Tender Spiced Turkish Döner (Printable)

Slow-cooked spiced meat stacked and sliced thin, ideal with flatbreads and fresh vegetable accompaniments.

# 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

# Directions:

01 - Combine all marinade ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl.
02 - Add sliced meat and optional fat to the marinade. Mix well to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
03 - Heat oven to 400°F (200°C) or prepare a vertical rotisserie if available.
04 - If using an oven, thread marinated meat tightly onto metal skewers or press into a loaf pan to form a compact stack.
05 - Roast meat on a rack over a baking tray for 1 hour, basting occasionally with pan juices. For deeper browning, increase oven temperature to 430°F (220°C) during the final 15 minutes.
06 - Let meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly with a sharp knife.
07 - Serve immediately with warm flatbread and desired fresh toppings.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The meat becomes impossibly tender and fragrant, tasting like you've pulled it straight from a professional rotisserie.
  • It's endlessly customizable—serve it however you want, from pitas stuffed with fresh vegetables to a grain bowl.
  • Marinating overnight means most of the work happens while you sleep, leaving just an hour of hands-off cooking.
02 -
  • Don't slice the meat too thick—the whole point of döner is those gossamer-thin layers, so take your time with a sharp knife and aim for almost translucent slices.
  • If you don't squeeze the onion juice out of the grated onion, your marinade will be too wet and the meat won't absorb the spices properly—I learned this the hard way.
  • The fat, if you use it, is not optional for authentic flavor; it's what makes döner taste like döner, so track it down if you can.
03 -
  • Use a sharp knife or even a serrated one for slicing; dull knives tear the meat instead of cleanly cutting through those tender layers.
  • If the meat sticks to the skewer while roasting, slip a thin metal spatula underneath to loosen it gently, then slide it right onto your serving platter.
  • The pan drippings under the roasting meat are liquid gold—collect them and drizzle over the sliced meat or swirl into yogurt sauce for extra depth.
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