🇹🇷 Turkish Cuisine · Main Dishes

Döner Kebab

Prep

30 mins

Cook

2 hrs

Serves

8

Difficulty

Hard

Seasoned lamb and veal stacked on a vertical spit, slowly roasted and shaved to order into flatbread with salad.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg lamb shoulder
  • 2 cups rice pilaf
  • a handful of sliced scallions
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried mint
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 200g ripe tomatoes
  • a handful of fresh dill, chopped
  • plain yogurt, for serving
  • 2 cups beef stock

Instructions

  1. 1

    Pat the lamb shoulder dry, season generously with salt, pepper, and Aleppo pepper, and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb the flavors.

  2. 2

    Heat unsalted butter in a wide pan or heavy pot over medium-high heat and sear the lamb shoulder until browned on all sides, then remove and set aside.

  3. 3

    In the same pan, gently cook the minced garlic and finely chopped red onion over medium heat until softened and fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.

  4. 4

    Stir in the ground cumin and green peppers, cooking for a few more minutes so the spices bloom and coat the vegetables.

  5. 5

    Return the lamb shoulder to the pan, pour in the water, and bring everything to a gentle simmer.

  6. 6

    Cover and cook over low heat until the lamb shoulder is tender and cooked through, roughly 2 hrs.

Tips

For deeper flavor, marinate the lamb shoulder for at least an hour — or overnight — before cooking.

Leftovers taste even better the next day once the spices have had time to mingle — reheat gently over low heat.

A squeeze of lemon or a final scattering of mint just before serving brightens up all the deep, slow-cooked flavors.