Turkish Doner Kebab Recipes

AUTHENTIC TURKISH DONER KEBAB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine flour, oregano, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Add ground lamb and thoroughly knead with the flour mixture until thoroughly mixed together, about 3 minutes.
• Shape the seasoned ground lamb and place into a loaf pan; set on top of a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven, turning the loaf halfway to ensure even browning, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• Wrap loaf in aluminum foil and let rest, about 10 minutes. Slice as thinly as possible to make the doner kebab pieces.

HOMEMADE DONER KEBAB

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb, egg, garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
• Place the mixture into an oiled 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and cook in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown.
• You can slice the loaf immediately if you like but, for best results, cool completely, wrap in aluminum foil, and refrigerate until firm.
• To reheat, add a little olive oil to a large skillet, slice the loaf very thinly and crisp up the slices in the hot pan for a few minutes.
• Assemble the sandwiches with pita, warmed and toasted through. Spread on some tzatziki or tahini sauce, add lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, and top with more sauce.
• Serve and enjoy.

DONER KEBAB

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip all the ingredients except the oil into a food processor with a large pinch of salt and lots of ground pepper. Pulse until everything is combined and chopped together. You can also just squish everything together in a bowl but this will give you a looser finish.
• Oil a large sheet of foil, tip the meat mix in the middle and mould to a very thick sausage, roughly the shape of an aubergine. Roll up the foil tightly, twisting up the ends to create a Christmas cracker shape.
• Lay on a shallow roasting tin and roast in the oven for 35-40 mins, turning occasionally, or until a digital cooking thermometer reads 75C when pierced in the middle. Leave the kebab to cool a little, then unwrap the foil. Place back on the tray and brown under the grill or with a blowtorch.
• Place on a board and carve into thin slices. For full doner mode, you can hold the kebab up with a roasting fork or metal skewer and carve. Serve with warm pitta bread and any of the other accompaniments, including our chilli sauce and garlic yogurt sauce.

BEST HOMEMADE DONER KEBAB WITH CHICKEN (TAVUK DöNER)

Steps:

• Make the marinade: In a large mixing bowl, add the yogurt, tomato paste, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, and spices. Mix well to combine.
• Season the chicken: Pat the chicken dry and season well with kosher salt and black pepper on each side.
• Marinate: Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to make sure each piece is well-coated with the marinade. If you have the time, I highly recommend you cover and refrigerate the chicken for 3 hours or up to overnight. Otherwise, allow the chicken to sit in the marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or so while you prepare the fixings/sides and heat up the grill (or your oven). (You'll get better results of you let the chicken marinate longer).
• Skewer the chicken: Divide the chicken thighs into two piles. Using a set of 2 to 3 metal skewers at a time, thread the first pile chicken thighs through, and push them snug against each other. (It helps to prop the skewers on the edges of a pan or a bowl. And if your chicken thighs are too large, you can fold them each in half and thread them through). Repeat with another set of 2 to 3 skewers to thread the second pile of chicken on.
• To cook on the grill: Heat the grill to 400 degrees F (for my grill, this would me medium-high heat). Arrange the kebabs on grates and close the grill. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes on one side until nicely charred, then turn over and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle (a total of 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken thighs).
• To cook in the oven: Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using a large pan with edges or walls, arrange the kebabs on top of the pan such that the metal skewers are resting on the edges (or walls of the pan) with some room between the chicken and the bottom of the pan. Put the pan on the middle rack of your heated oven. Roast for about 30 to 35 minutes until the surface is golden brown and charred in some parts. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully turn the skewers over, brush the top of chicken with the pan juices and return the pan to the oven for another 20 minutes (longer if you have larger pieces). You'll cook the kebabs in the oven for anywhere between 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
• Rest: Remove the chicken off the heat and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Carve or shave the chicken off the skewers: Prop the skewers upright on a slight angle. Using a sharp knife (held in your dominant hand), slice the meat thinly from top to bottom or however you're able to do it safely.
• Serve in pita wraps or plates. For more traditional doner kebabs, use a loaf of pita bread to wrap some of the chicken in, adding your sauce and sliced vegetables (or one of the salads listed above). Alternatively, you can serve kebab plates by arranging the chicken next to (or over) a bed of Middle Eastern rice with your salad and sauce to the side.