This Easy Homemade Doner Kebab is a brilliant hack for creating authentic-tasting Turkish street food right in your own kitchen. By seasoning ground lamb and baking it in parchment paper, you achieve a juicy, flavorful meat that mimics the rotisserie style without any special equipment.
Crisped up in the oven for those irresistible golden edges, this doner meat is perfect for stuffing into pitas or piling high onto salad bowls for a feast everyone will love.
Recipe Details
- Flavor Profile: Rich and savory lamb is infused with aromatic garlic, onion, and oregano, with a hint of warmth from sweet paprika and a tangy finish from fresh lemon.
- Texture: The baking method keeps the meat juicy and tender, while the final crisping step adds those essential charred bits found in traditional carved kebab meat.
- Time: 15 minutes prep, 45 minutes bake time.
- Difficulty: Easy. It involves mixing meat and a clever rolling technique.
What You’ll Need
To make this recipe, you will need a large baking sheet and parchment paper to shape and cook the meat rolls. A bowl of water or oil is handy for keeping your fingers clean while shaping the sticky meat mixture. The ingredients rely on ground lamb (or beef), grated onion for moisture, and a simple blend of spices and yogurt to tenderize the meat.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Lamb – Lamb provides the classic, rich flavor associated with doner kebabs. You can use ground beef if you prefer, or a mix of both.
- Onion – Grating the onion (or blending it with a splash of water) is crucial. It incorporates the onion juice into the meat, keeping it incredibly moist and flavorful without chunky bits.
- Yogurt – Plain yogurt acts as a tenderizer and binder, giving the meat a smooth, cohesive texture similar to the large rotisserie cones.
- Spices – A blend of sweet paprika, dried oregano, salt, and garlic builds the savory profile.
- Olive Oil – Adds a touch of healthy fat to help the meat brown.
- Lemon Juice – A squeeze of fresh lemon at the end brightens up the heavy meat flavors.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Meat – If lamb is too strong for you, ground beef (80/20 lean) works perfectly. Ground chicken or turkey can be used but will result in a much lighter flavor and texture.
- Spice – Add a teaspoon of ground cumin or coriander for more depth, or a pinch of chili flakes for heat.
- Sauce – As the tip suggests, Toum (garlic sauce) is the classic pairing, but tzatziki or a simple yogurt-garlic sauce works wonders.
How to Make Easy Homemade Doner Kebab
- Prep: Preheat oven to 400F (200°C).
- Mix Meat: Add the ground lamb to a bowl with the grated onion, minced garlic, salt, paprika, oregano, yogurt, and olive oil. Mix well until everything is evenly combined and the mixture becomes sticky.
- Shape: Divide the meat mixture in half. Take a sheet of parchment paper and place one half of the mixture in the middle. Note: Keep a small bowl of water (or oil) nearby to dip your fingers it helps keep the meat from sticking. Press and spread the meat into a thin, even rectangle. Repeat this step for the second portion of meat on another sheet.
- Roll: Starting from the long side, fold the parchment over the meat repeatedly until you reach the end and it looks like a flat rope or log wrapped in paper.
- Bake: Place the meat rolled in parchment on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F until cooked through, about 40 minutes.
- Break and Crisp: Remove from the oven and let the rolls cool slightly so you don’t burn your fingers. Carefully unroll the paper and break or slice the meat apart into bite-sized pieces. Squeeze a touch of fresh lemon juice over the top.
- Finish: Pop the broken meat back in the oven (uncovered) for 5-10 minutes until it is lightly golden and slightly crisp on the edges.
- Serve: Enjoy the doner in a pita or a bowl topped with lettuce, pickles, tomato, red onion, and garlic sauce.
Pro Tip: Pressing the meat into a thin rectangle before rolling ensures it cooks evenly. If it is too thick in the middle, the center might be raw while the ends are overcooked.
Recipe Tips
- Grating Onion: Use the fine side of your box grater for the onion, or blitz it in a small blender. You want the pulp and juice, not diced pieces.
- Crisping: The second bake is optional but highly recommended. It mimics the texture of meat that has been shaved off a rotating spit.
- Don’t Overmix: Mix until sticky to help it hold together, but don’t overworked it into a tough paste.
FAQs
- Can I freeze this? Yes, you can freeze the cooked meat. Thaw and reheat in a pan to crisp it up again.
- What is Toum? Toum is a fluffy Lebanese garlic sauce made from garlic, oil, lemon, and salt. It is potent and delicious with kebabs.
- Can I grill this? You can, but it is tricky with the paper. It is best suited for the oven or an air fryer (adjust cooking times for air fryer).
Serving Suggestions
- Pita Pocket: Stuff it into warm pita bread with shredded lettuce, tomato, and red onion.
- Platter: Serve over rice with a side of hummus and grilled vegetables.
- Salad: Top a crunchy salad with the warm meat and a generous drizzle of garlic sauce.
Make This Recipe in Advance
- Prep: You can mix the meat and shape the rolls a day in advance. Keep them wrapped in parchment in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
- Leftovers: Store cooked meat in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Easy Homemade Doner Kebab
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Description
This Easy Homemade Doner Kebab is a brilliant hack for creating authentic-tasting Turkish street food right in your own kitchen. By seasoning ground lamb and baking it in parchment paper, you achieve a juicy, flavorful meat that mimics the rotisserie style without any special equipment. Crisped up in the oven for those irresistible golden edges, this doner meat is perfect for stuffing into pitas or piling high onto salad bowls for a feast everyone will love.
Ingredients
The Kebab Meat
- 1 lb ground lamb (or ground beef)
- 1 medium onion, grated (or blended with 1 tsp water)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Fresh lemon juice (for finishing)
For Serving (Optional)
- Pita bread or flatbread
- Shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, red onions, pickles
- Garlic sauce (Toum) or Tzatziki
Instructions
Prep
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Mix Meat
In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb, grated onion (juices included), minced garlic, salt, paprika, oregano, yogurt, and olive oil. Knead well by hand until the mixture becomes sticky and cohesive.
Shape
Divide the meat mixture in half. Place one half on a sheet of parchment paper. Tip: Keep a small bowl of water or oil nearby to dip your fingers to prevent sticking. Press and spread the meat into a thin, even rectangle. Repeat with the second portion on another sheet.
Roll
Starting from the long side, fold the parchment paper over the meat repeatedly until it looks like a flat rope or log completely wrapped in paper. Twist the ends if needed to seal.
Bake
Place the parchment-wrapped rolls on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes until cooked through.
Break & Crisp
Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Carefully unroll the paper. Break or slice the meat into bite-sized pieces. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the meat. Finish: Return the meat to the oven (uncovered) for 5–10 minutes until the edges are golden and crispy.
Serve
Stuff into warm pita pockets or serve over rice with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Onion Prep: Do not chop the onion; grate it on the fine side of a box grater or blend it. The onion juice is essential for keeping the meat moist and flavorful without adding chunky texture.
The “Crisp” Step: The second bake (step 6) is highly recommended. It mimics the texture of meat shaved off a rotating vertical spit, giving you those delicious charred bits.
Meat Choice: Lamb offers the most authentic flavor, but 80/20 ground beef works well too. You can also use a 50/50 mix.
Storage: Cooked meat keeps well in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat in a skillet to crisp it up again.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner / Main
- Method: Oven Baking
- Cuisine: Turkish / Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of Meat Mixture
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
Keywords: homemade doner kebab, turkish kebab recipe, ground lamb recipes, easy oven kebab, keto dinner ideas, street food at home, gyro meat recipe
