Turkish Döner Meat Spiced (Printable Version)

Succulent spiced meat, slow-cooked and sliced thin, perfect with flatbread and fresh vegetables.

# Needed Ingredients:

→ 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

# Steps:

01 - Combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
02 - Add sliced meat and optional 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 oven, thread marinated meat tightly onto metal skewers or layer it compactly in a loaf pan.
05 - Place meat stack on a rack over a tray and roast for 1 hour, basting occasionally with pan juices; increase to 430°F for the last 15 minutes to brown.
06 - Let meat rest for 10 minutes, then slice thinly with a sharp knife.
07 - Serve immediately with warm flatbread and fresh vegetable toppings.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The marinade transforms simple meat into something deeply aromatic and impossibly tender, tasting like you've been cooking for hours.
  • It feels fancy enough for guests but comes together faster than you'd expect, with most of the work happening while you sleep.
  • Leftovers are genuinely better the next day, and you'll find yourself eating them straight from the fridge.
02 -
  • Don't skip the overnight marinade—4 hours is the minimum, but the spices need time to actually penetrate and transform the meat, not just sit on the surface.
  • Slice the meat as thin as you possibly can; thick chunks won't taste like döner, no matter how good the marinade is.
  • If you're using a loaf pan instead of skewers, press the meat down firmly as you layer so it compresses and roasts together as one unit instead of staying loose and crumbly.
03 -
  • If you don't have metal skewers, a loaf pan lined with foil works perfectly and actually makes for more even cooking—just press the meat down really firmly so it holds together.
  • Toast your spices briefly in a dry pan before mixing the marinade if you want to wake them up and deepen their flavor even more.
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