Servings
Font
Back
Homemade Rotisserie Doner Kebab Meat - beef or lamb!
5 from 245 votes

Homemade Rotisserie Doner Kebab Meat - beef or lamb!

This Homemade Rotisserie Doner Kebab Meat recipe blends lamb or beef mince with diced streaky bacon and spices, then purees the mixture to a smooth paste for shaping into a cooking log. This technique replicates the texture and juiciness of store-bought kebab meat, with spices like oregano, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon providing authentic flavor. Cooking the tightly wrapped meat log slowly in the oven retains moisture and creates the right consistency for slicing to serve in flatbread with traditional toppings.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Marinate
2 hrs
Servings: 8
Calories: 413 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Turkish

Ingredients

  • 1 kg / 2 lb lamb mince preferably 15% fat (Note 1, or beef mince (ground meat
  • 200g / 7oz streaky bacon , roughly diced (Note 2)
  • 1 onion , diced (brown, yellow, white)
  • 2 clove garlic , roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil (for frying)
Seasoning Spices:
  • 1 tsp oregano dried
  • 2 tsp cumin ground
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tsp salt , kosher/cooking salt (Note 3)
  • 1 tsp black pepper
Doner Kebabs:
  • 8 flatbread Lebanese bread authentic!
  • 1 iceberg lettuce , finely shredded
  • 6 tomato halved and sliced
  • 2 red onions , finely sliced
  • hummus
  • Yogurt sauce , optional (recipe Note 8)
  • chilli sauce more sauce options
  • BBQ sauce
  • sweet chilli sauce
  • tomato ketchup
  • sriracha
  • tabbouleh extra options
  • shredded cheese extra options

Instructions

Marinate Meat:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Mix beef or lamb with all the Spices - mix well using your hands.
  2. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours minimum, or up to 24 hours.
Preparation:
  1. Preheat oven to 170°C/ 325°F (150°C fan).
  2. Line baking pan with foil.
  3. Check to ensure skewers are long enough to prop on the sides of the pan. (Note 5)
Puree Meat:
  1. Place onion, bacon and garlic in a 8 cup/2L+ food processor. Blitz until it becomes a paste (video at 29 sec),~30 sec on high, scraping down sides as you go.
  2. Add meat and blitz on low until it becomes a paste (video at 42 sec), scraping down sides (~1 min for powerful food processors, 2 min for less powerful). (Note 4)
Shape Doner Kebab Meat:
  1. Turn meat out onto work surface. Wet hands with water, then shape into an even block 20cm/8" long.
  2. Place 2 x 60cm / 2 feet long pieces of foil overlapping each other by 1/3. (Note 6)
  3. Place meat on the end of the foil, then roll it up, tightly wrapping it in the foil.
  4. Twist the ends firmly to form a log 25cm/10" long, then snip off excess foil. Roll into even log.
  5. Thread skewers through the log.
  6. Place log elevated in pan by propping skewers on the edge of the pan. (Note 7)
Cooking:
  1. Cook for 1 1/2 hours, turning once after 1 hour, until the log reaches 70°C/160°F (up to 80°C/175°F is fine). The log is cooked at this point. (Note 9)
  2. Remove foil from log but leave skewers in place.
  3. Increase oven heat to 250°C/480°F, or as high as your oven can go if it can't reach this.
  4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, rotating once, until browned all over.
Shaving / pan frying (kebab shop style!):
  1. Remove skewers then stand the meat upright.
  2. Shave meat thinly - carve as much as you intend to use.
  3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook shaved meat lightly coloured but still "floppy" (not crisped). Use immediately for Doner Kebabs!
Doner Kebabs:
  1. Smear hummus on warmed flatbread. Top with lettuce, tomato, and onion.
  2. Pile on Doner Kebab Meat. Drizzle with sauce(s) of choice.
  3. Roll up tightly, wrap in foil if desired (to hold together). Grab and devour!

Notes

  • Use fattier meat (around 15-20% fat) for juicier kebab meat; the bacon adds necessary fat if the mince is lean.
  • If avoiding pork bacon, substitute with turkey bacon, duck fat, or goose fat plus extra salt to maintain richness.
  • Puree onion, bacon, and garlic before combining with mince to achieve the smooth texture crucial for doner kebabs.
  • Use long skewers or support with foil to keep the meat log elevated and retain shape during cooking.
  • Cook the meat log in the oven, then cool wrapped in foil for moistness; slice as needed and pan fry fresh before serving.
  • Store cooked meat in the refrigerator up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months; reheat gently to preserve texture.

Nutrition Information

Calories 413cal (21%) Carbohydrates 3g (1%) Protein 32g (64%) Fat 30g (46%) Saturated Fat 11g (55%) Cholesterol 110mg (37%) Sodium 1386mg (58%) Potassium 530mg (11%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 16IU (0%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 36mg (4%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 413

% Daily Value*

Calories 413cal 21%
Carbohydrates 3g 1%
Protein 32g 64%
Fat 30g 46%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 110mg 37%
Sodium 1386mg 58%
Potassium 530mg 11%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 16IU 0%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 36mg 4%
Iron 3mg 17%

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