Turkish spiced döner meat (Printable Version)

Slow-cooked spiced meat, sliced thin, perfect with flatbreads or fresh vegetables and sauces.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meat

01 - 2.2 lbs boneless lamb shoulder or beef sirloin, thinly sliced
02 - 3.5 oz lamb fat or beef fat, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Marinade

03 - 5.3 oz plain Greek yogurt
04 - 3 tbsp olive oil
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 large onion, grated with juice squeezed out
07 - 2 tsp ground cumin
08 - 2 tsp ground coriander
09 - 2 tsp sweet paprika
10 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
11 - 1 tsp ground black pepper
12 - 1 ½ tsp salt
13 - ½ tsp ground cinnamon
14 - ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)

→ To Serve (optional)

15 - Warm pita or flatbread
16 - Sliced tomatoes
17 - Sliced onions
18 - Shredded lettuce
19 - Cucumber slices
20 - Yogurt or garlic sauce

# How-To Steps:

01 - Combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
02 - Add sliced meat and fat to the marinade, coat evenly, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
03 - Preheat oven to 400°F or prepare a vertical rotisserie if available.
04 - If using an oven, thread marinated meat tightly onto metal skewers or layer compactly in a loaf pan.
05 - Place meat on a rack over a baking tray and roast for 1 hour, basting occasionally with pan juices. Increase oven temperature to 430°F for the last 15 minutes for enhanced browning.
06 - Allow meat to rest for 10 minutes, then slice thinly using a sharp knife.
07 - Serve immediately with warm flatbread and fresh vegetable toppings.

# Tips for Success:

01 -
  • It tastes shockingly close to the döner you'd buy from a street vendor, minus the wait and the crowds.
  • The marinade is forgiving and actually improves overnight, so you can prepare it ahead without stress.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and taste even better the next day as the spices deepen.
02 -
  • The meat needs to be sliced thin before marinating—this isn't something you can fix later, and it changes everything about texture and flavor absorption.
  • Don't skip squeezing the grated onion; excess moisture is the #1 reason döner turns out watery instead of succulent.
  • Basting is not optional—it's what keeps the outside crispy and the inside juicy, so set a timer and commit to it.
03 -
  • Slice the meat against the grain for tenderness, and use a truly sharp knife—a dull blade will tear rather than slice and destroy the texture.
  • If your pan juices evaporate during roasting, add a splash of water or broth rather than letting the pan go dry; those drippings are liquid gold for basting.
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