Red meat

Ankara Tava (Ankara-Style Baked Lamb and Rice)

Name: Ankara Tava (Ankara-Style Baked Lamb and Rice)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 6 kişilik
Ingredients: 800 gram cubed lamb neck or shoulder; 350 gram Baldo rice; 100 gram butter; 200 gram yellow onion; 1500 ml water; 15 gram salt; 3 gram black pepper

4.3 3 reviews 0 views

Serving6 servings

Prep + Cooking 30 min + 90 min

DifficultyMedium

Cooking Temperature200°C oven

Red meat

Cuisine

Turkish cuisine

Features

High-protein Premium (₺₺₺)

Aysun TunçPremier Commis

20 August 2026 Last updated: 20 August 2026

In this Ankara-style dish, the rice is not cooked separately. It is spread beneath the boiled lamb and baked in the meat broth. The rice is not sautéed in butter; it cooks directly in the broth. The lamb browns on top while the rice softens below, bringing two textures together in one pan.

Ankara Tava (Ankara-Style Baked Lamb and Rice)

6 servings 30 min + 90 min Medium 200°C oven

Step by Step

How to make it?

Simmer the lamb

50 min

Put the cubed lamb in a pot with cold water and a whole onion. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, then simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, until the meat separates into strands. Strain the lamb and measure the broth; you should have 700 ml. Add hot water if needed.

Prepare the rice

8 min

Drain the soaked, rinsed rice and mix in half the salt.

Arrange in the baking dish

10 min

Spread the rice evenly in a greased deep baking dish and arrange the drained lamb in a single layer on top. Do not bury the meat in the rice; it should remain on top so it can brown.

Add the broth

5 min

Pour the measured hot broth, remaining salt and black pepper along the edge of the dish. Drizzle the melted butter over the lamb.

Bake

45 min

Cover the dish with foil and bake in an oven preheated to 200°C / 390°F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more to brown the top. The rice should have absorbed all the broth and the lamb on top should be browned. The dish is ready when a grain of rice can be crushed between your fingers.

Reminder

Soak the rice in warm salted water for 20 minutes, rinse until the water runs clear, and let the pan rest covered for 15 minutes after baking. Rice that has not rested will be wet on the outside and firm inside. Allergens: contains milk and dairy products. Check packaged ingredient labels for other allergens.

Nutritional Values · 1 serving

Values are estimates

526 kcalCalories

29 gProtein

44 gCarbohydrate

26 gFat

1.5 gFiber

2 gSugar

900 mgSodium

13 gSaturated Fat

Protein 22% Carbohydrate 33% Fat 44%

Reviews

Comments (0)

4.3 3 reviews 67% recommend it 3 rated without leaving a comment

5 2

4 0

3 1

2 0

1 0

Log in to comment

You need to sign in to your DadaGastro account to rate this recipe, share your experience, and join the comments. Reading comments is free.

No one has commented on this recipe yet. Write the first comment.

Ingredients

7 ingredients · 6 servings for

6 servingsServing

For the dish
800 g cubed lamb neck or shoulder

What can I use instead?
cubed beef — leaner; increase the simmering time by 20 minutes
350 g Baldo rice

What can I use instead?
Osmancık rice — softer, thinner grains; reduce the liquid by 100 ml
100 g butter

What can I use instead?
clarified butter — withstands higher heat and adds a more fragrant aroma to the dish
200 g yellow onion
1500 ml water
15 g salt
3 g black pepper