Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab

chicken dönmek kebab on a plate with salad, pita, dip with lemon.

5 from 3 votes

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.

Prep Time7

Cook Time35

Total Time42

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Turkish

Servings: people

Calories: 408kcal

Author: Jen Sim

Equipment

Skewers
mixing bowl
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

- 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.

- 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.
- Yogurt: Use full-fat yogurt to make the sauce. It will give the kebab a creamy, delicious flavor.

Nutrition