Doner Kebab
Updated Dec 05, 2025
Try this viral TikTok doner kebab recipe made in the oven. Roll the seasoned meat in parchment paper, bake until tender, then slice thin for easy weeknight dinners.
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Homemade Doner Kebab
Have you tried the viral doner kebab that’s going around TikTok? It’s a hack for making the popular Turkish street food in the oven using ground beef, onion, garlic, greek yogurt and spices. The key is mixing everything together really well, then rolling it tightly in parchment paper and baking it in the oven. It creates thin slices of beef without using a spinning spit. This method was shared by Meze Mike and I just think it’s so cool!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Doner Kebab Ingredients
- Ground beef: I like using 85% lean because it has enough fat to keep the meat tender without being greasy. You can use 90% lean if that’s what you have, but the texture will be a little firmer. You can sub with ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Onion: Grate the onion instead of dicing it. The grated texture helps it blend right into the meat, and the extra moisture helps keep everything juicy.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic works best. If you’re out, ¾ teaspoon of garlic powder will work (since 1 clove = ¼ teaspoon).
- Greek yogurt: This helps tenderize the meat and adds a little tang. Use whole-milk yogurt if you have it, but low-fat works too.
- Seasoning: You’ll need cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. These are classic spices for Turkish-style meat. You can adjust the cumin and coriander depending on how warm you want the flavor.
How to Make Doner Kebab
Place the parchment-wrapped logs onto the prepared baking sheet. Add the onions and tomatoes on the side and bake.
Doner Kebab
Try this viral TikTok doner kebab recipe made in the oven. Roll the seasoned meat in parchment paper, bake until tender, then slice thin for easy weeknight dinners.
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
- 1 large onion grated
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large red onion sliced into wedges
- 2 Roma tomatoes sliced into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Add the ground beef, grated onion, garlic, yogurt, cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Divide the mixture in the bowl into four equal portions.
- Place one portion in the center of a sheet of parchment about 12×16. Place another parchment paper the same size on top and use your hands or a rolling pin to roll the beef mixture into a thin rectangle, the shape of the parchment paper..
- Starting from the long side, fold the parchment over the meat and roll it tightly until it forms a flat, compact log. Repeat with the three portions of meat.
- Place the parchment-wrapped logs onto the prepared baking sheet. Add the onions and tomatoes on the side. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Let the logs cool just enough to handle. Unroll, break the meat apart into small chunks or thin slices, and return it to the baking sheet.
- Broil for 2-3 minutes, just until lightly golden with crisp edges.
- Serve in warm pita with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, and tahini sauce.
Equipment
Notes
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet or the oven until warmed through, or give it a quick warm-up in the microwave.
Freezing: Freeze the doner kebab, either cooked or uncooked, for up to 3 months. Cooked: Slice the baked meat, lay the pieces flat on a sheet pan, freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag. Reheat straight from frozen in a skillet or in the oven. Uncooked: Lay the pieces flat on a sheet pan, freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag. Cook it straight from frozen; just add an extra 5 minutes to the cook time.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25pounds, Calories: 263kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 78mg, Sodium: 371mg, Potassium: 404mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 142IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Recipe Tips
- Mix really well. Take a minute to mix the beef thoroughly. The more the meat binds together, the better the slices will hold up after baking. But it may still break apart which is completely normal!
- Grate the onion finely. If the onion pieces are too large, the meat mixture won’t hold as tightly. Grating helps the texture and flavor mix evenly.
- Roll the parchment tightly. Press out any air pockets and make the log as compact as possible. This is what gives you those clean slices.
- Watch the broiler closely. The meat can go from lightly crisp to too dark quickly. Keep an eye on it and pull it once the edges just start to brown.
Serving Ideas
- In a pita: Wrap it in a Lebanese-style thin pita or stuff it in a pita pocket, drizzled with tahini or garlic sauce and any veggies.
- On a salad: It goes great with Mediterranean salads like Shirazi Salad, Fattoush Salad or Cabbage Salad or a simple Cucumber Yogurt Salad.
- On top of rice: Try it with my Lebanese Rice, Lemon Rice or Saffron Rice
- With roasted veggies: Try it with Roasted Potatoes, Roasted Zucchini, or a Roasted Green Beans.
More Beef Recipes
- Suya West African beef kabobs
- Kibbeh Nayyeh
- Turkish Pasta
- Lebanese Chicken and Beef Rice
- Easy Steak Gyros
- Arayes meat stuffed pitas
- Baked Kibbeh
- Grilled Beef Kafta
Comments
can I make this in an airfryer?
I haven’t tried it, but it should work! I recommend air frying the shaped meat directly rather than using the parchment rolling method. Mix and shape the seasoned meat into 4 flat logs or oval patties. Air fry at 375°F for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the meat is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. Then slice or crumble the meat into smaller pieces and air fry for another 2–3 minutes to get those crispy, caramelized edges that make doner meat so good. You can air fry the onion and tomato wedges alongside the meat if your basket is large enough, or cook them separately for 6–8 minutes until tender and lightly charred. Just be careful not to overcrowd the basket, or the meat will steam instead of browning. Working in batches is best if needed. Hope that helps!
