Chicken doner is everything and more than you can expect from a simple sandwich. Mouthwatering, crispy chicken strips with crunchy red cabbage, fresh tomato and onion slices in a tender flatbread topped with a scrumptious sauce and the perfect spice blend. German-Turkish fast food at its finest. You'll love it!
When Germans living abroad are asked what food they miss the most from their homeland, Doner Kebab is frequently mentioned. You might have guessed schnitzel, bratwurst, or sauerkraut. No, it's Döner, a popular street food that we don't make at home but can easily get from one of the nearby doner shops in Germany.
In this post, I'll show you how to make a chicken doner from scratch, as well as share the recipes for the authentic doner spice mix, traditional doner bread called pide, and three delectable doner sauces that taste just like the ones from the finest Berlin doner shops.
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Cultural Background
The name Döner Kebab, which comes from Turkish, translates as "rotisserie grilled meat".
How is chicken doner called in German?
The German word for chicken doner is "Hähnchendöner". Der Hähnenchendöner (m) in singular and die Hähnechendöner (f) in plural.
How to pronounce "Hähnchendöner" the correct way in German?
Listen to this audio file to hear how to say "Hähnchendöner" the right way.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Chicken doner doesn't require many ingredients, especially if you already have the ready-made doner spice blend on hand and use store bought bread or wheat tortillas.
Chicken: I usually use chicken breast for this dish, but you can also use skinless chicken thighs.
Yogurt: Green yogurt is my preferred marinade ingredient, but you can use any unflavored yogurt you have on hand.
Olive Oil: For this marinade, use high-quality olive oil. If you don't have olive oil on hand, simply leave it out instead of using low-quality canola oil or something similar.
Doner Spice Blend: I did a lot of experimenting with store bought doner spice seasonings and recipes. It took some time, but I finally figured out how to make a doner spice blend that smells and tastes exactly like the ones used in Berlin doner shops.
Spices to substitute for the spice blend:
- salt
- pepper
- chili powder
- crushed rosemary
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- tablespoon dried parsley
- paprika powder
- ground cumin
- coriander
- oregano
- marjoram
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
If you have the spice blend on hand and use store-bought bread, such as pita pockets or wheat tortillas, making chicken doner is a breeze. If you have the time to plan ahead, you can make your own delicious pide doner bread, which is simple to make but elevates the sandwich to a whole new level.
Add the Greek yogurt with the spices together, lemon juice and olive oil to a large bowl and blend well.
Cut the chicken breasts into fine slices and combine with the marinade. Marinate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Prepare the sauces and the veggie fixings. Cut the red cabbage into very thin slices and place it in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice, olive oil, sprinkle with salt. Massage the cabbage, cover the bowl and set aside. Slice tomato, iceberg lettuce and red onion into slices.
In a large skillet, heat the oil and fry the chicken breast strips in batches until they are browned and crispy.
The meat can also be grilled on a BBQ or in an air fryer.
In the meantime, or the next day, bake the doner bread or use large wheat tortillas for the sandwich base.
Prepare the sauces and the veggie fixings. Cut the red cabbage into very thin slices and place it in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice, olive oil, sprinkle with salt. Massage the cabbage, cover the bowl and set aside. Slice tomato, iceberg lettuce and red onion into slices.
In a large skillet, heat the oil and fry the chicken breast strips in batches until they are browned and crispy.
The meat can also be grilled on a BBQ or in an air fryer.
Cut the bread into quarters, then layer on the sauce, meat, and vegetables.
Top with more sauce and "scharf," as our Turkish friends in Germany refer to the spicy seasoning. Guten Appetit, Afiyet olsun!
Equipment
These kitchen tools are required to make chicken doner kebab.
- large bowl to marinate the meat
- large bowl to marinate the red cabbage
- tablespoon
- teaspoon
- sieve
- cutting board
- knife
- large non-stick pan
Storage
The marinated meat can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for up to four months. Fried meat can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days. The meat can also be frozen.
Salad fixings can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.
Top Tip
The spice mix, in my opinion one of the crucial ingredients if you want to replicate the original doner kebab taste. Finding an authentic spice mix can be difficult. I experimented with a variety of ready-made doner seasonings and doner kebab spice recipes. It took some time, but I've finally perfected the doner kebab spice blend that smells and tastes exactly like the seasoning from the doner kebab shacks in Germany.
How to Serve
Chicken doner is usually served in a flatbread called pide or a Turkish-style sandwich roll. But you can also find it rolled up like a burrito in a Turkish tortilla wrap. Both variations are just to die for.
Doner Plate: Some restaurants serve the doner meat with vegetables, sauces, and a side of French fries or rice on a plate.
Low Carb Doner Salad: You can also serve the grilled chicken doner meat on the vegetables to avoid carbs while still getting the full flavor experience.
Recipe
Chicken Doner Kebab
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds chicken breast
- ¾ cups Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- ½ tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. crushed rosemary
- 1 tbsp. onion powder
- ½ tbsp. garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tsp. paprika powder
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- ½ tsp. coriander
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. marjoram
Doner Salad Fixings
- ½ head red cabbage
- ½ tsp. coarse Kosher salt or ¼ tsp. fine salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 Iceberg lettuce
- 1 large red onion
Doner Bread
- 2 pide doner breads. You can find the link for the bread recipe in the post and the recipe notes. or 8 pita pockets, flat breads or large wheat tortillas
Doner Sauce
- You can find the recipe for three different doner sauces in the recipe notes and the post.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the spices together with oil, lemon juice and Greek yogurt.
- Cut chicken breasts into fine slices, add to the marinade and mix well. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- In the meantime, you can bake the bread, and prepare the sauces and the vegetable fixings.
- For the veggies cut red cabbage into very thin slices and place into a large bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice, olive oil, sugar and salt. Massage the cabbage with the seasoning, cover and set aside.
- Slice tomato, iceberg lettuce and red onion into slices.
- Heat oil in a large pan and fry chicken breast strips in batches until they are browned and crispy. You can also grill the meat on a barbecue or in an air fryer.
- Cut the bread into quarters, add some sauce, then meat, and vegetables. Top with some more sauce and some “scharf” if you like it spicy.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken doner is a popular fast food sandwich in Germany. Chicken meat grilled to perfection on a rotating spit, aromatic vegetables, and tasty sauces are served in a soft, tender flatbread or tortilla style wrap.
Carol says
Delicious! The yogurt and spice marinade makes the meat tender and flavorful. Each sauce is tasty and they work well together; I used all three on my Doner and especially like the garlic one. The red cabbage softens up and is slaw-like and adds a nice dimension. The bread is soft but sturdy enough to stand up to a generous amount of filling. I made things easy on myself by breaking up the tasks over a few days - spice mix one day, the sauces the next day and then the bread and meat today. Really, really good and quite a feast for they eyes, too.
Angela Schofield says
Thank you so much, Carol. I really appreciate that you tried the recipes. What a compliment from such an accomplished baker and cook as yourself. I love the photos that you posted in our FB group, they are stunning.