In Hatay, this kebab is also called sini kebabı or lahm-ı sini. The regional preparation uses meat and vegetables worked with a broad zırh knife, then spread in a thin layer for baking. This home version uses ground beef, hand-chopped vegetables and less added water to suit a shallow domestic baking tray; it does not require a wood-fired oven.
Hatay Tepsi Kebabı — Recipe Card
Turkish tray-baked minced beef with peppers and tomatoes
Makes 4 servings · Makes one 30 cm (12-inch) tray: four moderate portions, with salad and bread or pilaf served separately.US cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Hatay Tepsi Kebabı
Heat the oven and prepare the vegetables
Heat a conventional oven to 220°C (425°F), with a rack just above the middle. Set out a round metal baking tray about 30 cm (12 inches) across with a rim at least 3 cm (1¼ inches) high. Wash the vegetables and parsley, drain and pat dry. Prepare produce on a clean board before handling raw meat.
Chop the aromatics
Finely chop the sweet red pepper, hot red chili, green pepper intended for the filling, garlic and parsley into pieces about 2 mm across. Keep the topping vegetables separate; cut the onion wedges no thicker than about 5 mm (¼ inch). Do not blend the filling into a watery purée.
Mix the beef
Add the chopped aromatics to the cold beef with 4 g of the salt and all the black pepper. Mix for about 1 minute, just until evenly combined and lightly cohesive. Keep the mixture cool and wash hands, boards and utensils that have touched raw meat.
Coat the tray and spread the meat
Mix 8 g (½ tablespoon) of the tomato paste with 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of the water and spread over the tray base. Press in the meat mixture in an even layer about 1 cm (⅜ inch) thick. Lightly score serving wedges with a knife, without cutting through the tray.
Add the sauce and topping
Stir the remaining 24 g (1½ tablespoons) tomato paste, 120 ml (½ cup) water and 1 g salt together. Spoon evenly over the meat. Arrange the tomato wedges, halved topping peppers and thin onion wedges on top, leaving some meat exposed.
Bake and check the center
Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until the edges brown and the vegetables soften. Insert a thin food thermometer sideways into the thickest part of the meat without touching the metal, checking more than one spot: the beef must reach at least 71°C (160°F). Continue cooking if needed; cover loosely with foil if the top is browning too quickly.
Rest briefly and serve
Rest for 5 minutes, then cut along the scored lines and lift out portions with some of the tomato juices. Serve hot, with salad and bread or pilaf alongside if desired; these accompaniments are not included in the ingredient list.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-tray-kebab-hatay-tepsi-kebabi. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Heat level
Spicy: the base contains 20 g fresh hot red chili with seeds. Heat varies by pepper. For a mild version, replace all 20 g chili with sweet red pepper. For a hotter version, replace another 20 g of the sweet red pepper with hot red chili, keeping the total red pepper weight unchanged.
Choosing the meat
Beef with about 20% fat helps the thin layer stay juicy. For a beef-and-lamb version, use 300 g of each, with similar overall fat content; keep the same method and minimum 71°C (160°F) internal temperature.
Tray and texture
The broad, thin layer is part of this dish. A much smaller tray makes a thicker kebab and changes the cooking time. A little rendered fat and tomato juice around the edges is normal.
Dietary notes
The base contains no bread, egg or dairy. If avoiding gluten, check the tomato paste and ground pepper labels, and choose suitable accompaniments; ordinary bread contains gluten.
Measuring
Pepper weights are after removing stems and, for the sweet peppers, seeds. Metric weights are the most reliable guide; US volume measures use a 240 ml cup and 15 ml tablespoon.
How to store and reheat Hatay Tepsi Kebabı
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the room is above 32°C (90°F). Keep at 4°C (40°F) or colder and use within 3 days. Freeze portions at −18°C (0°F) for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat throughout to 74°C (165°F).
Hatay Tepsi Kebabı: questions and answers
Is this the same as individual köfte?
The meat is spread as one broad, thin layer in a tray rather than shaped into separate meatballs. Tepsi means tray; sini is another name used for the serving tray and this kebab.
Can I prepare it ahead?
Chop and refrigerate the vegetables separately from the raw beef for up to 12 hours. Mix and assemble shortly before baking. Keep raw ground beef at 4°C (40°F) or below and use within 1–2 days of purchase, or by its use-by date if sooner.
Why is my tray filling with liquid?
Puréeing the vegetables or using a tray that is too small can leave a deeper pool of juice. Chop by hand, use the specified tray size and keep the layer even. Some tomato juices and rendered fat are expected; do not mistake them for undercooking or use their color to judge meat safety.