Very good method for making doner kebab. My family really enjoyed it and son packed up all of the leftovers to take for lunch the next day. Next time I will probably try 1/2 beef and 1/2 lamb as well as a different spice blend. Thank you for posting the recipe; I’m not a TikTok person!
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe! Love that your son took the leftovers for lunch to enjoy it again. Half beef and half lamb is so good. I hope you enjoy that, too! Thanks for sharing!
This was amazing! Huge hit in my house and will be out into my cycle for sure. And I did do the half lamb and it was great.
One question- can you freeze the rolled meat before cooking it? I would love to be able to make a few of these at a time, freeze them, and take it out when needed.
Thanks!
I’m so glad you loved it!! And yes absolutely you can freeze the rolled meat and you can cook it straight from frozen! Just add an extra 5 minutes to the cook time.
Thank you for the confirmation, and will try this recipe out this weekend, looks great!
Hope you enjoy!
Can you please confirm the time in the oven, recipe, said 45 min, but in the text you said 15 min cook time, with 2-3 min in broiler.
thanks!
You’re right, thanks for calling that out! I just updated the recipe card to have a cook time of 18 minutes (bake for 15 minutes, broil for 2–3 minutes). Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thank you for the confirmation, and will try this recipe out this weekend, looks great!
really interested in trying this, would i need to change the recipe if I replace ground beef with pork?
I haven’t tried it because I don’t eat pork, but it should work! It may brown and crisp up a little faster than ground beef, so just keep an eye on it during the last 2–3 minutes.
Have you tried with a combo of half lamb half beef? 🙂
Hi! I haven’t tried half lamb and half beef, but some commenters have! Lamb can sometimes have a little more fat, which can slightly affect the flavor and juiciness. But if you like the taste of lamb, you should really enjoy the combo!
I made this tonight and it was amazing. The meat was so juicy and full of flavor, I paired mine with tzatziki sauce and it’s going to be a new staple. I just wish this recipe was available on Pinterest so I never lose it !!
Hi! I’m so happy you thought it was amazing! There are two ways to save the recipe on Pinterest: Scroll down and tap the Pinterest flag that appears on the left side of the page (above the Facebook flag), or tap the Pinterest logo on any recipe photo. Let me know if you still can’t find it!
This is such a great technique and the meat was so delicious!
I’m so glad the recipe worked for you and that you enjoyed it, Laura!
I prepared this delicious homemade recipe for my husband and myself, and it turned out to be absolutely amazing, with perfectly balanced flavors and a comforting homemade touch.
Yay! I’m so happy to hear you both loved it!
Other than this being more of a weekend recipe in our house, with making four even rolls among the prep, this recipe is amazing. I can’t believe how beefy yet juicy those yogurt and ground beef rolls turned out. The spices were flavorful, so this is now in our monthly rotation. Enjoy! This was yummy on pita but I’m sure it would also be good on lavash, naan, or a sturdy lettuce roll.
Love that this recipe made your monthly weekend rotation, Kelly! Every time I make it, it amazes me, too. Enjoy!
These were INCREDIBLE!!!! My son and husband both loved them as well. So good and so easy!
I’m so happy to hear that, Aimee! I love it when something is a hit with the whole family!
This sounds wonderful!! Can you make it with ground lamb? If so, what seasonings would you use??
Hi Debbi, you can definitely make it with ground lamb with the same seasonings! I’d love to hear how it turns out if you end up trying it!
If I use 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 lamb, would the cooking time in the pressed, rolled up parchment paper change from 15 mins to more or less?
Hi! Using half ground beef and half ground lamb shouldn’t really change the cooking time. Since both meats are ground and shaped into the same thin pressed log, they cook at very similar rates, so the 15 minutes at 400°F should still work just fine. Lamb can sometimes have a little more fat, but that mainly affects flavor and juiciness, not the bake time. Hope that helps!
Are the Greek Giro spices the same ? If not what would those spices be?
Hi! For this doner kebab recipe, I use cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. In my steak gyro recipe, I use just oregano, salt, and pepper. But if you prefer one flavor over the other, you can use the doner kebab spices for the gyros, and vice versa! Hope that helps!
This turned out so fabulous! Even though I made it myself, I still couldn’t believe that the slices were from ground meat. Simple and delicious. I have leftovers for tomorrow and I can’t wait.
I love this so much! It really does feel like magic the first time you slice into it and realize it’s just ground meat. I’m so glad you found it simple and delicious. That’s always the goal. And honestly, leftovers might be even better the next day. I love reheating the slices in a skillet to get those crispy edges and tucking them into a wrap or piling them over a salad. Thank you so much for sharing this, it makes me so happy to hear it turned out so well for you!
I did try your doner kebab method and it was outstanding! Super easy to make and bursting with flavor.
That makes me so happy! I’m glad you thought it was outstanding!
