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Barney's tips for the perfect homemade doner kebab:

  • I prefer to blitz the lamb mixture in a food processor rather than simply mixing it by hand. It gives the finished kebab a tighter, more compact texture and makes it much easier to carve into those characteristic thin slices.
  • When shaping the meat, I'll wrap the foil around it as tightly as I can and twist the ends securely. This helps the kebab hold its shape as it cooks and gives you a neat log that's easier to slice.
  • Don't skip the final blast under the grill. I let the outside become deeply browned and slightly crisp before carving - that extra caramelisation gives the meat much more of a classic doner-style finish.
  • For even crispier meat, I'll slice the cooked doner thinly, spread the pieces over a baking tray and pop them back under the grill for a minute or two. I keep a close eye on them, as the thin edges can colour quickly
We made this recipe with La Chinata smoked paprika. La Chinata is our go-to brand for smoked paprika because it has a good depth of flavour which adds a smoky edge without being overpowering. 

Units:

To serve

  • pitta breads
    shredded red or white cabbage, sliced onion, chopped tomatoes, pickled chillies, chilli sauce (see recipe below), garlic sauce (see recipe below), tahini
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Nutrition: Per serving (not including pittas and sides)

  • kcal224
  • fat12g
  • saturates5g
  • carbs9g
  • sugars1g
    low
  • fibre1g
  • protein18g
    high
  • salt0.32g
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Method

  • step 1

    Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip all the ingredients except the oil into a food processor with a large pinch of salt and lots of ground pepper. Pulse until everything is combined and chopped together. You can also just squish everything together in a bowl but this will give you a looser finish.

  • step 2

    Oil a large sheet of foil, tip the meat mix in the middle and mould to a very thick sausage, roughly the shape of an aubergine. Roll up the foil tightly, twisting up the ends to create a Christmas cracker shape.

  • step 3

    Lay on a shallow roasting tin and roast in the oven for 35-40 mins, turning occasionally, or until a digital cooking thermometer reads 75C when pierced in the middle. Leave the kebab to cool a little, then unwrap the foil. Place back on the tray and brown under the grill or with a blowtorch.

  • step 4

    Place on a board and carve into thin slices. For full doner mode, you can hold the kebab up with a roasting fork or metal skewer and carve. Serve with warm pitta bread and any of the other accompaniments, including our chilli sauce and garlic yogurt sauce.

Barney Desmazery

As Good Food's longest-serving team member, Barney has written and tested thousands of recipes, worked with many of Britain's top chefs and created videos, live events and masterclasses. After gaining a chef's dipolma and working in restaurants across London, France and Australia, he joined Good Food, where he specialises in sourdough baking, foraging, seasonal ingredients and open-fire cooking. Discover more of Barney's recipes 

Barney Desmazery chef headshot
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A star rating of 4.2 out of 5.102 ratings
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