Turkish Chicken Doner Kebab

Step 1

Place the 3 garlic cloves and 0.5 onion (roughly chopped) into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Step 2

Pour the blended garlic and onion into a medium bowl, then add 0.5 cup yogurt, 1 teaspoon paprika, 0.75 teaspoon cumin, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Step 3

Stir the marinade with a spoon until all spices are fully mixed in and no dry streaks remain, about 20 seconds.

Step 4

Add the 1 lb chicken cubes to the marinade and stir with a spoon until every piece is coated, about 1 minute.

Step 5

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or foil and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to allow flavors to soak in.

Step 6

Dice the 1 medium tomato by slicing it in half vertically, then slicing each half into 1/4-inch strips lengthwise, then cutting across into 1/4-inch cubes.

Step 7

Dice the 0.5 medium cucumber by slicing it lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips, then cutting across into 1/4-inch cubes.

Step 8

Mince the 1 garlic clove until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots.

Step 9

Stir the minced garlic into 0.25 cup yogurt with a spoon until fully mixed, about 20 seconds; this is your garlic sauce.

Step 10

Thread the marinated chicken cubes tightly onto two metal skewers, pressing them close together to form a roughly cylindrical shape, leaving 2 inches of skewer bare at the handle end.

Step 11

Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and wait until it is very hot—a drop of water should sizzle and evaporate immediately, about 2 minutes.

Step 12

Carefully place the two skewers flat in the skillet and sear until the surface is deeply browned, rotating every 2 minutes so all sides cook evenly, about 8 minutes total.

Step 13

Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking, rotating the skewers every 3 minutes, until the thickest pieces are white all the way through when you cut one open—about 6 more minutes.

Step 14

Transfer the skewers to a cutting board and let rest for 1 minute so juices can settle.

Step 15

Warm the 2 pita breads in the same skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side, or wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds until soft.

Step 16

Hold one skewer over a pita and use a sharp knife to shave thin slices of chicken directly into the pita, cutting downward in smooth strokes; repeat with the second pita and skewer.

Step 17

Divide the diced tomato and cucumber evenly between the two pitas, mounding them on top of the chicken.

Step 18

Drizzle half of the garlic sauce into each pita, moving the spoon back and forth to create even coverage across the top.