Easy and delicious! My kids love it!
Love that it was a hit with the whole family!
You say to roll from the long side (16″ side), but it looks like you’re doing it from the short side (14″ side) – can you confirm? I guess 2″ wouldn’t make a lot of difference, except maybe for a roll.
Hi Sandra, I roll them from the longer side! Hope you like the recipe!
How do you think ground venison would do in this recipe?
Hi Michelle, I haven’t tested it with ground venison. Venison is leaner than 85% ground beef, so if you use it as-is, the kebab can turn out a little dry and crumbly, especially since this recipe bakes first and then broils. You could try mixing in 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil to add fat. And since venison cooks quickly, check it around 12–13 minutes to avoid overcooking before broiling. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
It came out perfectly! Thanks for the amazing recipe that is absolutely going into regular rotation! ☺️
Aww, that makes me so happy to hear, Karen! I’m so glad you liked it!
Had excellent results with 85/15 ground turkey. I would add a bunch more spice and little more salt to the ground turkey for my tongue. Haven’t tried with beef/lamb but the ground turkey needed a little more oomph. Otherwise it cooked up perfectly! I didn’t have coriander so used chopped parsley. Food processor left some big pieces after I grated it in there and I left some of the thin and less chunky big pieces in and had no issues. Cheers and thanks!
Yay, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it, Sam!
Made this yesterday when I had an intense craving for HSP but on a weight loss trajectory. Followed the recipe to the T and it came out PERFECT. Tasted just as good as it was in my head.
I used weight watchers extra lean beef mince and sprayed some avocado oil before broiling, and it crisped out the edges of the meat nicely. Paired it with lower-carb wrap, iceberg lettuce+cabbage mix and all other “modified” HSP-esque sauces. Heavenly! Kids had theirs on top of air fried chippies.
Kids are requesting leftovers for their lunchbox, so that’s another win.
Thank you for this recipe!
Hmmm what else you got? 😏
That IS a win, Amy! I’m so glad everyone liked it!
What are you using for the pita? Looks delicious!
It’s a Lebanese-style thin pita! You can also make your own pita pocket: Homemade Pita Bread
Hi, any ideas on how to meal prep this? Loved the recipe.
So glad you loved it! This recipe freezes well for easy future meals. Just slice the baked meat, lay the pieces flat on a sheet pan, freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag. It will keep for up to 3 months and you can reheat straight from frozen in a skillet or in the oven. The leftovers also last 4 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. Hope that helps!
Hi Yumna. Will this work well with ground lamb? I have already defrosted it. Shall I add something to make sure it works or just directly sub it into the recipe instead of beef?
Yes, it should! I’d love to hear how it turns out if you end up trying it!
Hi Yumna, these look so tasty! I want to give them a try but I don’t eat beef. Do you think I could use ground turkey instead? Thanks 🌺
Yup! You can use ground turkey or ground chicken. Hope you enjoy!!
Made this tonight. It was excellent. We doubled most of the spices and it turned out great. Will definitely be saving this one!
Amazing!! So glad you loved it, Shawna. Thank you!!
This was easy to make and came out delicious. This is much healthier than buying gyro meat from the freezer section. I paired mine with homemade tzatziki sauce and feta.
Yum, that sounds so good! Love the pairings!! So glad you liked it and found it easy to make, Sherry. Thanks so much!
This recipe is AMAZING!! So many possibilities for the meat – on a Greek salad, in a Mediterranean rice bowl, or a Mediterranean wrap. Will definitely become part of our regular rotation. Thank you!
Aww, I’m so happy you liked it!! Thank you, Holly!
This works great and tastes good as well! Seems as though this method could work nicely for gyro as well. Have you heard of anyone trying this?
Yay, so glad you liked it!! I haven’t tried it for gyro but that sounds great. Let me know how it turns out if you end up trying it!
Do you have a recipe for the doner sauce they use in Germany?
I don’t, so sorry!
Looks delicious! Wondering if you have any recommendations for a substitute for the Greek yogurt that is non-dairy?
Your favorite non-dairy yogurt will work!
Hi I love this. Can I prep the day before and roll meat on baking paper etc and bake it the next day? Thank you!
Yes absolutely! That’s totally fine. Just keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it.
Looks so good. I have to try this one. Thanks so much.
I hope you enjoy, Luca!!
Would you recommend freezing this recipe? Thank you
Yes. Slice the baked meat, lay the pieces flat on a sheet pan, freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag. They’ll keep up to 3 months. Reheat straight from frozen in a skillet or in the oven.
Instant hit, you never let us down!
Amazing!! So glad you liked it!
Would it be possible to substitute ground turkey in this recipe (red meat allergy)?
Yes, ground turkey would totally work!
Great! Thank you so much for responding! Cannot wait to try it!!!
What about ground chicken?
Yup! That would work great! I might actually do a video soon with ground chicken. Stay tuned!
Dinner tonight and it’s soooo good!
Yay!! Aww, that makes me so happy to hear! Thank you!!