Beyti Kebab (Wrapped Kebab with Tomato Sauce & Yogurt)
بیتی کباب (روٹی میں لپٹا کباب، ٹماٹر کی ساس اور دہی کے ساتھ)
Beyti is the kebab Istanbul restaurants serve when they want to impress. Juicy, garlicky mince kebabs are rolled tightly in thin lavaş bread, cut into thick rounds, then baked in a buttery tomato sauce and served on a bed of garlic yogurt. Every bite has crisp bread, soft meat, sharp tomato and cool yogurt. It's named after Beyti Güler, whose Istanbul restaurant made it famous in the twentieth century.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr
- Prep: 30 min
- Cook: 30 min
- Medium
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Knead the mince with the garlic, squeezed onion, pul biber, cumin, salt and pepper for 3–4 minutes, until sticky. Chill for 30 minutes.
Divide into 4 and shape long kebabs on flat skewers with wet hands. Grill over hot coals, or under a hot oven grill, for 8–10 minutes, turning, until browned and just cooked.
Slide each kebab off its skewer onto a flatbread and roll up tightly. Cut each roll into 4–5 thick rounds and stand them in a baking dish.
Melt the butter with the tomato paste and hot water, simmer for a minute, and spoon over the rolls. Bake at 200°C for 10 minutes until the bread edges crisp.
Spread the garlic yogurt on a platter, arrange the hot rounds on top, spoon over any sauce and scatter with parsley.
Kitchen notes
Mince with some fat is essential. Lean mince gives dry kebabs that crack when rolled.
No skewers? Shape the mince into long logs and cook them on a hot griddle or under the grill.
Use thin bread. Thick pita or naan makes the rolls bready and hard to cut.
A restaurant classic
Beyti kebab is newer than most Turkish kebabs. It’s associated with Beyti Güler, a restaurateur whose Istanbul restaurant, opened in the mid-twentieth century, became famous for its meat dishes. The wrapped, sliced, sauced version that’s now served across Turkey grew out of those kitchens.
Why it works
The idea is simple but clever. Wrapping a grilled kebab in thin bread holds in its juices, and baking the slices in butter and tomato makes the outside of the bread crisp while the inside soaks up the sauce. The cool garlic yogurt underneath balances the richness. It’s one dish that brings together every part of a kebab plate.
Bread and mince
Thin bread is the key. Turkish lavaş is ideal; large flour tortillas are an easy substitute in Europe and North America, and thin rumali roti works in South Asia. For the meat, lamb is traditional, but a mix of beef and lamb, or beef alone, works well as long as there’s some fat.
Serving
Serve straight from the oven with grilled tomatoes and green peppers, a sharp onion and sumac salad, cacık or extra yogurt, and ayran.
Questions people ask
Can I use chicken mince?
Yes. Chicken beyti is common in Turkey. Add a tablespoon of butter or oil to the mince so it stays juicy.
How is it different from Adana kebab?
Beyti is milder, with more garlic and less chilli, and it's served wrapped and sauced. Adana kebab is hotter and served plain on bread.
Can I prepare it ahead?
Shape the kebabs up to a day ahead and keep them chilled. Grill, roll and bake just before serving.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 640
- Protein
- 36 g
- Fat
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
