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Tandir kebab with slow-roasted lamb and spiced butter
Tender, pull-apart lamb drizzled with spiced butter and served with fresh herbs.

Turkish tandir kebab

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses
The word 'tandır' originally refers to a clay oven dug into the ground where meat was roasted over embers for hours. This technique is the ancestor of 'low and slow' cooking: at low temperatures, the collagen in the meat breaks down into gelatine, making the lamb so tender it can be eaten with a spoon. We mimic this effect in a home oven by steaming and roasting in a covered pot.
🕒 Prep Time 20 mins
🍳 Cook Time 4 hrs
⌛ Total Time 4 hrs 20 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 980 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Turkish

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Large lidded casserole dish (cast iron or heatproof glass)
  • Sharp knife
  • Chopping board

Allergen Information

⚠️ Gluten
⚠️ Milk

Instructions

1 ✓

Cut the lamb into large, fist-sized pieces. Make a marinade: mix the olive oil, crushed garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Massage thoroughly into the meat.

Tip: Large pieces are important so the inside of the meat doesn't dry out during the long cooking time. Cutting across the grain helps tenderness.
2 ✓

Let the meat rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

Tip: During this time, the salt penetrates the meat structure (osmosis) and helps retain moisture during cooking.
3 ✓

Place the meat in a deep casserole dish. Pour the water or stock underneath and cover tightly with aluminium foil or the lid. Bake at 160°C for 3-4 hours.

Tip: Steam is created in the sealed dish which braises the meat, turning connective tissues into gelatinous juices without drying the meat out.
4 ✓

Remove the foil. The meat will be tender but pale. Add the chopped peppers and tomatoes alongside, and place knobs of butter on the meat. Increase the heat to 200°C and roast for 15-20 minutes.

Tip: The butter and high heat are responsible for the 'Maillard reaction', giving the meat surface a tasty browning and crispiness.
5 ✓

When the meat is roasted red and the vegetables are grilled, remove from the oven. Serve on warm flatbread, drizzled with the juices and garnished with fresh rosemary.

Tip: Let the meat rest for 10 minutes after roasting to allow the fibres to relax and the juices to redistribute.

Recipe FAQ

What can I substitute the lamb with?
Beef neck or shin are also good choices as they withstand and require long cooking.
Do I need fat underneath?
Lamb is usually fatty enough, but the butter at the end helps with browning and rounding out the flavours.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg Lamb (shoulder or leg)
  • 50 ml Olive oil
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tsp Ground cumin
  • 1 tsp Smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp Ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 200 ml Water or stock
  • 50 g Butter
  • 2 whole Tomatoes
  • 2 whole Peppers (green or pointed red)
  • 2 sprigs Fresh rosemary
  • 4 whole Flatbreads