Doner Kebab

Prior to our trip to Germany I had heard about Doner Kebabs and was told to try one while I was there. They aren't German but for some reason it was on the list to try. We didn't get to try one. That being said, it's always been on my mind to do so. 

These were amazing. In fact, they were added to the 2025 favorites list. I cannot express how delicious these were. 

There are a couple of ways to eat these; in a wrap or over rice. I chose in a wrap. My wrap consisted of a layer of hummus, then a layer of the garlic yogurt, then the chicken and finally topped with chopped cucumber and chopped cherry tomatoes. 

Y'all...messy is a way to describe this, but DELICIOUS to the extreme.

I will be making this again.

Doner Kebab

Recipe from Carlsbad Craving

Serves 4

CHICKEN AND MARINADE

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut in half
• 1/2 c plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2 T tomato paste
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp EACH ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp EACH garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, dried oregano
• ½ tsp EACH ground cinnamon, cayenne pepper, pepper

GARLIC YOGURT SAUCE

• 1 c Greek yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 T lemon juice
• 2 T finely chopped parsley
• 1 T finely chopped mint
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp EACH ground cumin, ground coriander, pepper

MARINADE

Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Add chicken halves and stir to thoroughly coat. Cover and refrigerate 8-24 hours.

GARLIC YOGURT SAUCE

Whisk the Garlic Yogurt Sauce ingredient together in a medium bowl. Chill until ready to serve. The sauce can be made at the time you start marinating the chicken or aim for at least an hour before cooking the chicken.

SKEWER

Using 2 skewers for each kebab, thread one side of the thigh onto each skewer and then the other side; slide the skewered chicken down to the end (see photos in post or video). Repeat with half the chicken, pushing the chicken against each other. Repeat to make a second kabob with the remaining chicken.

TO GRILL:  

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Clean grates and generously grease with oil.

Once hot, add kebabs, and grill for 4-5 minutes without moving. Flip kebabs over and grill the other side an addition 4-5 minutes.

Next, flip chicken over, COVER and reduce heat so it maintains 400 degrees F with the lid closed. Continue to cook, approximately 5-10 additional minutes per side turning once, until chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Remove from grill and let rest 5 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, add flatbread to the grill to warm up.

Stand the skewers upright on a cutting board and thinly slice chicken off.