Homemade Doner Kebab Recipe
🥙 Homemade Doner Kebab Recipe – Make It Fresh in Your Own Kitchen
Craving a juicy, flavorful doner kebab but don’t have a rotisserie at home? Fortunately, you don’t need one. You can easily make a delicious homemade doner kebab using simple ingredients like ground beef, thinly sliced steak, and a blend of warm spices. Whether you’re a fan of Turkish cuisine or just looking for a new dinner idea, this recipe brings authentic flavor to your kitchen—no special equipment required.
Why You’ll Love This Doner Kebab
First of all, it’s incredibly easy to prepare. You simply marinate the sliced meat, season the ground beef, and layer them together. After that, you freeze the mixture to help it firm up for perfect slicing.
In addition, this method gives you both the tenderness of sliced meat and the juiciness of seasoned minced beef. As a result, each bite is packed with flavor and texture—just like what you’d get from a proper street food stand.
What Makes This Doner Kebab Special?
Unlike traditional rotisserie kebab, which requires vertical roasting, this version is designed for the home cook. Instead of using a spit, you build layers of marinated meat and ground beef, roll it into shape, and freeze it before cooking.
Moreover, the recipe is freezer-friendly, so you can prepare a big batch and slice off what you need throughout the week. This not only saves time, but also makes meal planning easier.
Additionally, it’s fully customizable. Want it spicier? Add chili flakes. Prefer chicken over beef? Swap the meat. In other words, it’s your döner—your way.
How to Serve Homemade Doner Kebab
There are many delicious ways to enjoy your homemade doner kebab:
- Wrap it in pita or lavash with tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, and garlic yogurt sauce
- Serve it over buttered rice with grilled peppers and onions
- Use it in a salad bowl with tahini dressing for a lighter option
- Turn it into Iskender kebab with tomato sauce and crispy bread, topped with melted butter
No matter how you serve it, this dish is always satisfying.
Perfect For:
- Fans of Turkish kebab recipes
- Anyone looking for a doner kebab recipe without rotisserie
- Families wanting to cook once and eat twice
- People searching for ground beef dinner ideas with bold flavor
Final Thoughts
To sum up, making doner at home is much easier than it sounds. With just a few ingredients and a bit of prep, you can enjoy a restaurant-style meal from the comfort of your kitchen. So, if you’re ready to try something new and delicious, give this homemade doner kebab recipe a go. You won’t be disappointed.
Homemade Doner Kebab Recipe
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
- plastic wrap
Ingredients
For the Ground Beef Layer
- 300 g ground beef preferably with some fat
- 1 onion grated and juice squeezed out
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp yogurt
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp red pepper paste
- 1 tsp ground red pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Marinated Meat Slices
- 300 g beef steak or tenderloin thinly sliced and pounded
- 2 tbsp yogurt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Salt, black pepper, dried thyme
Instructions
Marinate the Sliced Meat
- In a bowl, combine yogurt, tomato paste, olive oil, garlic, and spices. Add the thin meat slices, coat well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight for more flavor).
Prepare the Ground Beef Mixture
- In another bowl, mix all ground beef ingredients thoroughly until the mixture holds together and is well combined.
Layering the Doner
- On a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper, alternate layers of marinated meat and seasoned ground beef. Gently press each layer to stick together.
Shape and Freeze
- Roll the layered meat tightly using the wrap, shaping it into a log. Freeze for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) until firm—this helps with slicing thinly.
Cooking the Doner
- Take the doner log out of the freezer, slice it thinly with a sharp knife. You can:Fry the slices in a lightly oiled pan until browned orBake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for about 20–25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
