Make this delicious Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab takeout favorite in no time at all! The chicken is seasoned to perfection with spices, yogurt and tomato paste, then cooked in the oven. Serve for lunch or dinner with pita bread, garlic sauce, chili sauce and salad.
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, hummus, rice and 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. They are marinated with Indian spices and taste amazing!
What I Love About This Recipe
- My favorite thing about this dish is the flavors in the marinade. They are absolutely 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.
- Chicken doner kebabs are great for sharing!
Ingredient
- Chicken thighs: 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.
- 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 tsp 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.
- Salt: For flavor.
- Black pepper: For heat.
- Onion: Place chopped pieces of 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.
Equipment
- Skewers
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Baking tray
- Foil
Recipe Variations
If you are allergic to dairy or not a fan of yogurt, then leave it out of the recipe. Use five tbsp of tomato puree instead of two 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 oven 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 it on the grill until it has cooked through.
How to Make Chicken Doner Kebab
- Start by soaking skewers in water. Set this aside for 30 minutes while you prepare the marinade.
Tip: Soaking skewers in water stops them from snapping and burning when they are in the oven.
- 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.
- In a separate bowl, add 5 tbsp of yogurt, 2 tbsp of tomato puree, 2 tbsp of olive oil, juice from ½ a lemon.
5. Then add four grated garlic cloves, 2 tsp of ground coriander, 2 tbsp of cumin, 1 tsp of hot paprika, 1 tsp of cayenne pepper, 1 ¼ tsp of salt and ½ black pepper.
6. Mix the marinade until everything is fully combined. Feel free to adjust the seasoning if you like. Set 1/4 of the marinade aside for serving before you add the raw chicken. Set aside for later. Combine the chicken thighs and the remaining marinade in a bowl.
7. Make sure the chicken is fully coated in the marinade. 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.
8. Place the skewers on top of the onion chunks on the baking tray. This will prevent the kebabs from sticking to the tray. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until done. Baste the chicken with the leftover marinade in the bowl halfway through.
10. Once the chicken doner is ready, remove it from the pan and use a knife to slice thin shavings of kebab. Serve it with Turkish bread, pita, yellow rice, salad, the remaining marinade and your favorite dip.
Tips and Tricks
- Chicken: Make sure you bash the chicken with a blunt object before marinating it. This will tenderize the chicken and help it to 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 the thighs are on the skewer or before. 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.
FAQs
It is boneless, skinless chicken pieces cooked on a long vertical skewer that spins besides a grill. It is usually marinated with yogurt, tomato puree, lemon juice, 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.
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Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons
- baking tray
- Foil
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken thighs skinless and boneless
- 5 tbsp yogurt
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1/2 lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic crushed
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp hot paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 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 1/4 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!