Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab recipe!!! Carve it up, just like it’s done at the neon-lit kebab shops, then use it to roll up your very own Doner Kebabs or make kebab plates. Marinated in a heady spice mix before roasting the oven or grilled on the BBQ, this is great food for gatherings.
Also, don’t miss Lamb and Beef Doner Kebab Meat – looks and tastes just like the real deal! (Albeit on a much smaller scale…)
Doner Kebab recipe
It’s practically an Aussie right of passage to do the post-pub midnight kebab run at some point in your life.
Usually at the tender age of 18 when we hit the legal drinking limit (*cough, cough, no mum, I never drank a drop before then*). Late night outs with uni friends, being booted out of pubs at closing, drawn like moths to the brightly lit kebab stores.
You can’t miss the giant rotisserie of meat that greets you when you walk into a Kebab store. Sometimes, it’s concerning to think about how long it’s been there, lazily rotating around, waiting for the next customer to wander in before being carved.
In kebab shops, they are giant – like the size of a punching bag.
For this homemade Doner Kebab recipe, we are going a little smaller.
Like – 2% of the size. 😂
What is Doner Kebab meat made of?
While the chicken kebab meat does actually look like meat, the lamb and beef kebab meats have a uniform texture that’s a dead giveaway that there’s plenty of non-real-food fillers in them!
As for seasonings / preservatives / additives…. who knows?? (She says, with an exaggerated shrug of her shoulders)
And therein lies the greatest upside of homemade doner kebabs:
You know exactly what’s in this.
So. This teeny homemade doner kebab scores big points in this field – you know this is made with all real ingredients!
Marinate, thread onto skewers, prop on edges of baking pan and bake.
Then carve up that meat, just like at the kebab shop!
Well, a teeny version of it.(Remember, for today, the rule is that size doesn’t matter!)
What’s the difference between Doner Kebab and Shawarma?
Shawarma and Doner Kebabs are prepared and used in similar ways (ie cooked on a vertical spit, shaved and served wrapped in flatbread) but they have different spice flavourings. Shawarma originates from the Middle East whereas Doner Kebabs originate from Turkey.
What to use Doner Kebab meat for
The two main uses are Doner Kebab Rolls and Doner Kebab plates. However, the meat is also used in Pide, Gozleme and even on pizza – I love them all! 😂
To make Doner Kebab Rolls, lebanese flat bread is smeared with Hummus then topped with Tabbouleh (recipe in notes), shredded lettuce, tomato slices, optional onion then a big pile of the done kebab meat drizzled with sauce of choice (I always go chilli).
Rolled up tightly, wrapped in foil then sometimes toasted to make the bread crisp before slotting it into a paper sleeve (like pictured below).
Kebab Plates are a great alternative for something a bit different. I love the variety you get on the plates. It comes with Hummus, Tabbouleh (recipe in notes), tomato, lettuce, Mejadra (Middle Eastern Spiced Lentil Rice that’s so tasty, you can eat it plain) OR Curried Basmati Rice, and Lebanese Bread (aka pita bread). This is pretty much the standard selection that comes on Kebab plates.
Kebab plates are also a good option for a low carb meal – skip the rice and bread, go heavy on the fresh veg.
Whether you make Doner Kebab rolls or plates, both are equally delicious because of the meat! it’s loaded with flavour, juicy with caramelised edges. Just like from the kebab shop! – Nagi x
Doner Kebab recipe
Watch how to make it
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Doner Kebab recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2 lb chicken thighs , skinless and boneless (Note 1)
- Olive oil , for drizzling
Marinade:
- 1 cup plain yoghurt , unsweetened (I use Greek)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper , optional
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For Serving (choose):
Instructions
- Mix Marinade in a large bowl. Add chicken and mix to coat well.
- Cover and marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours, 24 hours is ideal. If only 3 hours, add an extra 1/2 tsp salt.
- Preheat oven to 220C / 430F (standard) or 200C / 390F (fan / convection).
- Choose a pan of a size such that the skewers will stay propped up on the pan walls (see photos in post or video) and the chicken will be elevated off the base. Line with foil.
- Remove chicken from fridge. Divide the chicken into 2 piles.
- Take one piece of chicken, fold in half then thread onto two skewers (see video). Repeat and push the chicken snugly up against each other. Repeat with other skewer.
- Prop the 2 skewers on the edges of the baking pan. Drizzle surface with oil.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the surface is golden with some charred bits (char is good!).
- Spoon the pan juices over the chicken. Then turn, drizzle with oil and bake for 20 minutes (or 25 - 30 minutes if you had large thighs). If you need / want more colour, switch to grill/broil for a few minutes on high - I don't do this.
- Baste again with pan juices and stand for 5 minutes.
- Carving: Stand the skewers upright or on an angle, and slice meat fairly thinly. Use to make Doner Kebabs or Kebab Plates.
