Turkish Chicken Doner Kebab
Tender marinated chicken grilled on a vertical rotisserie-style skewer, then shaved and served in warm pita with tomato, cucumber, and creamy garlic sauce.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 478
- Protein
- 42g
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- ½ medium onion, roughly chopped
- 3 whole garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 whole pita bread
- 1 medium tomato, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
- ½ medium cucumber, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 whole garlic cloves, minced to pencil-tip dots
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
Instructions
- 1
Place the 3 garlic cloves and 0.5 onion (roughly chopped) into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- 2
Pour the blended garlic and onion into a medium bowl, then add 0.5 cup yogurt, 1 teaspoon paprika, 0.75 teaspoon cumin, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
- 3
Stir the marinade with a spoon until all spices are fully mixed in and no dry streaks remain, about 20 seconds.
- 4
Add the 1 lb chicken cubes to the marinade and stir with a spoon until every piece is coated, about 1 minute.
- 5
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or foil and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to allow flavors to soak in.
- 6
Dice the 1 medium tomato by slicing it in half vertically, then slicing each half into 1/4-inch strips lengthwise, then cutting across into 1/4-inch cubes.
- 7
Dice the 0.5 medium cucumber by slicing it lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips, then cutting across into 1/4-inch cubes.
- 8
Mince the 1 garlic clove until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 9
Stir the minced garlic into 0.25 cup yogurt with a spoon until fully mixed, about 20 seconds; this is your garlic sauce.
- 10
Thread the marinated chicken cubes tightly onto two metal skewers, pressing them close together to form a roughly cylindrical shape, leaving 2 inches of skewer bare at the handle end.
- 11
Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and wait until it is very hot—a drop of water should sizzle and evaporate immediately, about 2 minutes.
- 12
Carefully place the two skewers flat in the skillet and sear until the surface is deeply browned, rotating every 2 minutes so all sides cook evenly, about 8 minutes total.
- 13
Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking, rotating the skewers every 3 minutes, until the thickest pieces are white all the way through when you cut one open—about 6 more minutes.
- 14
Transfer the skewers to a cutting board and let rest for 1 minute so juices can settle.
- 15
Warm the 2 pita breads in the same skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side, or wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds until soft.
- 16
Hold one skewer over a pita and use a sharp knife to shave thin slices of chicken directly into the pita, cutting downward in smooth strokes; repeat with the second pita and skewer.
- 17
Divide the diced tomato and cucumber evenly between the two pitas, mounding them on top of the chicken.
- 18
Drizzle half of the garlic sauce into each pita, moving the spoon back and forth to create even coverage across the top.
Tools you’ll need
- food processor or blender
- medium bowl
- spoon
- plastic wrap or foil
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- two metal skewers (10-inch)
- 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed skillet
- paper towels
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