Description
This homemade rotisserie doner kebab meat recipe uses ground lamb or beef combined with spices and bacon for authentic flavor and juiciness. The meat is pureed into a smooth paste, shaped into a log, then baked and finished under high heat to achieve the traditional kebab texture and taste. Served with flatbreads and fresh toppings, this recipe captures the essence of classic Turkish doner kebabs right in your kitchen.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Meat Mixture
- 1 kg / 2 lb lamb or beef mince (preferably 15% fat)
- 200g / 7oz streaky bacon, roughly diced
- 1 onion, diced (brown, yellow, or white)
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil (for frying)
Seasoning Spices
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tsp kosher or cooking salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Doner Kebab Assembly
- 8 flatbreads (Lebanese bread authentic)
- 1 iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
- 6 tomatoes, halved and sliced
- 2 red onions, finely sliced
- Hummus
- Yogurt sauce (optional)
- Additional sauces: chili sauce/Sriracha, BBQ sauce, sweet chili sauce, tomato ketchup
- Extra options: tabbouleh, shredded cheese
Instructions
- Marinate Meat: Mix the lamb or beef mince thoroughly with all the seasoning spices using your hands. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, or for up to 24 hours to deepen the flavor.
- Preparation: Preheat your oven to 170°C/325°F (150°C fan). Line a baking pan with foil. Ensure your skewers are long enough to be propped on the pan edges.
- Puree Meat: In a food processor, combine the diced onion, bacon, and chopped garlic and blitz until they form a smooth paste (about 30 seconds). Add the marinated meat and continue to blitz on low until the mixture turns into a smooth paste, scraping down the sides as needed (approximately 1 to 2 minutes).
- Shape Doner Kebab Meat: Turn the meat paste onto a work surface. Wet your hands with water and form the meat into an even log approximately 20cm/8″ long. Place two overlapping pieces of foil (about 60cm/2 feet each) and roll the meat tightly in the foil, twisting the ends to seal into a 25cm/10″ log. Trim any excess foil and smooth the log shape. Thread two skewers through the log lengthwise.
- Cooking: Place the foil-wrapped meat log elevated on the baking pan by propping the skewers on the pan’s edges. Bake in the oven at 170°C/325°F for 1½ hours, turning once after 1 hour, until the internal temperature reaches 70°C/160°F (up to 80°C/175°F is acceptable). Remove the foil but keep the skewers in place.
- Browning: Increase oven temperature to 250°C/480°F or the highest setting your oven permits. Bake the unwrapped meat log for 10 to 15 minutes, rotating it once, until the outside is nicely browned all over.
- Shaving and Pan Frying: Remove the skewers and stand the meat upright. Using a sharp knife, shave thin slices of the meat as needed. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and lightly fry the shaved meat until slightly colored but still tender. Serve immediately.
- Assemble Doner Kebabs: Warm the flatbreads and spread a layer of hummus. Add shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and onions. Pile on the pan-fried doner kebab meat and drizzle with your choice of sauces, such as yogurt sauce or chili sauce. Roll up tightly and optionally wrap in foil. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use fattier meat (around 15%) for best juiciness and flavor; butcher or supermarket labels help identify fat content.
- Streaky bacon adds essential fat and flavor without overwhelming bacon taste; alternatives include turkey bacon or duck fat with extra meat and salt.
- The salt amount sounds high but balances out because the meat is sliced thinly; use less if using table salt.
- Pureed meat should achieve a smooth, smearable consistency for proper doner texture.
- Skewers are optional but help hold the meat log shape and elevate it for cooking.
- Foil holds the log shape and retains juices during cooking; ensures even cooking and moisture.
- If skewers or pan size are limited, props like ramekins or foil balls can support the meat log.
- Lemon yogurt sauce can be prepared by mixing Greek yogurt, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and resting 20 minutes.
- Cooked meat slices cook very quickly in the pan; undercooked centers will be fine after pan frying.
- Storage: Cooked log can be cooled, wrapped in cling film, refrigerated up to 5 days or frozen for 3 months. Reheat wrapped in foil and brown before use.
- Recipe adapted from Kenji Lopez-Alt’s method on Serious Eats with added seasonings and modifications for a home-cooked authentic doner kebab.
- Nutrition estimates are per serving (serves 8) and include meat only.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 125g meat
- Calories: 340 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg