How to Make Iskender Kebab

Name: How to Make Iskender Kebab
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs lamb leg or beef sirloin, sliced thin against the grain; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon salt; 0.5 teaspoon black pepper; 3 cloves garlic, minced (divided); 4 pieces pide bread or thick pita, cut into 1 inch cubes; 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 cup crushed tomatoes; 0.5 teaspoon salt; 1 pinch sugar; 4 tablespoons butter, for finishing

Iskender kebab is thin sliced lamb or beef laid over toasted pide bread, covered in warm tomato sauce, sizzling browned butter, and garlic yogurt. It comes together in under an hour once the meat is marinated.

The dish is named after Iskender Efendi, a cook in Bursa credited with inventing it in the 1860s when he started serving vertically roasted meat over bread instead of on a skewer. Bursa still claims the dish, and most Turkish restaurants outside the city serve a home version rather than the true doner rotisserie style.

You do not need a vertical rotisserie to get the real flavor. A hot skillet, thin cut meat, and a properly hot pour of browned butter get you most of the way there.

Iskender kebab with sliced lamb, pide bread, tomato sauce, and garlic yogurt

What Actually Matters

The order and heat of assembly is what makes or breaks this dish. The tomato sauce needs to be hot enough to slightly warm the yogurt without curdling it, and the browned butter has to be poured over the meat while it is still foaming and sizzling, right at the table if you can manage it. Pour it early or let it cool first and you lose the crackle that defines the dish.

How to Make Iskender Kebab Recipe

Serves 4. Prep time: 40 minutes. Cook time: 20 minutes. Total time: 60 minutes.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs lamb leg or beef sirloin, sliced thin against the grain
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
0.5 teaspoon black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
4 pieces pide bread or thick pita, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup crushed tomatoes
0.5 teaspoon salt
1 pinch sugar
4 tablespoons butter, for finishing

Method

Toss the sliced meat with olive oil, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and 2 cloves of the minced garlic. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Stir the remaining clove of minced garlic and a pinch of salt into the yogurt. Set it aside at room temperature so it is not cold when plated.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the crushed tomatoes, 0.5 teaspoon salt, and the pinch of sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened, then keep it warm.
Heat a heavy skillet over high heat until it is very hot. Sear the meat in batches, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until browned outside and still juicy inside. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice thin if needed.
Toast the cubed pide in a dry pan or under a broiler until the edges crisp but the inside stays soft.
Layer the toasted bread on plates. Spoon warm tomato sauce over the bread, then lay the seared meat on top.
Melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in a small pan over medium high heat until it foams and turns light brown, about 2 minutes. Pour it sizzling over the meat immediately.
Spoon the garlic yogurt alongside or over one side of the plate and serve right away while the butter is still crackling.

Nutrition (Per Serving, Estimated)

Calories	Protein	Fat	Carbs
640	38g	36g	40g

These figures are calculated estimates from standard ingredient data, not lab verified nutrition facts.

Tips, Variations, and Storage

No pide on hand? A thick pocket pita toasted until crisp is a fair substitute, though it will not soak up the sauce quite the same way.

The tomato sauce keeps in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat it gently before assembling so it stays hot enough to warm the plate.

Iskender is meant to be eaten immediately. It does not hold or reheat well once assembled, since the bread turns soggy and the butter loses its crackle.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cut of meat is traditionally used for iskender kebab?

Traditionally it is thin sliced doner style lamb from a vertical rotisserie. At home, a hot skillet sear on lamb leg or beef sirloin gets you very close.