Description
This Homemade Doner Kebab slow cooker recipe offers a flavorful and tender minced meat kebab infused with a blend of spices and slow-cooked to perfection. Served with a creamy garlic, mayo, yogurt, and mint sauce, it's a delicious, easy-to-make twist on classic Turkish street food that can also be prepared using an air fryer for a quicker option.
Ingredients
Meat Mixture
- 750 g Lean mince
- 3 tsp Onion granules
- 3 tsp Garlic granules
- 3 tsp Ground cumin
- 3 tsp Paprika
- 2 tsp Dried oregano
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
Additional Ingredient
- 1 Bulb of garlic (unpeeled)
Garlic Sauce
- 75 g Mayonnaise
- 100 g Greek yoghurt
- 2 tsp Mint sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the meat mixture: In a large bowl, combine the lean mince with the onion granules, garlic granules, ground cumin, paprika, dried oregano, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Use clean hands to knead the mixture thoroughly until the meat is smooth and all the spices are evenly incorporated.
- Shape the meat: Place the meat mixture onto a sheet of tin foil. Shape it with your hands into a brick or log-like form, then roll it tightly in the foil. Twist the ends of the foil firmly like a candy wrapper to secure the shape.
- Prepare the garlic bulb: Keep the garlic bulb unpeeled, wrap it tightly in tin foil, and set aside.
- Cooking in the slow cooker: Place the wrapped meat and wrapped garlic bulb at the bottom of the slow cooker. Prick the foil-wrapped meat several times with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 5-6 hours until the internal temperature reaches a safe level and the meat is cooked through.
- Alternative air fryer cooking: Place both the wrapped meat and garlic bulb into the air fryer basket. Prick the meat foil a few times. Cook at 170℃ (325°F) for 30 minutes. Remove the garlic and set aside to cool. Carefully open the top of the foil wrapping of the meat to expose the surface but retain the juices inside. Cook the meat for an additional 15 minutes at the same temperature until fully cooked through.
- Cooling the meat: After cooking, allow the meat to rest for 15-30 minutes to let the juices redistribute. Save any cooking juices from the slow cooker or foil for serving.
- Slicing the kebab: Once cooled slightly, unwrap the meat and use a very sharp knife to slice it into thin strips very carefully.
- Prepare the garlic sauce: Squeeze the cooked soft garlic cloves out of their skins by holding the bulb and pressing from the bottom. In a bowl, mix the squeezed garlic with mayonnaise, Greek yoghurt, and mint sauce. Add a splash of water if a thinner sauce consistency is desired and stir to combine.
- Serve: Serve the sliced doner kebab meat drizzled with the reserved cooking juices and accompanied by the garlic sauce. Optionally, reheat the meat with the cooking juices in a frying pan for a few minutes before serving. Pair with traditional kebab sides for a complete meal.
Notes
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the meat is cooked to an internal temperature of at least 71°C (160°F) for safety.
- The cooking liquid is important to keep the meat moist when serving; don't discard it.
- The garlic bulb becomes very soft after cooking, perfect for making the sauce.
- If you prefer a quicker cooking method, the air fryer option can be used instead of the slow cooker.
- The meat can be reheated gently in a frying pan with the reserved juices to restore moisture and warmth before serving.
