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!!
Hi nagi!
In my opinion your recipe was so delicious.my family loves it and im going to make it for this weekend again for my grand ma.because yor recipe is her favourite!
I just tried this one today and OMG is it delicious! 🙂 definitely one of my favorite dishes ever. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Wahoo! N x
In the notes for tabbouleh you mentioned a car ripe tomato…is that a new method of growing tomatoes 😂
My son and I love your recipes…we challenge each other to be better cooks
Yep – just goes to show I’m only human and make errors too! Thanks for posting it out – I’ll fix it now. N x
Hello Nagi (and Dozer). We just made this Doner Kebab recipe, and it was amazing! Anything I’ve ever made that you’ve posted has been amazing, I’m a huge fan! Thank you!
You’re so welcome Ellen, thanks so much for the feedback 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi, I’m so excited to make this! Can you share what brand of metal skewers you like? The last ones I bought tarnished quickly.
Hi April,Try Nagi’s easy no yeast flatbread recipe as they are fantastic and so easy!I do then often.There’s a video you can watch that Nagi has done to help,The flatbread rolled with the doner chicken and some homemade garlic sauce tastes better than a takeaway!
Thanks so much Alex! N x
This recipe is absolutely amazing!I have made this a few times and have perfected it each time.i recommend a 24 hour marinade whilst turning meat into marinade 4-5 times to coat it thoroughly.I then BBQ them over hot coals until starting to blacken and char then cook them indirect with lid closed for about an hour.I use a meat thermometer to make sure I get it cooked perfectly,Also i make nagi’s easy no yeast flatbread recipe with these and its better than a takeaway keebab,You have to try this recipe,many thanks to nagi!
Oh my! Been craving a Kebab ever since lockdown started. Cooked this tonight and smitten, every box ticked. Daughter and myself happier than we’ve been for weeks. Washing it down with home brew beer…, suddenly life in lockdown is manageable. Thankyou Nagi!
YESSS!!! Love this Percy! N x
Dear Nagi, if I don’t have the metal squers, can I use the wooden ones? If not, what will be other option to make this dish? Thanks
My partner loves this recipe. He says its the best, beats the kebab he gets at the local cafe
Wahoo, that’s great Jenna! N x
This was amazing! I didn’t have a lot of pan juices because I trimmed most of the fat–truthfully, I dislike thighs–but this was great. I still had enough to baste them halfway through.
My husband thought the yogurt sauce was “too yogurty” so I added more EEVO, lemon juice, and added some “Feta & Herb Dipper” by Olivelle. It was fabulous.
I also made saffron rice and garlicky salty broccoli as a side. It went great with the meal. We ate the chicken in pitas, although we’d prefer flatbreads if we can find them.
This recipe is a keeper!
Would it work if I had to use chicken breast instead of thighs? Or do you think it would dry up? Thanks
I’ve just made these using chicken breast instead of thighs (all I had in on lockdown!). Absolutely stunning. Because I used breasts I made the chunks smaller and reduced the cooking time a little (you can tell when they’re ready by sight). They turned out perfect. So tasty, especially with a little homemade chilli sauce (recipe from the BBCGoodFood website). Will be using this recipe again, and again, and again…
I said I’d make this again and again…we’ve just finished eating it as a family again for about the 5th time in a couple of months. It really is a fantastic recipe. thank you so much again Nagi! We’ve been eating it with Pitta breads, salad and chilli sauce, but will have to try your homemade flatbread recipe next time.
Hi Brenda, this is the only suitable cut – I talk about this in the recipe notes 🙂 N x
I made this tonight. I knew it would be good from the list of ingredients. It was delicious! I made the yogurt sauce and the tabbouleh as you suggested. They just made the meal complete. I followed your recipe to the letter and it was perfect. It was really easy too.Another great one Nagi!!
WOOT! Sounds like you nailed it Kim! 🙌 N x
“That is the best kebab I’ve had in a long time” said my husband with wide eyes!! An absolute winner from ‘My Recipe Lady’ as you are called in our family!! Thank you.
Wahoo! Thats great to hear!!! N x
Wondering if it would work to use the same chicken cooking method shown here for the Chicken Gyros recipe? Love both!
I don’t see why not Sarah! Great idea! N x
Somehow I read this as Dozer Kebabs…..
Ba ha ha funniest typo I’ve done all year!!! He would be no good for kebabs. He might be well seasoned, but he’s just not meaty enough! 🤣
Made it for dinner, and it was super delicious! I am thinking of trying it in the air fryer. Do you have any idea what temperature should I go for and how long roughly would it take?
I haven’t tried to be honest Marwa! N x
Well, it worked!! I tried it yesterday in my Philips air fryer. I preheated the air fryer to 350F, threaded the chicken in air fryer skewers and cooked 2 at a time for 16-18 minutes at 350F. They turned out juicy and yummy. You are the best! Thank you for your awesome recipes!
This was amazing!!!!!!!!!! So flavorful. The only thing I did different was decrease my oven to 375 as I have both a bottom and top heating source with a fan as 390 was burning the chicken too much. But I wouldn’t change anything. You don’t even need bread or anything it’s good plain or maybe a side salad. But thank you for sharing!
Can I make this using your chicken shawarma flavors or can you suggest other flavor?
This was soooo good.
Thanks so much Jennifer!!
Made this last night and it is absolutely delicious! Whole family loved it, wanted more. Another gluten free option (check the yogurt) for my coeliac daughter. Many thanks
Perfect Steven!