Doner Kebabs:
- Place a lebanese bread (or pita bread or other flatbread) on a piece of foil. Spread with a generous dollop of Hummus (or yoghurt - Note 2). Top with shredded lettuce, slices of tomato, Tabbouleh (for a truly authentic experience! Note 3), cheese (I usually go this) and Chicken. Drizzle with chilli sauce if desired (I use Sriracha, it's perfect).
- Roll up tightly and wrap in foil. Consume and be happy!
Kebab Plates:
- Serve chicken with Mejadra (Middle Eastern Spiced Rice with Lentils), shredded lettuce, tomatoes, slices of red onion, tabbouleh, dollop of hummus. Optional to serve flatbread / lebanese bread on the side.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
At the local markets – no dogs allow inside so Dozer gets ditched in the Dog Parking Area!!
I love all your recipe. I tried your Butter Chicken and it’s a hit in our family. Will try other recipe too. Thank you so much for sharing.
Hey Nagi, really want to make this recipe, my husband loves doner kebabs but i think kebab shop ones are too greasy 😅, however tomato paste is too acidic for him! – can we substitute with something else or just leave it out? Thx in advance 😘
Hi Em, you really need the tomato paste here for the flavour – ou could possibly sub with ajvar for a similar flavour though. N x
Thankyou, I think we might risk the tomato paste then!
Yet another hit Nagi. Perfect! It amazed me the way it cut just like the pros do it. I was asked for the same treat tomorrow night 😇
Omg! This was delicious! Felt like I had just bought it from the local kebab van. My partner said we need to make them weekly! Next time I’m gonna try to beef doner as well and maybe even make a snack pack with the chicken and beef!
Just one request – will you be able to create a recipe for the garlic sauce that the kebab vans use? Then it would be truly authentic fake away for us 😍
Either way – it was incredible and I’ve been impressed with every single one of your recipes I’ve made so far. I now do my weekly meal planning off your website lol
Toum! I love tour – one to add to the list Teskana! N x
Made this last week my husband said best most juiciest chicken I’ve ever made
…and I
Must say it
Was mighty delicious . Making it again next week YUM! My 2 ur old dAuhhter also
Loved it
Made this last night the chicken was so succulent so a big thank you to you Nagi
Why the yoghurt not buttermilk?
Even better than I was expecting!! This meat was excellent and I’d consider it a good “for company” meal because you can take care of most prep ahead of time (and it’s absolutely delicious). This will probably be a regular menu item at our house 🙂 Followed the recipe exactly.
You search for a craving, and there’s always a Nagi recipe! First shot at your doner kebab was so great last week, we’re getting an encore tonight. Thank you!
This was ridiculously good! I actually love everything from your website Nagi. You’re a legend!
Amazing recipe just finished eating it. I made a few changes I used chicken breast and cooked it rotisserie style in an air fryer perfect char tender juicy and lots of flavor. I tried it with pita and Mexican flour tortillas and both are good since I could not find the Lebanese bread.
Will definitely be making again. Awesome recipe.
Stumbled across this recipe, and while I’d never heard of Doner Kebab, thought I’d try it. Oh my! So good! Halved the recipe, used yogurt sauce and a drizzle of tahini in place of hummus, tabbouleh…nom nom nom! Next time, I will not trim off as much fat for more pan juices, and make the hummus. Yummy!
Great recipe for Chicken Doner Kebab. will try for sure. I also like this recipe with some marinade of yogurt with paprika, cumin, a little cinnamon, chili flakes, garlic, lemon, and kokumi seasoning.
https://www.ajinomoto.com/innovation/action/kokumi-substances
This is gorgeous
Can you freeze the chicken pieces once cooked? If so,how would you reheat?
Sure can Claire, to reheat, I would thaw and then microwave covered until hot. N x
Thankyou!
So,cook as normal, wait until cold ,then freeze and heat in microwave.
This recipe was outstandingly good. Super tasty chicken. I used chicken breast sliced in half length ways. Marinated for approx 4 hours and cooked it in my airfryer (on the skewers over an oven dish) and it was great…I got some excellent charring.
Is this you playcentre girl?!
Read your FB post and thought if you say it’s good, it’s gotta be worth a try 🙂 X
Hi Nagi, I love your recipes, and I will be trying this one soon.
Would the recipe work for another meat like beef or lamb?
Made these yesterday for dinner! I used large chicken thighs, so cut them then folded before skewering. My skewers are very long so i had to place them in my dish the other way.
My family was wowed by this, though it’s so simple!
Served with salad, sauces and your flatbread!
Will make again! Thank you!
As a Turk, I second this wholeheartedly.
The spice combo makes it veryclose to the real charred thing, and super easy to make.
Made these for dinner tonight. Marinated them yesterday so all I had to do was chop salad, cook chicken and assemble.
So easy and so yummy! We all ate far more than we should.
Definitely make again
Oh, holy wow. That was so good. I halved the recipe because I was just cooking for myself, but I tell you, I wasn’t sure there be enough chicken left for the doner, I was so busy shovelling it into my face as I sliced it off the skewer. (Living alone does have its advantages.)
So yummy. I’ll definitely be making this again soon.