Turkish Doner Kebab with Garlic Yogurt Sauce
A home-oven version of Turkish doner: a lamb-and-beef paste seasoned with paprika, cumin and garlic is roasted as a loaf to a safe 160°F (71°C), sliced paper-thin, then crisped in a skillet until the edges caramelize. Serve in warm lavash with sumac onions, tomato and cool garlicky yogurt sauce.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 53 min
- Wait
- 1 hr 10 min
- Total
- 2 hr 48 min
- Makes
- 6 wrapped doner kebabs (about 700 g / 1½ lb cooked meat loaf)
Steps
Before you start
- Plan for about 2¾ hours in total: the meat mixture needs at least 1 hour to chill before shaping.
- Use ground lamb and beef with about 20% fat (80/20). Leaner meat gives a dry, crumbly doner.
- Take lavash out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving so it folds without cracking.
- Use an instant-read thermometer. Ground beef and lamb are safe at 160°F (71°C) in the center of the loaf; judge by temperature, not color.
Prep the onion and garlic
- Grate the large onion on the large holes of a box grater into a bowl.
- Pile the pulp in a clean kitchen towel, twist it tightly over the sink and squeeze hard to remove as much liquid as you can.
- You should have about ½ cup (120 g) of dry pulp.
- Grate the 4 garlic cloves for the meat and set aside.
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Ready when: The onion pulp feels damp but no liquid drips when you squeeze it.
Tip: Skipping the squeeze adds water to the meat, which makes the loaf steam instead of brown and turn mushy.
Mix the yogurt sauce
- In a small bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, the grated garlic for the sauce, lemon juice, 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and ½ tsp kosher salt.
- Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.
- Cover and refrigerate while the meat chills.
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Ready when: The sauce is smooth, thick and spoonable, with a clear garlic and lemon tang.
Knead the meat paste
- In a large bowl, combine the cold lamb and beef with the squeezed onion, garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, oregano, Aleppo pepper (if using), black pepper, 2½ tsp kosher salt, tomato paste and 3 tbsp yogurt.
- Knead firmly with your hands (or beat on low with a paddle attachment) for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Squeeze and fold the meat against the bowl until it loses its crumbly texture and becomes a sticky, uniform paste.
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Ready when: The mixture is tacky, pulls away from the bowl in one mass and no distinct chunks of fat or meat are visible.
Tip: Keep the meat cold. If the fat starts to feel greasy and soft on your hands, chill the bowl for 10 minutes before continuing. Wash hands well after handling raw meat.
Chill the mixture
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours).
- Chilling lets the salt bind the proteins and the spices flavor the meat, and it makes the paste firm enough to shape.
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Ready when: The paste is cold and firm when pressed.
Heat oven and shape loafOven 400°F / 205°C
- Position a rack in the center and heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Brush the inside of a 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan with 1 tbsp olive oil and set it on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Press the meat firmly into the pan, packing it into the corners to eliminate air pockets, and smooth the top level.
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Ready when: The meat fills the pan evenly with a flat, compact surface and no gaps.
Tip: Air pockets cause the loaf to crumble when sliced, so press down hard with damp fingers or the back of a spoon.
Roast the loafOven 400°F / 205°C
- Slide the baking sheet with the pan into the 400°F (200°C) oven.
- Roast for 43 to 45 minutes, until the top is deeply browned and the loaf pulls slightly from the sides of the pan.
- Insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of the loaf.
- Both the ground beef and ground lamb must reach a safe internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
- If it reads lower, roast 5 more minutes and check again.
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Ready when: The center reads at least 160°F (71°C) and the juices bubbling around the edges are clear.
Tip: The pan will hold a lot of rendered fat. Keep it on the baking sheet and carry it carefully.
Rest and drain the loaf
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the loaf rest in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Carefully tilt the pan over a heatproof bowl to pour off the hot rendered fat (save a spoonful if you like).
- Turn the loaf out onto a cutting board.
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Ready when: The loaf releases from the pan in one piece and feels firm when pressed.
Tip: Slicing too early makes the loaf fall apart. Wait the full 10 minutes.
Prep the toppings
- While the loaf rests, toss the sliced red onion with the sumac and chopped parsley in a small bowl, rubbing the sumac in with your fingers for 30 seconds to soften the onion.
- Keep the sliced tomatoes on a plate.
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Ready when: The onions look slightly pink and glossy from the sumac.
Slice and crisp the meat
- Using a sharp knife, slice the loaf crosswise as thinly as you can, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick.
- Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp of the olive oil until it shimmers.
- Working in 2 batches, add half the slices in a single layer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until browned with crisp, dark edges.
- Repeat with the remaining oil and slices.
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Ready when: The edges are dark brown and crackly, and the slices sizzle audibly in the pan.
Tip: Do not crowd the pan. Overlapping slices steam rather than crisp.
Warm lavash and assemble
- Warm each lavash piece for 10 to 15 seconds per side in a dry skillet or directly over a low gas flame until pliable.
- Spread about 2 tbsp of yogurt sauce down the center of each piece, then layer with crisped doner meat, tomato slices and sumac onions with parsley.
- Roll up tightly, tucking in one end, and serve at once with extra sauce.
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Ready when: The lavash bends without cracking and the wrap holds together when rolled.
Tip: Do not overfill. About ⅓ cup (about 100 g) of meat per wrap rolls cleanly.
Good to know
Tips
- Squeeze the grated onion very dry and knead the meat until sticky. These two steps give the signature dense, sliceable texture.
- Slice the loaf as thinly as possible. Chilling the cooled loaf for 30 minutes first makes thin slicing easier.
- Pour off the rendered fat before slicing, otherwise the slices stay greasy instead of crisping.
- A sprinkle of Aleppo pepper on top of the finished wrap is a classic finish.
Make ahead
The raw meat paste can be made and refrigerated up to 24 hours ahead. The roasted loaf can be cooled, wrapped and refrigerated up to 3 days, then sliced and crisped in a skillet just before serving. The yogurt sauce keeps 3 days in the fridge.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Fridge: keep cooked meat and yogurt sauce in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze the cooked, sliced meat for up to 3 months. Reheat the slices from fridge or thawed in a hot, lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until hot and crisp (internal temperature 165°F / 74°C). Assemble wraps only when ready to eat.
Substitutions
- soft lavash, about 12-inch (30 cm) squares → Pita, flatbread or large flour tortillas. Warm until soft. Pita can be split to make a pocket sandwich.
- ground lamb (80/20) → Extra ground beef (900 g / 2 lb total, 80/20). The flavor will be milder and less gamey but still works well. Still cook to 160°F (71°C).
- ground sumac → 1 tsp lemon zest mixed with a pinch of salt. Gives similar brightness; add it to the onions in the same way.
- plain whole-milk Greek yogurt → Plain whole-milk yogurt strained for 30 minutes. Use if you do not have Greek yogurt. Dairy-free coconut yogurt also works.