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Flavors · Şanlıurfa

Urfa patlıcanlı kebabı

Small meatballs of hand‑chopped lamb alternated with pieces of eggplant on a skewer, grilled over charcoal: Şanlıurfa eggplant kebab, served with grilled pepper, onion and bread.

Traditional dish from Şanlıurfa, Şanlıurfa

Also known as: Şanlıurfa patlıcanlı kebabı, balcanlı kebap, patlıcan kebabı, Urfa patlicanli kebabi

Updated October 2026

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Urfa patlıcanlı kebabı — Şanlıurfa, Turkey — Urfa patlıcanlı kebabı

Urfa patlıcanlı kebabı — Şanlıurfa, Turkey

In Şanlıurfa, the city of Göbekli Tepe and the lagoon of the sacred fish, the eggplant kebab is one of the dishes that the geographical indication record describes as among the most important of the local cuisine and known across the country. In the region it is also called "balcanlı kebap."

The meat is lamb of the İvesi breed, raised locally, with tail fat. It rests for a day and is then hand‑chopped with the "zırh," a wide knife with two handles, seasoned only with salt, no other spices. The eggplant is from Birecik, a district of Şanlıurfa on the banks of the Euphrates, which has little water and few seeds and has its own geographical registration.

On a square iron skewer 50 to 60 centimeters long, four pieces of eggplant are placed alternating with three meat balls. Each portion has two skewers. They are grilled for about 20 minutes over hardwood charcoal, turned on their sides, and then rest covered on a tray before serving. Before going to the table, they may be sprinkled with water or, in season, pomegranate juice.

The dish comes with Şanlıurfa fresh peppers grilled, sliced onion, bread (ev ekmeği or lavash) and ayran. The registration note recalls that the French traveler Jean‑Baptiste Tavernier, who passed through Urfa in 1644, praised the city's cuisine in his travel account.

Where it comes from

Şanlıurfa , Şanlıurfa
Dish of the cuisine of the city of Şanlıurfa, featuring İvesi lamb and Birecik eggplant.

Ingredients

İvesi lamb meat with tail fat, chopped with the zırh, and salt; Birecik eggplant; fresh Şanlıurfa peppers.

How it is eaten

The two skewers are served with grilled pepper, sliced onion and bread (ev ekmeği or lavash); you eat it by pulling meat and eggplant with the bread. Ayran accompanies it.

When it is eaten

All year round.

Your questions

Questions about Urfa patlıcanlı kebabı

What is the zırh used in Urfa kebab?

It is a wide knife with handles at both ends, used to hand‑chop the meat instead of grinding it in a machine. In the registered Şanlıurfa patlıcanlı kebabı, the lamb is chopped this way, seasoned only with salt.

Is the Urfa kebab spicy?

The meat of the patlıcanlı kebabı contains only salt. The pepper is served on the side, grilled whole, and each person eats as much as they like.

What is the difference between Urfa kebab and Adana kebab?

In Turkey, the term "Urfa kebabı" refers to the skewer of chopped meat without pepper, and "Adana kebabı" to the one that includes pepper. The Şanlıurfa patlıcanlı kebabı is a different dish: it alternates meat and eggplant on the skewer.

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