Turkish Döner Kebab (Beef or Lamb) Recipe
Authentic Turkish Döner Kebab made with flavorful ground beef or lamb, infused with aromatic spices and onions, cooked to perfection in a skillet. Served with refreshing white cucumber sauce, tangy onion sumac salad, and warm pita or lavash bread, this recipe brings the taste of Istanbul right to your kitchen.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 35 minutes (including freezing time)
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients
Scale
Döner Kebab Meat Mixture
- 1 lb ground beef 80/20 (or ground lamb)
- 1 large yellow onion (pureed)
- 2 tablespoons yogurt
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter (for cooking)
Onion Sumac Salad
- 1 onion (thinly sliced into semicircles)
- 8 sprigs of parsley (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon ground sumac
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
White Cucumber Sauce
- 4 tablespoons yogurt or labneh
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 small Persian cucumber (shredded, drained)
- 3–4 sprigs dill (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
To Serve
- 8 pita, pide or lavash bread
- Sliced pickles (optional)
- Sliced tomatoes (optional)
- Warm French fries (optional, traditional in Istanbul)
Instructions
- Prepare the Meat Mixture: In a bowl, combine the ground beef or lamb with yogurt, milk, kosher salt, red pepper flakes, thyme leaves, cinnamon, and ground black pepper. Mix well to distribute all spices evenly.
- Add Pureed Onion Juice: Puree the large yellow onion in a food processor or blender until smooth. Strain the puree through a sieve, pressing the juice onto the meat mixture, discarding any solids to avoid chunks. Knead the meat mixture thoroughly until well combined.
- Shape and Freeze: With wet hands, form the meat mixture into an 8-inch log. Wrap tightly in foil, twisting both ends to seal. Place in freezer for 3-4 hours or up to 6 months until ready to use.
- Prepare Onion Sumac Salad: Thinly slice the onion into semicircles. In a bowl, toss the onions with chopped parsley, ground sumac, olive oil, and kosher salt. Set aside to marinate slightly.
- Make White Cucumber Sauce: In a separate bowl, combine yogurt or labneh, mayonnaise, shredded and drained Persian cucumber, chopped dill, and minced garlic. Mix well and refrigerate until serving.
- Slice the Frozen Döner: Remove the frozen döner log from the freezer and let it sit for 5 minutes to soften slightly. Using a sharp knife, slice the döner as thinly as possible, working in batches to avoid thawing the entire log at once.
- Cook the Döner Slices: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add half of the döner slices in a single layer and cook undisturbed until the bottom is browned. Flip and cook the other side until well browned and cooked through. Repeat with remaining slices and butter.
- Assemble and Serve: Warm the pita, pide, or lavash bread. Spread a layer of white cucumber sauce on the bread, top with sizzling döner meat slices, and finish with a generous portion of onion sumac salad. Add sliced pickles, tomatoes, and warm French fries if desired, for an authentic Istanbul experience.
Notes
- For authentic flavor, use ground beef with 20% fat or ground lamb.
- Pureeing and straining the onion juice avoids chunky textures in the meat.
- Freezing the shaped döner log makes slicing very thin pieces easier for cooking.
- If not serving all döner at once, keep the remaining frozen and do not refreeze once thawed.
- You can substitute labneh with thick Greek yogurt in the white cucumber sauce.
- Use a very sharp knife to achieve the thinnest possible slices of döner meat.
- This recipe is traditionally cooked on a vertical rotisserie; here, skillet pan-frying replicates the effect at home.
Keywords: Turkish Döner Kebab, ground beef kebab, lamb döner, Middle Eastern street food, skillet döner, homemade döner, Turkish street food, pita kebab
