Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab
Make this delicious Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab, a takeout favorite, in no time at all! The chicken is seasoned to perfection with spices, yogurt, and tomato paste. Serve for lunch or dinner with pita bread, garlic sauce, chili sauce, and salad.
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This mouth-watering Turkish favorite is such an exciting dish to make at home. The chicken is succulent and filled with flavor making every bite a delight! This takeaway favorite is bound to impress. Serve it with pita, easy creamy hummus, Fluffy Turmeric Rice Recipe and Lebanese Tabbouli salad for iftar or when you're in the mood for kebab!
If you like this recipe, you'll love my Indian chicken tandoori kebabs and Easy Oven Chicken Kebab. They are marinated with aromatic spices and taste amazing!
Why This Recipe Works
- My favorite thing about this dish is the flavors in the marinade. This homemade chicken doner kebab recipe is drool-worthy!
- It is a versatile dish that can be served with various sides.
- It is a delicious dish that looks great on the dinner table.
- Homemade chicken doner kebabs are great for sharing!
Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Chicken thighs: For this recipe, select boneless and skinless chicken thighs. I usually buy a pack from my local supermarket, but if you can't find them, remove the skin and bones.
- Yogurt: Use full-fat yogurt to make the sauce. It will give the kebab a creamy, delicious flavor.
- Tomato puree: Use good-quality tomato puree for the sauce. It can be from a can, tube or carton.
- Olive oil: Select good-quality olive oil.
- Garlic: Mince or grate the garlic for this recipe. This will help when mixing. You can also use 2-3 teaspoon of garlic paste instead.
- Ground coriander: Use ground coriander for seasoning. If you are not a fan of coriander, then you can swap this with any other herb of your choice.
- Hot paprika: To add some heat to the dish. Feel free to add less or more, depending on your preference.
- Cayenne: The same goes for cayenne pepper. Add less or more, depending on your preference.
- Lemon juice: Use juice from a fresh lemon for the best flavor.
- Cumin: Don't skip it; it adds a deliciously distinctive flavor to the chicken.
- Onion: Place chopped onions on the baking tray to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan as the chicken doner cooks. It will also add extra flavor.
Tips and Substitutions
- Chicken: Before marinating, bash the chicken with a blunt object. This will tenderize the chicken and help it cook faster.
- Marinate: If you have extra time, you can marinate the chicken thighs for one hour in the fridge. This can be done after or before the thighs are on the skewer. Cover the thighs with plastic wrap while they marinate.
- Skewers: Use metal skewers or wooden skewers. If you use wooden skewers, you must soak them in water to prevent them from burning in the oven. Soaking skewers in water stops them from snapping and burning when they are in the oven.
- Variations: If you are allergic to dairy or not a yogurt fan, leave it out of the recipe. Instead of two tablespoons of tomato puree, use five tablespoons and follow the rest of the recipe. You can also make these kebabs without the skewers. Line a baking tray with foil and place the marinated chicken thighs on the tray. Cook for 35-40 minutes, or until done. During summer, you can add these tasty chicken skewers to the BBQ! Follow the instructions and cook them on the grill until cooked through and serve with Skin On Fries.
How to Make Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab
- Start by soaking skewers in water. Set this aside for 30 minutes while you prepare the marinade.
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Line a baking tray with foil. Add a splash of olive oil. Chop one onion into ¼ chunks and place them on the baking tray. Set aside for later.
- Next, grab 1kg of skinless and boneless thighs, place them on a chopping board, cover them with plastic wrap and bash them with a rolling pin or blunt object. This will tenderize the chicken and make it cook faster.
4. In a separate bowl, add 5 tablespoon of yogurt,
5. Then add 2 tablespoons of tomato puree, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and the juice of ½ lemons.
6. Add 2 teaspoon of ground coriander, 2 tablespoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of hot paprika, 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1 ¼ teaspoon of salt and ½ black pepper.
7. Then add four grated garlic cloves.
8. Mix the marinade until everything is fully combined. Feel free to adjust the seasoning if you like. Set ¼ of the marinade aside for serving before you add the raw chicken. Set aside for later.
9. Combine the chicken thighs and the remaining marinade in a bowl.
10. Make sure the chicken is fully coated in the marinade.
11. Then grab the soaked skewers and push the chicken thighs into two skewers. If the chicken thigh is too large, fold it in half before pushing it into the skewers.
12. Place the skewers on top of the onion chunks on the baking tray. This will prevent the kebabs from sticking to the tray.
13. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until done. Baste the chicken with the leftover marinade in the bowl halfway through.
14. Once the homemade chicken doner kebab is ready, remove it from the pan and use a knife to slice thin shavings of kebab. Serve it with the best Turkish bread, pita, easy yellow rice, Lebanese tabbouleh salad, the remaining marinade and your favorite dip.
Recipe FAQs
It is boneless, skinless chicken pieces cooked on a long vertical skewer that spins beside a grill. The chicken is usually marinated with yogurt, tomato puree, lemon juice, and olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin, ground coriander, or baharat seasoning.
Chicken doner is made on a vertical skewer that spins by a grill. Doner comes from the word dönmek means which means 'to turn'. Whereas chicken kebabs are made on a flat grill. Chicken kebabs sometimes include capsicum peppers and onions.
No. Chicken doner only includes chicken. However, the traditional meat used to make doner kebabs is lamb.
Let chicken pieces cool completely then place them in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3-4 days. Reheat the chicken in the microwave for a couple of minutes when you are ready to eat.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab
Equipment
- Measuring spoons
- baking tray
- Foil
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken thighs skinless and boneless
- 5 tablespoon yogurt
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- ½ lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic crushed
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 tablespoon cumin
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ black pepper
- 1 onion
Instructions
- Soak skewers in water. Set this aside for 30 minutes while you prepare the marinade.
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Line a baking tray with foil and add a splash of olive oil. Chop 1 onion into ¼ chunks and place them on the baking tray. Set aside.
- Next, grab the skinless and boneless thighs, place them on a chopping board, cover them with plastic wrap and bash them with a rolling pin or blunt object.
- In a separate bowl, add yogurt, tomato puree, olive oil, lemon juice, grated garlic cloves, ground coriander, cumin, hot paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Mix the marinade until everything is fully combined. Set ¼ of the marinade aside for serving before you add the raw chicken.
- Combine the chicken thighs and marinade in a bowl. Make sure the chicken is fully coated in the marinade.
- Next, grab the soaked skewers and push the chicken thighs into two skewers. If the chicken thigh is too large, fold it in half before pushing it into the skewers.
- Place the skewers on top of the onion chunks on the baking tray. This will prevent the kebab from sticking to the tray. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until done.
- Once the chicken doner is ready, carefully remove it from the pan and use a knife to slice thin shavings of kebab. Serve it with pita bread and garlic sauce.
Notes
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- Chicken: Select boneless and skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. I usually buy a pack from my local supermarket, but if you can't find them, remove the skin and bones. Bash the chicken with a blunt object before marinating it. This will tenderize the chicken and help it to cook faster.
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- Skewers: Use metal skewers or wooden skewers. If you use wooden skewers, you must soak them in water to prevent them from burning in the oven.
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Ever since we left Germany, I've been pining for a good döner kebab. No one here knows how to do them properly, so I took a chance on your recipe. I'm SO glad I did! They were everything I've been looking for.
LOVE the flavor in this chicken dish. It is a new family favorite. Thank you for making it so easy!
I'm so sick of all of my chicken recipes so I was very excited to try something new. This recipe did not disappoint! Easy to make, so much flavor and the leftovers were even better. Next time doubling it for meal prep!