A doner would be incomplete without an authentic doner kebab sauce. In this recipe post, I'll show you the three recipes for the most popular doner sauces: creamy white yogurt garlic sauce, spicy red sauce, and flavorful green mint sauce.
Have you ever had a doner kebab? If you haven't, you're missing out. A doner kebab sandwich is a Turkish-German dish that consists of meat cooked on a spit and served on a pita or flatbread. The meat is usually lamb or chicken, but can also be beef.
If you are looking for the authentic German-Turkish doner fixings, check out these recipes for chicken doner, doner bread, and the authentic doner spice blend.
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Creamy Garlic Yogurt Sauce
What would a doner be without the famous yogurt garlic sauce? With this creamy garlic yogurt sauce, you can add some zing to your food! It's flavorful and delicious; you'll love it.
- Greek yogurt
- mayonnaise
- garlic
- lemon
- dill
- parsley
- olive oil
- sugar
- salt
- pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Green Mint Sauce
Adding some spicy green mint sauce on your doner sandwich makes it even more delicious and exciting. The perfect way to add a little spice to your life!
- fresh mint or dried mint plus olive oil
- cilantro
- Serrano pepper
- garlic
- water
- Greek yogurt
- salt
See recipe card for quantities.
Red Doner Sauce
Add some heat to your doner with this creamy, spicy red sauce! Not only is this the perfect flavor sensation for doner kebab, but it's also great for dipping, grilling, and marinating.
- Greek yogurt 5%
- salad cream
- sour cream
- tomato ketchup
- garlic
- lemon juice
- sugar
- paprika powder
- cayenne pepper
- ground coriander
- ground cumin
- dried dill
- dried parsley
- Pul Biber
See recipe card for quantities.
Serving Suggestions
Doner sauces are obviously used for doner kebabs, but also for Greek gyros and Middle-Eastern specialties. However, these aromatic sauces can be also used to add flavor to a variety of other dishes.
BBQ - Doner sauces complement any type of grilled meat or fish.
Dips - Because the sauces are quite thick, they can also be used as a dip. They go great with tortilla or pita chips.
Dressing - These sauces make wonderful dressings that are healthy and free of artificial ingredients when thinned with water or buttermilk.
Equipment
To make these recipes, you only need a few kitchen utensils.
- knife
- cutting board
- small bowls
Storage
The sauces can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, covered.
Recipe
Doner Sauces - 3 Classic Sauces for Doner
Ingredients
Doner Herb Sauce aka Doner Mint Sauce
- ½ bunch mint or ½ tbsp. dried mint plus 1 tbsp. olive oil
- ¼ bunch cilantro
- 1 Serrano pepper
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2-3 tbsp. water
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 pinch of salt
Doner Yogurt Sauce
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ lemon
- 2 tsp. dill fresh, finely chopped
- 3 tsp. parsley fresh, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 pinch sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
Red Doner Sauce
- 1 cup Greek yogurt 5%
- ½ cup salad cream i.e. Miracle Whip
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ⅛ cup tomato ketchup
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. paprika powder
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp. ground coriander
- ¼ tsp. ground cumin
- ½ tsp. dried dill
- ½ tsp. dried parsley
- ½ tsp. Pul Biber optional
Instructions
Doner Herb Sauce aka Doner Mint Sauce
- Cut the Serrano pepper in half. Remove the seeds for a milder sauce or leave them in for a spicier sauce.
- Cut the halves into small pieces.
- Blend the Serrano peppers, garlic cloves, cilantro, and mint in a blender with the water until smooth.
- Add the Greek yogurt and the herb mixture to a small bowl, mix well and salt to taste.
- Refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour before serving.
Doner Yogurt Sauce
- Add yogurt, mayonnaise, the juice of half of alemon and olive oil to a bowl and mix well.
- Finely chop dill, parsley, and garlic and add tothe mixture.
- Stir well and season with a pinch of salt,pepper and sugar.
- Cover and place into the fridge for at least one hour before serving.
Red Doner Sauce
- Peel the garlic and press the garlic cloves into a medium-sized bowl.
- Add all the other ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, covered.
Carol says
Hi Angela,
The Doner Yogurt Sauce calls for half a lemon - would that be the juice or the zest?
I rarely buy mint and my grocery store didn't sell bunches of it so I bought a plant. About how much chopped mint should be added to the Mint Sauce?
Thanks in advance.
Carol
Angela Schofield says
Hi Carol, it´s the juice of half of the lemon but you could add some zest if you love the taste. The sauces are very adjustable and you might want to experiment and adjust to your preference. I love that you bought a plant, I should do the same. Mint is so expensive in the store and many times my grocer does not carry it. I would use about 1-2 tablespoons of chopped mint. The intensity of the flavor can be very different depending on the plant and you might want to adjust here too. I hope you will post of photo of your wonderful creation in our Facebook group. Have a wonderful day! Angela