can see how the recipes are made. I typically have a recipe in mind or at least an ethnicity I want to make. So my searches are pretty specific. It makes finding different ethnic recipes really easy.
As you can see from the pictures below, the flavor is added to the ground meat before the shape of the kabob is created. I also was making these in the winter and chose to cook them in my oven. For an authentic kabob, one needs to cook over a charcoal grill. I certainly could have cooked these on my grill plate but the quantity I was making for all of our guests made that impractical.
The cast of characters.
Creating the kabobs.
The Easy Oven Baked Turkish Kabobs plated.
Make ahead & storage
- Mix the meat a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge.
- Cooked kabobs keep 3–4 days.
Variations
- Use ground lamb for a more traditional flavor.
- For char, finish them for 2 minutes under the broiler.
Questions people ask
What is ras el hanout?
A warm North African spice blend, usually with cumin, coriander, cinnamon and more.
What do you serve with Turkish kabobs?
Lavash, sumac red onions and parsley, marinated tomatoes, and rice.
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Made this? Leave a star rating in the recipe card below and tell me how it turned out in the comments. I read every one.
The Recipe
Easy Oven Baked Turkish Kabobs
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Lbs Ground beef
- 1 1/2 Lbs Ground chicken
- 3 Whole Red peppers, diced
- 2 Whole Jalapenos, diced
- 1 Whole Yellow onion, diced
- 6 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp Ras El Hanout
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Black pepper
- 1 Tbsp Smoked paprika
- 1 Bunch Parsley, rough chop
Instructions
- Begin by putting the beef and chicken in separate bowls. Divide the spices in half and add to the meat and mix well. Now add the vegetables, garlic and the parsley. Mix well.Take the meat mixture and spread out on a baking sheet. Take a knife and outline the meat to look like it is in kabob shapes. Place in a 350 degree oven and cook for 15 – 20 minutes. Serve with lavash, sumac red onions and parsley, marinated tomatoes and rice.Enjoy!
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