Doner Kebab Wraps (German-Turkish Street Food)

About This Recipe

Doner kebab, though Turkish in origin, has become so thoroughly embedded in German food culture, particularly in Berlin, that it's often considered a German culinary icon in its own right, invented in its wrap form by Turkish immigrants in Germany. Thinly sliced marinated chicken or lamb, traditionally roasted on a vertical rotisserie, is shaved off and wrapped in flatbread with shredded cabbage, tomato, onion and a garlicky yogurt or herb sauce. Sold from countless doner stands across German cities at all hours, this wrap represents one of the most successful examples of immigrant food becoming genuinely integrated into a country's everyday culinary identity.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gboneless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cupolive oil(for marinade)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced, for marinade)
• 1 tsppaprika
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspsalt
• 4large flatbreads or pita
• 2 cupsshredded cabbage
• 1tomato(diced)
• 1/2red onion(sliced)
• 1/2 cupplain yogurt(for sauce)
• 1 clovegarlic(minced, for sauce)
• 1 tbspchopped dill(for sauce)

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate the chicken

   Toss chicken thighs with olive oil, garlic, paprika, cumin and salt; marinate at least 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Cook the chicken

   Grill or sear the chicken over medium-high heat, 6-7 minutes per side, until charred and cooked through; slice thin.

   Slice the cooked chicken thin against the grain to mimic the shaved texture of traditional rotisserie doner meat.

3. 3

   Make the sauce

   Stir garlic and dill into the yogurt with a pinch of salt.

4. 4

   Warm the flatbread

   Warm the flatbread briefly on a dry skillet.

5. 5

   Assemble

   Layer sliced chicken, cabbage, tomato and onion onto the flatbread, then drizzle with the yogurt sauce.

6. 6

   Serve

   Roll or fold and serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Lamb is the traditional protein for doner and can replace chicken for a more classic version.

• •

  A spicier version adds a drizzle of chili sauce alongside the yogurt sauce.

• •

  Adding french fries inside the wrap is a popular addition at many doner stands.

Storage

Cooked chicken keeps refrigerated up to 3 days; assemble fresh wraps rather than storing pre-rolled ones, since the bread softens quickly once filled.

Frequently Asked Questions