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Donair

Halifax Donair is a true Canadian food treasure and the official food of Halifax. You don’t have to go to Halifax to enjoy one because now you can make it right at home with this recipe. Bold flavors, easy to follow steps and convenient ingredients, Donair will become a sure win and family favorite! This is perfect for making ahead, refrigerating or freezing, and pulling it out for a quick and delicious weeknight meal, or to pack in a lunch if you’re going to be somewhere with access to a microwave to heat things up. Donair sauce is also something that's unique to the dish. It's flavour is deliciously garlicky, tangy and sweet.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 20 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 12 Donairs
Calories: 531 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Canadian

Ingredients

Donair Meat
  • 2 ½ - 3 lbs lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 3 teaspoon onion powder
  • 4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¾ cup Italian Style Bread Crumbs
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Donair Sauce
  • 300 ml sweetened condensed milk ((one can 10 oz ))
  • ¼ cup white vinegar
  • ½ tablespoon garlic (powder)
Toppings
  • onion (sliced)
  • tomatoes (sliced)
  • mozzarella cheese (shredded, optional)
  • 10 pita bread

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Prepare the donair sauce by whisking the sweetened condensed milk, garlic powder and vinegar together until evenly combined. You can use this right away but it tastes best if it sits 1 hour - overnight in the fridge.
  2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, add the ground beef, spice and breadcrumbs. Mix on medium-low for about 10 minutes. Scrape down the sides as needed. Mix until the texture of the meat has changed from a ground beef consistency to a smooth texture, or mix by hand in a large bowl for 15 - 20 minutes.
  3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  4. Place meat mixture onto a clean working surface (counter or cutting board or on a piece of parchment paper on your kitchen counter). Shape the meat into a log.
  5. Pick up the log several times and throw it down on to the counter to help get out any air pockets that may still be in the meat. Shape the meat into a smooth log.
  6. Carefully slide a metal skewer through the center of the meat. Wrap fully in foil and tighten the edges to cover the meat at the ends of the skewer.
  7. Bake for approximately 2 hours on the middle rack of oven.
  8. Remove the foil from the donair log and place the skewers in the donair log on the baking pan. Bake for another 20 minutes or until browned all over and cooked through. Or place the donair in an air fryer or rotisserie oven to brown the outside.
  9. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing. Holding the skewer slightly at an angle, carefully shave thin slices off the donair.
  10. Prepare your toppings. Dice onion and tomato into bite sized pieces. Cut as many square pieces of foil you need for the number of wraps you are making, slightly larger than your pita for wrapping.
  11. Pan fry the donair in a small amount of oil until golden brown. Place a pita on top to warm up the pita and soften it. This will make the pita more pliable.
  12. Place the pita on top of a square of aluminum foil, top with donair sauce, meat, onion, tomato and more donair sauce on top.
  13. Wrap the aluminum foil around the donair and place into the oven for about 5 minutes to warm at 350°F.
  14. Repeat these steps for as many donairs as you are making.
  15. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you don't have a stand mixer to combine the meat that’s fine, you can use a food processor or mix by hand for 15 – 20 minutes so that it's very thoroughly combined. Many donair enthusiasts insist there is no cheese on a donair. I put cheese on mine sometimes and it's delicious and so do a lot of other people. Even the original makers of the donair (King of Donair) allow customers to add cheese if they want

Nutrition Information

Calories 531kcal (27%) Carbohydrates 47g (16%) Protein 52g (104%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 5g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 137mg (46%) Sodium 908mg (38%) Potassium 920mg (26%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 14g (28%) Vitamin A 292IU (6%) Vitamin C 3mg (3%) Calcium 154mg (15%) Iron 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12Donairs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 531

% Daily Value*

Calories 531kcal 27%
Carbohydrates 47g 16%
Protein 52g 104%
Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 5g 25%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 137mg 46%
Sodium 908mg 38%
Potassium 920mg 20%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 14g 28%
Vitamin A 292IU 6%
Vitamin C 3mg 3%
Calcium 154mg 15%
Iron 6mg 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.