Chicken Doner Kebab, or Tavuk Döner as it's called in Turkey, is a delicious Turkish street food that is also popular around the world. It is made with tender and juicy marinated chicken thighs, cooked until charred, and wrapped in warm flatbread along with fresh vegetables.
With this simple recipe, you can recreate this famous takeaway in your kitchen and impress your guests at your next dinner party.
Just like Turkish Doner Kebab and Iskender Kebab, making this Chicken Doner Kebab - Tavuk Döner at home lets you control the quality of ingredients and customize the dish to suit your tastes.
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Doner Kebab is a popular dish from Turkey made with seasoned and marinated meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. They are traditionally served on flatbread with fresh vegetables like sliced tomato, Sumac Onions - Turkish Red Onion Salad, grilled peppers, lettuce, and parsley, or over rice with a side salad—usually without sauce.
Difference Between Doner, Shawarma, and Gyro
Doner, shawarma, and gyro have some similarities, each with its roots in a different region. Doner is Turkish, Shawarma is Middle Eastern, and Gyro is Greek. They all start with seasoned meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie and served in flatbread or over rice with delicious toppings. The big difference is in the seasonings and extras, which reflect the unique flavors of their home regions.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Chicken thighs - The best type of chicken for Doner Kebab is boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat. They have a higher fat content than chicken breast and are far more tender than other cuts.
- Tomato, parsley, onion - I finely blitz them to add extra flavor to the marinade.
- Yogurt - It helps tenderize the chicken, making it melt in the mouth. You can also use milk if you prefer.
- Olive oil - I use cooking olive oil instead of extra virgin olive oil for the marinade. It provides flavor to the chicken thighs and helps keep them moist.
- Tomato paste - It is my favorite ingredient, especially when cooking Middle Eastern and Turkish dishes. Tomato paste adds an umami flavor to the chicken as well as a bright red color. You can find it in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops or buy it online from Amazon.
- Seasoning - I use a simple spice blend of salt, freshly ground black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, chili flakes, and thyme.
How to Make Chicken Doner Kebab - Tavuk Döner at Home?
Making this popular Turkish street food at home is extremely easy. However, there are a few simple steps to follow for you to achieve the best results:
Prepare the Marinade
Blitz the tomato, onion, and parsley to a smooth pure. Place the pure into a bowl along with yogurt, olive oil, garlic powder, tomato paste, freshly ground black pepper, salt, paprika, flaked chili, and dried thyme.
Mix everything until well combined, then add the chicken thighs, tossing them until they’re fully coated with the marinade.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. For the best flavor, let it marinate overnight. Soak 2 bamboo skewers in water while chicken is marinating.
Build the Chicken Doner Kebab
Push half an onion onto two skewers that have been soaked, making sure the flat side rests on a flat surface.
Start threading the chicken thighs onto the skewers, pressing each piece tightly together in layers.
Once done, secure the stack with the other half of the onion on top. Keep your oven's or BBQ lid's height in mind before you start skewering the chicken.
If you're using a BBQ to cook your chicken doner, place it in a disposable aluminum tray. If you're cooking it in the oven, you can use a baking tray instead.
Cooking the Tavuk Doner on BBQ
Heat the grill to 205℃ (400°F), which is medium-high on most grills. Place the aluminum tray with the chicken doner on the grill and close the lid.
Let it cook for about 1 hour, until nicely charred and well-cooked on the outside. Remove the tray from the BBQ and slice off the outer layers of the chicken doner.
Place the doner back on the grill and continue cooking. You might need to repeat this process a few times, depending on the thickness of your chicken doner. Once all the chicken doner is cooked and sliced, return the slices to the aluminum tray and warm them up before serving.
Cooking the Tavuk Doner in Oven
Set your oven to 205°C (400°F). Place the prepared chicken doner stack into a large baking tray with edges or walls. Remove all the oven racks except the lowest one to ensure the base of your doner doesn’t touch the oven floor.
Place the tray with the chicken doner in the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes, until the outer layers are nicely charred. Remove the tray from the oven and slice off the outer layers of the chicken doner.
Return the doner to the oven and continue cooking. You may need to repeat this process a few times, depending on the thickness of your chicken doner. Once all the chicken doner is cooked and sliced, place the slices back in the baking tray and warm them in the hot oven before serving.
How to Serve Chicken Doner Kebab
Briefly warm your flatbreads in a dry pan or directly over a gas flame for a few seconds on each side.
Place a few slices of chicken in the center of each flatbread. Top with slices of tomato, cucumber, grilled green pepper, and Sumac Onions - Turkish Red Onion Salad, and drizzle on a generous amount of Shawarma White Sauce over the top. I sometimes add Pickled Red Cabbage for extra tanginess.
Fold the flatbread around the filling and serve immediately. If you like, you can also wrap the kebab in parchment paper to make it easier to eat.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- I prefer using chicken thighs as they are generally more flavorful and juicier than chicken breasts.
- The longer the chicken marinates, the more flavorful it will be. If you’re short on time, try to marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours.
