Turkish Döner Meat Layers (Printable Version)

Tender, spiced Turkish döner meat slow-cooked and sliced paper-thin, ideal for flatbreads or rice dishes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meat

01 - 2.2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or beef sirloin, thinly sliced
02 - 3.5 ounces lamb fat or beef fat, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Marinade

03 - 5.3 ounces plain Greek yogurt
04 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 large onion, grated and juice squeezed out
07 - 2 teaspoons ground cumin
08 - 2 teaspoons ground coriander
09 - 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
10 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 - 1 ½ teaspoons salt
13 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
14 - ½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

→ To Serve (optional)

15 - Warm pita or flatbread
16 - Sliced tomatoes
17 - Sliced onions
18 - Shredded lettuce
19 - Cucumber slices
20 - Yogurt or garlic sauce

# Method:

01 - Combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
02 - Add the thinly sliced meat and optional fat to the marinade, ensuring all pieces are well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
03 - Preheat the oven to 400°F or prepare a vertical rotisserie if available.
04 - If using an oven, thread the marinated meat tightly onto metal skewers to form a compact stack, or layer it tightly in a loaf pan.
05 - Roast the assembled meat on a rack over a baking tray for 1 hour, basting occasionally with pan juices. For a browned finish, increase the temperature to 430°F for the final 15 minutes.
06 - Allow the cooked meat to rest for 10 minutes, then slice thinly using a sharp knife.
07 - Serve immediately with warm flatbread and fresh vegetable toppings as desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The yogurt marinade breaks down the meat into silk while the spices sink deep—no dry, rubbery results.
  • Skip the restaurant markup and make restaurant-quality döner at home with ingredients you can actually find.
  • One batch feeds six people and tastes even better the next day, making weeknight dinners feel effortless.
02 -
  • Don't skip the squeeze on that grated onion—watery marinade dilutes the spice impact and makes meat cook unevenly.
  • Tight layering is everything; loose stacking means you're essentially roasting individual pieces instead of one unified, juicy slab.
  • A truly sharp knife makes the difference between meat that shreds and meat that slices into perfect, thin sheets.
03 -
  • If you have access to a vertical rotisserie or can rig one on your grill, thread the meat onto a long skewer and rotate it slowly—this is as close as you'll get to authentic, and the exterior crisps beautifully.
  • Save those pan juices and spoon them over rice or into your sauce; they're pure flavor concentration and too good to discard.
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