Turkish Grilled Offal Sandwich (Kokoreç)
Kokoreç Say it: koh-koh-RECH
Kokoreç is a beloved Turkish street food from Istanbul and beyond, made by wrapping seasoned lamb offal—sweetbreads, liver, and heart—in cleaned lamb intestines and grilling it over charcoal. The roll is then chopped and sizzled with tomatoes and green peppers, so the texture is crisp outside, tender within, and smoky, spicy, and tangy. It is traditionally stuffed into half a crusty loaf or served on a plate, late at night or as a hearty lunch, with lemon and ayran alongside.
Turkish Grilled Offal Sandwich (Kokoreç)
Kokoreç
Pronounced koh-koh-RECH
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Level
- Advanced
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains gluten. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the kokoreç
For serving
Method
Ask the butcher to clean the lamb intestines; at home, rinse them under cold running water and soak in cold water for 20 minutes. Soak the sweetbreads in cold water for 20 minutes, then drain and trim away membranes; pat everything dry.
Cut the sweetbreads, liver, and heart into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. In a bowl, toss them with the salt, black pepper, oregano, cumin, and pul biber until evenly coated.
Thread the offal onto 4 metal skewers, packing the pieces close together. Wrap the cleaned intestines tightly around each skewer in overlapping layers to make a compact roll, then tie with kitchen twine at both ends and in the middle. If using caul fat, wrap it around the skewered offal and secure the same way.
Heat a charcoal grill or grill pan to medium-high (about 400°F/200°C). Grill the rolls, turning every 3 to 4 minutes, until the intestines are browned and crisp and the offal is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Remove the twine and chop the grilled rolls into small, bite-size pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or flat griddle over high heat and add the chopped kokoreç, tomatoes, and green peppers.
Cook, stirring and pressing the mixture with a spatula, until the tomatoes soften and the edges of the meat crisp again, 5 to 7 minutes; the mixture should sizzle and smell smoky.
Toast the split bread rolls cut-side down in the same skillet for 1 minute, until lightly golden. Fill each roll with the hot kokoreç mixture and scatter with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.
Regional variants
Some cooks add chopped onion or a spoonful of tomato paste at the griddle; serving the chopped kokoreç on a plate instead of in bread is also common.
Cook's notes
- Buy pre-cleaned lamb intestines from a trusted butcher; they are the traditional wrapper and give kokoreç its crisp, snappy exterior. Caul fat is an easier substitute but softer.
- Grill over charcoal if possible; the smoke is part of the flavor. A grill pan works, but do not crowd it.
- Chop the grilled roll small so the tomatoes and peppers mix through and the filling sits neatly in the bread.
Serve with
Lemon wedges, fresh parsley, and ayran or şalgam.
Make ahead and storage
Cook and chop the kokoreç up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate, then reheat in a hot skillet and fill the bread just before serving.
