How to Make Doner at Home
Who would have thought you could make a döner at home yourself? I certainly didn’t, after all, we don’t have one of those rotating spits in our kitchen cupboards, nor that iron tool they use to slice the meat. But if there’s one meal Josh and I truly miss here, it’s döner. And funny enough, I still remember that I didn’t even like my first döner! Many years have passed since then, and now I appreciate the rolled-up meat, the three little leaves of lettuce, and the single slice of tomato tucked into the flatbread.
Near us, there’s a food stand offering “Berlin-style” döner, which is very tasty, but flavor-wise it doesn’t remind me of the one from back home at all. On top of that, I don’t want to spend 17 dollars on a kebab every time. (I still remember when a döner cost CHF 9.50!) When I saw a video on Instagram showing how easy it is to make döner at home, we had to try it right away. After a bit of tweaking and adjusting the recipe, I’m pretty happy with the final result.
Döner Recipe for 4 People
Meat
700 g ground meat
1 yellow onion
2 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp paprika
Sauce
1/2 cup (125ml) ketchup
1/3 cup (75ml) mayonnaise
4 tbsp salsa verde
Wrap
4 large tortillas
Iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 red onion, sliced into strips
2 tomatoes, sliced
French fries
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Grate the onion using a box grater, then squeeze out the excess liquid. This step really needs to be done with a grater, as you want to create a purée-like consistency. In a large bowl, mix all the meat ingredients, including the onion. Divide the meat mixture into 4–5 portions. Roll each portion thinly between two sheets of parchment paper (about 3 mm thick). Starting from the short side, roll up the parchment paper with the meat inside and place it on a baking tray. Repeat with the remaining portions. Bake the meat in the oven for 15–20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the French fries according to the package instructions.
Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Slice the tomatoes, lettuce, and onion and set aside.
Unroll the cooked meat, tear it slightly into strips, and fry it in a pan until lightly browned.
Fill each tortilla with one quarter of the sauce, meat, tomatoes, lettuce, and onion, then roll it up. Serve the doner with French fries on the side and enjoy.
