Homemade chicken döner kebab
Homemade chicken döner kebab is a delicious, roasted Turkish-style dish. If, like me, you enjoy cooking at home and value complete control over the quality and freshness of your ingredients, this recipe for homemade chicken döner kebab is for you. It’s the perfect alternative to store-bought kebabs – not only tastier, but also healthier.
Kebab is a dish in which pieces of meat are marinated in an aromatic marinade made with yogurt and spices inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine. After marinating, the meat is slowly roasted, which gives it a pleasantly crispy exterior while retaining its tenderness and juiciness on the inside.
Döner kebab is a classic Turkish street food, a quick, almost immediately prepared meal, most often sold in markets or at kiosks. The name itself comes from the Turkish word dönmek, meaning “to turn.” This turning takes place on a vertical spit, ensuring that the meat is heated evenly on all sides.
Nowadays, döner kebab is made from any type of meat, although the traditional one is actually made from lamb. It can be lamb, chicken, or beef. Depending on the type of meat used, döner kebab has two types: et döner (meat kebab, made from lamb or beef, or a mixture of both) and tavuk döner (chicken kebab).
In the home-cooked version, the process of roasting meat is replicated in the oven, achieving a similar flavour to that found at a kiosk or market. As with meat from a kiosk, the roasted meat in a homemade kebab is thinly sliced and served in a tortilla, pita, or on a plate with fresh vegetables and sauces. Typically, this sauce is a blend of yogurt and spicy chili sauce.
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Ingredients for homemade chicken döner kebab.
- 250 g natural yogurt
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoon of sweet paprika powder
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil
- 3/4 teaspoon of granulated garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon of cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of spicy paprika powder
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 3/4 teaspoon of coriander powder
- 500 g chicken breast
- 800 g chicken drumstick fillets
To serve:
- iceberg lettuce
- salad cucumber
- tomato
- onion
- Greek yogurt
- chilli sauce
- tortilla
How to make homemade chicken döner kebab.
In a large bowl, combine granulated garlic, spicy paprika, cumin, black pepper, salt, coriander, and sweet paprika. Add olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, tomato paste, and thick plain yogurt. Mix thoroughly to create a flavourful kebab marinade.
Next, add the pieces of meat: chicken breasts and drumstick fillets. Thoroughly coat the meat in the marinade, ensuring the meat is evenly coated with the spices. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours – the long marinating time will make the kebab exceptionally aromatic and juicy.
After removing the meat from the refrigerator, skewer the breast and drumstick fillets alternately onto the skewer on the vertical chicken roaster. Place a piece of aluminium foil on the bottom of the grill – this will prevent the meat from sticking and make cleaning easier later. Also place aluminium foil on top of the meat to prevent over-browning during cooking.
Place the meat on a baking tray and place it in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) using the convection function. Bake for approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes, rotating every few minutes to ensure even cooking and browning on all sides. Once cooked, remove the meat from the oven, let it cool slightly for 5 minutes, and then thinly slice it.
Serve homemade döner kebab wrapped in a tortilla with fresh vegetables: chopped lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and onion. Top with yogurt sauce and hot chili sauce. The kebab is best served warm, with crispy meat and aromatic toppings.
Good to know when making homemade chicken döner kebab.
If you don’t have a vertical chicken roaster, thread the meat onto skewers and place them horizontally so that their ends are placed at opposite ends of a baking tray. Flip the meat occasionally while it’s roasting.
I do not remove the marinade from the meat before placing it on the grill.
After filling and rolling the tortilla, you can also lightly toast it in a toaster oven. This will give the tortilla a crispy texture.
Do you enjoy chicken dishes? If so, try our recipe for Chicken a la King.
