Name: Keto Turkish shish kebab recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef; 1 large onion; 8 garlic cloves; 1 tbsp. hot pepper paste; 2 tbsp. tomato paste; White cheddar cheese; Half a tsp. black pepper; 1 1/2 tsp. thyme; 2 tsp. paprika; 2 tsp. cumin; Salt; 3 medium eggplants; 2 tbsp. olive oil; Salt to taste

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Baked and Keto Friendly Turkish Shish Kebab

Everyone knows how delicious Turkish cuisine is, with its spices and the way they complement meats; there’s not much else to say. Turkish cuisine is full of treasures: Lahmacun, Künefe, Baklava, Meatballs, Yaprak Sarmasi with olive oil (Stuffed Grape Leaves), Iskender kebab, Mantı…

There are hundreds of other flavors in addition to these, but one among them is almost legendary. Even without the title of this article, you probably could have guessed very quickly: Turkish Shish Kebab! We haven’t met anyone who hasn’t fallen in love with the flavor of a Turkish shish kebab.

Sure, we all love it, but what if we are following a ketogenic diet? Can we still consume it? The answer is, it depends! For those who ask how, let me explain.

Shish kebab dishes are very rich in presentation. They are served with special bread, Turkish-style pilafs, and many appetizers. Not all of these are keto-friendly, but there is a recipe to make an entirely keto-friendly shish kebab. You don’t even need a barbecue for it. In this article, we will talk about how we can make Turkish-style shish kebabs in the oven.

How Can You Bake Them?

Does this seem like it will be too much work? Let us share the recipe with you. That way, you’ll see how easy it is.

Yield: 4

Keto Turkish shish kebab recipe

All you need for this recipe is an oven, parchment paper, and the ingredients listed below. Don't forget to calculate your macros while measuring the ingredients.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

Shish Kebab

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion
8 garlic cloves
1 tbsp. hot pepper paste
2 tbsp. tomato paste
White cheddar cheese
Half a tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. cumin
Salt

For Baked Eggplant

3 medium eggplants
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt to taste

Instructions

First, mix the tomato and pepper paste in a bowl. Add black pepper, thyme, paprika, cumin, and salt, and combine well.
Then, add onion and garlic to the food processor and run the processor. Put them in a deep, large bowl. Add meat to it. Grate the cheddar and add it to the mixture.
Add the tomato paste mixture to the meat mixture and knead it together for at least 10 minutes.
After the kneading process is done, cover the meat with a piece of cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This "resting process" is important, as the meat that goes through a rest period in the refrigerator is always more delicious. The ideal time is 1 hour, but you can change it from 10 to 60 minutes, depending on your time. If you don’t have time, you can cook the meat without resting it.
Get your baking tray. Line it with parchment paper and start preheating your oven to 200 degrees Celsius. You should start preheating your oven at this stage, as it will take some time to shape the meat.
Take lime-sized pieces of meat and roll them. Then, take them in the palm of your hand and shape them to be slightly narrower than 1 inch and long. You don’t need to use skewers as they will be cooked in the oven.
Line up the tray by giving this shape until the meat is finished. You can cook in a controlled way as cooking times vary according to the oven. They are usually ready within 30 minutes.
Now, it’s true we use the top of the oven for our meat, but what do we bake in it? Eggplant, of course! Eggplants are an excellent idea for a protein dish. However, we recommend that you act according to your macros, as the carbohydrate value of eggplants is a little high.
Wash the eggplants, dry them well, and peel them striped. Cut the front and back parts off and cut other parts into rings. Put them in a deep bowl. Add olive oil and salt to the bowl and mix it all. Then, place them on another baking tray on which you have laid parchment paper.
Put them in the oven along with the kebab. You can change the location of the trays so that both sides are cooked equally by checking them occasionally.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 751Total Fat 40gSaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 21gCholesterol 158mgSodium 729mgCarbohydrates 49gFiber 12gSugar 19gProtein 53g

The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on the ingredients and cooking methods used in this recipe. Actual nutritional content may vary depending on the brands of ingredients and portion sizes. Please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist for precise dietary advice.

If you wish, you can put onion slices on the sides while the kebabs are baking. If you wish, you can also bake the onions with the eggplants.

If you stick to your macro calculations, you can bake tomatoes and peppers with them. After everything is baked well, take the kebabs and eggplants on your plate and enjoy.