Sheet-Pan Döner Kebab
Updated Dec. 30, 2025

- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2medium onions, cut into large dice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2pounds ground lamb or 85- to 90-percent ground beef
- Heaping ½ cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt, plus ½ cup for the sauce
- 1½tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1½tablespoons dried oregano
- 1½tablespoons ground cumin
- 1½tablespoons garlic powder
- 1tablespoon crushed red pepper (preferably Aleppo pepper), or less to taste
- 1tablespoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1tablespoon black pepper
- Lemon wedges, for squeezing
- Pita bread, sliced tomato, lettuce and thinly sliced onions, for serving
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Step 2
In a food processor, blend onions with olive oil until a paste forms. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Step 3
To the bowl, add lamb, yogurt, spices, salt and pepper. Using clean hands, mix everything until the mixture is evenly brown with no visible pockets of spices or onions.
- Step 4
Place a 12-by-16-inch sheet of parchment paper on a clean counter or cutting board. Top the sheet with a heaping handful of the mixture and lay another sheet of parchment on top. Using a rolling pin, roll the mixture between the two sheets so it’s about ¼-inch thick.
- Step 5
Working from the longest side, begin rolling parchment onto itself like a cinnamon roll. If some of the mixture spills out the ends, it’s OK — just tuck it back in as best as you can. Place the roll onto a rimmed sheet pan.
- Step 6
Repeat the previous two steps with the remaining lamb mixture, laying the rolled parchments next to one another on the sheet pan. (You should have about four rolls.)
- Step 7
Bake until the parchment rolls have released their fat onto the sheet pan, about 20 minutes, and remove from oven. Pour any drippings into a small bowl. Return pan to oven and bake for 15 minutes more, until the parchment begins turning a dark brown. Let cool on the pan.
- Step 8
Once the rolls are cool enough to handle, carefully unroll them: Hold one side of the parchment and lift slightly so the cooked lamb mixture falls out naturally onto the sheet pan. Repeat with all the rolls. They should naturally break into pieces, but if they don’t, you can use kitchen shears to create strips, about 3 inches long for easier pita building. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the cooked meat.
- Step 9
To serve, add the remaining ½ cup yogurt to the reserved drippings and stir. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper if desired.
- Step 10
Serve cooked lamb immediately with pita, tomato, lettuce, onions and yogurt sauce. Leftovers can be wrapped and kept refrigerated for a few days.
Private Notes
Comments
This is a recipe that could greatly benefit by adding a video showing how to.
@Bill Respectfully, bill, no one is saying you can’t, but then you’d have a smash burger in a pita, which is not the same as a doner kebab. They’re similar in some ways, but not the same. It be that way with recipes.
Broil the meat after you’ve unraveled it to get it extra crispy! I also tried this recipe with ground turkey and it worked great! Ate it on a bed of cucumber yogurt sauce
Made exactly as directed. Perfect and just like the delicious donner kebab I've had from stands, trucks and cafes. Thank you for providing an at-home method. About to make a second batch.
This technique is amazing and the spices are spot on. We didn't have pita, so served the meat and yogurt sauce with a village salad and home baked bread. Yum!
Delicious! Definitely takes more than 5 minutes of prep but worth the effort. As someone who loves spice, I found a full tablespoon of red pepper to be a bit much. Would recommend to use less if subbing for the Aleppo. I read the comments too late and threw it in the oven without removing the top sheets of parchment paper. It came out just fine.
