Chicken Doner Kebab

Name: Chicken Doner Kebab
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin strips; 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice; 3 clove garlic cloves, minced fine; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp kosher salt; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 4 piece pita bread rounds, preferably pocket-style; 1 cup iceberg or romaine lettuce, finely shredded; 2 medium ripe tomatoes, diced small; 1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced; 0.5 cup red onion, sliced paper-thin; 0.5 cup thick Greek yogurt, full-fat preferred; 1 tbsp tahini paste, well-stirred; 1 clove garlic clove, grated on microplane; 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Turkish Chicken Doner — Vertical Spit-Inspired Chicken with Garlic Tahini Sauce

Thinly sliced chicken thighs soak up a punchy marinade of cumin, paprika, and lemon, then get seared until crispy-edged and perfectly charred. Without a rotating spit, a hot skillet delivers all the concentrated flavors and caramelized bits that make doner irresistible.

Middle EasternTurkishLunchDinnerHigh ProteinQuick MealsChicken

Prep30 min

Cook25 min

Total55 min

Servings4

Difficultymedium

Nutrition

fat18g

carbs42g

protein38g

calories485

Ingredients

Meat

2 lbboneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin strips

Marinade

3 tbspextra virgin olive oil
2 tbspfresh lemon juice
3 clovegarlic cloves, minced fine
1 tspsweet paprika
1 tspground cumin
1 tspdried oregano
1 tspkosher salt
½ tspfreshly ground black pepper

Assembly

4 piecepita bread rounds, preferably pocket-style
1 cupiceberg or romaine lettuce, finely shredded
2 mediumripe tomatoes, diced small
1 mediumcucumber, seeded and diced
½ cupred onion, sliced paper-thin

Sauce

½ cupthick Greek yogurt, full-fat preferred
1 tbsptahini paste, well-stirred
1 clovegarlic clove, grated on microplane
1 tbspfresh lemon juice

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper until the spices are fully dissolved. The mixture should smell intensely aromatic and look slightly orange from the paprika.
Toss the sliced chicken into the marinade and use your hands to coat every piece thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for exactly 20 minutes — long enough to penetrate the meat but not so long that the acid breaks down the texture.
⏱ 20 min
Meanwhile, prepare the tahini sauce by whisking together the yogurt, tahini, grated garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl. The tahini might resist at first, but keep whisking until the sauce is completely smooth. Set aside at room temperature.
Place your largest skillet over medium-high heat and let it get properly hot — a drop of water should sizzle and evaporate immediately. Don't add oil; the chicken brings its own from the marinade.
Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add the marinated chicken to the hot skillet in a single layer. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits, until the pieces are golden-brown and cooked through with no pink remaining.
⏱ 8 min
Warm the pita bread either in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side, or wrapped in a damp paper towel in the microwave for 1 minute. You want them flexible and warm, not crispy.
⏱ 1 min
Split open each pita pocket carefully and layer in the hot chicken first, followed by the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion. Pack the fillings snugly but don't overstuff.
Generously drizzle the tahini sauce over the fillings and serve immediately while the chicken is still steaming. These are best eaten right away, before the bread gets soggy.