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!!
Nagi the skewers I have aren’t long enough sit on top of any oven dish I have, wondering if using bamboo skewers would work. If I soaked then in water first?
Hi Sue! I am not sure if bamboo skewers will last for the cook time required in this recipe. To be honest, it might just be easiest to bake them spread out for about 25 minutes on a super high temp to try to get a nice browning on them – or pan fry them. Then slice them up and use per recipe. To be honest, once all sliced up, it won’t look any different and in fact, you get more browned surfaces which adds flavour. I do it on skewers in the spirit of a doner kebab!!
Just done it this way for our super. It was DELICIOUS! We will definitely be making again.
The oven tray on 200C (fan) for 25 minutes cooked the thighs through so they were still juicy, with some crispy bits on top. That said, the bottom ended up cooking in a puddle as a lot of liquid came from the marinade. Next time I shall line a grill tray with foil and cook on that to elevate and attempt a more all round crisp.
TL;dr: you can totally do this without skewers in a hot oven on a baking tray. Still delicious.
Yes those crispy bits are to die for, thats why I like to elevate them and get the most I can!
Nagi thank you so much for your quick reply. I just went to the shops and neither Coles nor Kmart had any metal skewers ( came home quite grumpy 🙂 ) Might pan fry in my cast iron skillet should get plenty of charring then 🙂 Thanks again, hope you are having a wonderful time in Vietnam x
It is incredible!!! I’ve been wanting to come here for years and years 🙂 PS I think I got mine from Kmart!
What can I used instead of onion pd as I cannot find it here
Hello,
I see in the recipe it says to only add 1/2tsp of salt if only marinading for 3 hours. How much salt would you add if 5-7 hours? would you still suggest only 1/2 tsp?
It said to add an additional 1/2 tsp.😀🇺🇸
Just made this dish and can i just say WOW!!!! Such a great balance of flavors, the chicken came out nice and moist, I got that beautiful slight char on top…. I used the mint dressing recipe instead of doing the yoghurt sauce, and it was amazing on there!!!
amazing!
This looks delicious! I want to make it for my family, but I have a question about the nutrition facts. It says that its 75% cholesterol, do you know what ingredients contribute to that? I want to try to maybe reduce it somehow. Thank you!
Hi Diana! Hmm, I will relook at that, it sounds off. It would include all the marinade, even though who-knows-how-much actually ends up in and on the chicken 🙂
Thanks so much Nagi! Can’t wait to try this! I’m so glad I found your website, it has so many recipes that make me excited to cook again! 🙂
So one of my local kebab shops has something better than a kebab: the baked potato kebab. I’ll share how I have used this delicious meat recipe to recreate the wonderful baked potato kebab:
I made up the meat and marinated overnight.
I didn’t quite have a suitable tin to elevate the skewered chicken as described, so when I took my little skeweres out, I sliced them with my electric knife and popped the sliced pieces under the grill and this gave them the charred bits.
In the mean time, I baked the potatoes in the oven then split them and put a 3 cheese mix on to melt in.
I served mine with lettuce, tomato, onion and aoili. The kebab shop also does tabbouleh and carrot and the usual extra options and various sauces.
Many thanks for this lovely recipe for the chicken!
OMG YUM!!!! Baked Potato Kebab for the WIN!!!
OMG the BOMB ,loved loved the best, I personally do not like or eat lamb, but my husband loves lamb and I do cook lamb for him and guests , and has asked is there a lamb version
thanks for sharing even had leftovers for breakfast, get me through the day till dinner
That’s terrific Carol! I’m so glad you enjoyed this one – thanks for letting me know! N x
This chicken kebab has turned has made my 4yr old even request it for dinner and he rarely gets excited about anything except sausages!!
I tried them with your flatbread recipe last night and both a winner – even my 13month old cleared his plate!
Thanks Nagi am going to try your fish tacos next!
That’s terrific Sonal! I’m so glad you enjoyed this one – thanks for letting me know! N x
Great taste but no char for me. How come?
Should there be sugar in the recipe that was omitted?
Nagi-
We are doing Keto in our house so when I made this tonight I did only the chicken thighs with the marinade and baked as directed. I made a tzatzki sauce that went really well with ithe meat and had a Feta, tomato, olive salad on the side. It was amazing! So moist and full of flavor! Thanks for sharing! Love your recipes! Big Fan! 🤗
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Barbara! Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback! N x ❤️
What can be used in the place of yoghurt to make this a non dairy dish?
You could try canned coconut milk for that similar creamy texture, too! The small, full fat ones, refrigerated before using will have a similar texture to yogurt!
I’m not sure I’m afraid Karen, it’s a kind of important ingredient in this! 🙂
I am trying it out with almond milk yogurt tonight (silk brand) as a test for dinner with a dairy-free friend. The marinade seemed to be very similar to the one made with regular Greek yogurt.
Hope it works out great Mary! N x
No detectable difference, and I have made these kebabs several times previously. My family loves them! Next step is to sub gluten-free flour for the pita bread.
🙌🏻
Can you cook this on a gas grill?
Yes if you have a rotisserie to elevate it off the grill 🙂 It will burn too quickly if you cook it straight on the grill plate 🙂 N x
This has now become a family favourite! We are big kebab lovers in our house and this beats the taste of our local kebab house by far! Thanks so much for this recipe!!
OMG so good! My friends and I used it for a school market day project and it was the best seller!
That’s great to hear Tess! So pleased you enjoyed this! N xx
Such an amazing recipe, me and a couple friends used it for a school project. Was the best seller there.
LOVE HEARING THAT!!
Fantastic flavor!! Easy to put together….a family favorite at my house!!!
Merci pour toutes ces recettes succulentes ! xxx 😉
Thanks for these amazing recipes !
Muchas gracias, me encanta !
Hubert from Belgium
You’re so welcome Hubert!! N xx
Yum!!! Made this tonight and got a thumbs up from my 15 yr old son which is a tough one to please! Simple to make and very enjoyable. Made the lemon garlic sauce and sooooo good. Thanks so much for the recipe😆
That’s terrific to hear Robyn! So glad your son enjoyed this 🙂 N xx
Is it okay to grill the kabobs, or is this specifically for the oven?
I made this for my family tonight and everyone really liked it!! I will make again! I grilled on a gas grill instead of an oven and cut the salt in half to reduce th sodium some. I appreciate this being shared! Thanks! Jim
Love hearing that Jim! So pleased you enjoyed this so much! N xx