- If you have access to a grill, consider grilling the chicken instead of roasting. The grill adds a nice char and smoky flavor that pairs perfectly with the marinade.
- Keep your oven's or BBQ lid's height in mind before you start skewering the chicken.
Storage and Reheating
Store the cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can freeze the cooked chicken. Place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
You can reheat the chicken in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can marinate the chicken the day before and cook it when you’re ready to serve. The cooked chicken can also be stored in the fridge and reheated.
Absolutely! You can freeze the marinated chicken for up to 2 months. Just thaw it in the fridge before cooking.
Although chicken thighs are recommended for their juiciness and flavor, you can also use chicken breasts if you prefer a leaner option.
Related Recipes
For more delicious and famous Turkish kebab recipes to try at home, why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this popular street food Chicken Doner Kebab - Tavuk Döner at home as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
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Chicken Doner Kebab - Tavuk Döner
Equipment
Ingredients
- 800 g chicken thighs
- 2 small tomatoes
- 1 medium onion
- ¼ bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoon yogurt
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 large onion (cut in half)
Instructions
Preparing the Marinade
- Blitz the tomato, onion, and parsley to a smooth pure.
- Place the pure into a bowl along with yogurt, olive oil, garlic powder, tomato paste, freshly ground black pepper, salt, paprika, flaked chili, and dried thyme.
- Mix everything until well combined, then add the chicken thighs, tossing them until they’re fully coated with the marinade.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. For the best flavor, let it marinate overnight.
- Soak 2 bamboo skewers in water while chicken is marinating.
Building the Chicken Doner Kebab
- Push half an onion onto two skewers that have been soaked, making sure the flat side rests on a flat surface.
- Start threading the chicken thighs onto the skewers, pressing each piece tightly together in layers. Once done, secure the stack with the other half of the onion on top. Keep your oven's or BBQ lid's height in mind before you start skewering the chicken.
- If you're using a BBQ to cook your chicken doner, place it in a disposable aluminum tray. If you're cooking it in the oven, you can use a baking tray instead.
Cooking the Tavuk Doner on BBQ
- Heat the grill to 205℃ (400°F), which is medium-high on most grills.
- Place the aluminum tray with the chicken doner on the grill and close the lid. Let it cook for about 1 hour, until nicely charred and well-cooked on the outside.
- Remove the tray from the BBQ and slice off the outer layers of the chicken doner.
- Place the doner back on the grill and continue cooking. You might need to repeat this process a few times, depending on the thickness of your chicken doner.
- Once all the chicken doner is cooked and sliced, return the slices to the aluminum tray and warm them up before serving.
Cooking the Tavuk Doner in Oven
- Set your oven to 205°C (400°F).
- Place the prepared chicken doner stack into a large baking tray with edges or walls.
- Remove all the oven racks except the lowest one to ensure the base of your doner doesn’t touch the oven floor.
- Place the tray with the chicken doner in the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes, until the outer layers are nicely charred.
- Remove the tray from the oven and slice off the outer layers of the chicken doner.
- Return the doner to the oven and continue cooking. You may need to repeat this process a few times, depending on the thickness of your chicken doner.
- Once all the chicken doner is cooked and sliced, place the slices back in the baking tray and warm them in the hot oven before serving.
Serving Chicken Doner Kebab
- Briefly warm your flatbreads in a dry pan or directly over a gas flame for a few seconds on each side.
- Place a few slices of chicken in the center of each flatbread. Top with slices of tomato, cucumber, lettuce, and Sumac Onions - Turkish Red Onion Salad. I sometimes add Pickled Red Cabbage for extra tanginess.
- I usually skip the sauce but you can add a drizzle of garlic yogurt sauce or tahini sauce over the top. You can make your own garlic yogurt sauce by mixing plain yogurt with minced garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.
- Fold the flatbread around the filling and serve immediately. If you like, you can also wrap the kebab in parchment paper to make it easier to eat.
Notes
- I prefer using chicken thighs as they are generally more flavorful and juicier than chicken breasts.
- The longer the chicken marinates, the more flavorful it will be. If you’re short on time, try to marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours.
- If you have access to a grill, consider grilling the chicken instead of roasting. The grill adds a nice char and smoky flavor that pairs perfectly with the marinade.
- Keep your oven's or BBQ lid's height in mind before you start skewering the chicken.
Ally
I really wanted to love this, but the ingredient list didn't have salt and as a result I didn't add any and the chicken was quite bland. After re-reading the instructions it does mention to add salt. I ended up having to add it after the fact.
Ayla Clulee
Hi Ally,
Thank you for your feedback, and I apologize for the oversight. The salt was missing from the ingredients list, even though it was mentioned a few times in the instructions. I’ve updated the recipe to include it and to ensure this doesn't happen again. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention and hope you'll give the recipe another try with the adjustment.
Best wishes
Ayla
Liliana
The whole family loved it! It was so easy to make it in the oven but I will give it a go on the BBQ when the summer is back. Thank you for sharing it!
Ayla Clulee
Hi Liliana,
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, it made my day!
Best wishes
Ayla x