Homemade German Döner Kebab (Chicken Version)

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5 from 8 votes

Homemade German Döner Kebab (Chicken Version)

Course Main Course

Cuisine German

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Freezing Time 4

Total Time 4 20

Servings people

Calories 1310kcal

Author Marita

Equipment

cling film

Ingredients

500 g chicken 1.1 lb, breast or boneless thigh. You can also substitute it with bacon

Döner Spice Blend

2 tablespoon vegetable oil such as rapeseed oil or sunflower oil
2 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregani
½ teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

For the Garlic Sauce

6 tablespoon yogurt full fat, Greek yoghurt
2 tablespoon mayonaise
1 garlic clove grated
1 teaspoon dried dill if you are using fresh dill use 2 teaspoons
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the Chili Sauce

2 tomatoes
2 pointed peppers
2 garlic cloves
2 green chillies
30 g fresh parsley
1 tablespoon tomato paste
100 ml olive oil
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

For the Pide Bread

400 g flour 14 oz, 1.7 cups, Germany type 550, UK bread flour, USA all purpose flour
275 ml warm water 1.1 cup, 9 fl oz
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Nigella seeds
1 teaspoon Sesame seeds
2 tablespoon olive oil to brush the top

For the filling

200 g iceberg lettuce 7 oz shredded
200 g red cabbage 7 oz shredded
200 g white cabbage 7 oz shredded
100 g feta cheese 3.5 oz in cubes
2 tomatoes sliced
½ cucumber sliced

Instructions

Marinating the meat

Slice your chicken into small slices. If you are using chicken breast, you can slice it lengthwise into thin steaks. Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl and coat the chicken in it.
Now place the meat on a large sheet of cling film. Roll the meat in the film into a large roll, twisting the ends so it resembles a large candy. Fasten the rolls with kitchen twine, or bag clips and place them in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours.

Döner Bread (Pide)

Mix in instant yeast and sugar to the lukewarm water and let the yeast activate for 10 minutes. You should see bubbles forming on the surface. If they don't your water might have been too hot and you should start over again.
In the meantime preheat your oven to the lowest setting.
Combine the flour and the salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast water and knead the dough for approximately 5 minutes to a sticky dough.
Turn off your oven, and open the door for the heat to escape. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and place it in the oven to rise for about an hour.
Turn off your oven, and open the door for the heat to escape. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and place it in the oven to rise for about an hour.
Line a baking tray with parchment. Remove the dough from the oven. Cover your hands with some flour, as the dough is very sticky, and briefly knead again to remove any excess air. Now divide the dough into three parts.
You want the bread to be quite thick, so you will later be able to cut it and fill it. Form three oval-shaped pieces of bread directly onto the baking parchment, with a thickness of 2-3 cm. Dust the top with a little flour, as otherwise the top will be sticky. Cover with a tea towel and place it back in the turned-off, but warm oven for another hour.
Remove the tray from the oven and preheat the oven to 200°C/ 392°F top to bottom heat. Brush the top of the bread with some olive oil and sprinkle with nigella seeds and sesame. Bake the bread for 12-15 minutes.

Garlic Sauce

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and grate in the garlic clove and leave the rest in the fridge for an hour for the flavors to infuse.

Hot Chilli Sauce (Acili Ezme)

Quarter the tomatoes, deseed the red peppers, and peel then quarter the onion and garlic cloves and roughly chop them. Remove the stem of the chilies and deseed them (optional) if you do not like them too spicy. Add all into a food processor and blend until you get a smooth paste.
Add the olive oil, pomegranate molasses and tomato paste and stir until combined. The sauce will be very watery so leave it to drain in a fine hole sieve for an hour.
Finely cut up the parsley and mix it into the sauce before serving.

Frying the Meat

Remove the meat from the freezer.
With a long sharp knife, slice very thin strips of the meat. Should the meat still be too hard to cut, wait 5 minutes, and try again.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan, and fry the chicken until it crisps up.

Serve the Döner

This dish can be served at home as a "make your own" buffet. Add bowls of shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes and cucumber, finely sliced red and white cabbage, and some raw sliced onions. Slice the pide bread in half and slice an opening pocket on each side. Now you can fill those pockets to your heart's content.
Fill the bread as deep as possible, to max out the filling. Add the garlic sauce and chili sauce between the stuffing and adjust everything to your own taste.
For vegetarians you can offer falafel instead of chicken.

Notes

I would advise you to check out the step to step pictures on the main post.

Shortcuts

Buying the bread! These pide bread can be bought in most Turkish shops and bakeries. However, you can also replace it with products that are widely distributed such as pita bread or tortilla wraps.
Omit to freeze the meat. The purpose of freezing the meat is to enable you to slice the chicken extra thin. It helps the meat crisp up when you are frying it. But you could also omit this step. The chicken tastes similar, but the meat will be softer.
Replace the garlic sauce with store-bought Tzarsiki.
Replace the red sauce with Sriracha or dried chili flakes

Make Ahead

You can make the sauces and marinate the meat up to two days in advance. The pide bread tastes best freshly made, however, you could make this also two days in advance and just crisp it up in the oven before serving.

Storage Requirements

The cooked chicken and the Döner Sauces will stay good for three days in the fridge. Keep in airtight containers.

The pide bread tastes best fresh, as is the case with most yeast bread. Keep leftover bread wrapped airtight in a plastic bag. Crisp up in an oven or toaster if you like before serving.

Leftover garlic sauces can be used as a salad dressing. Both the red and white sauce are great dips for some nachos.

Nutrition