A good East Coast style Donair is one of my favorite comfort foods. The problem is, it can be hard to find a good Donair shop in your neighborhood, especially if you do not live in Halifax, Nova Scotia. So I set out to recreate the Halifax Donair and I feel this recipe is a perfect representation of it. I didn’t make this recipe on my own, I have some friends that are well connected to the best Donair shops in the area and they guided me with their recipes.
Why is Angry BBQ making a Donair recipe? It actually makes a lot of sense. If you have gone to any respectable Donair shop, you will notice the Donair meat is on a vertical spit rotating in front of electric heat elements. Well most quality gas grills are setup with a rotisserie attachment. This is the perfect accessory to cook your Donair meat just like the restaurants. If you do not have a rotisserie attachment, don’t worry, I’ll show you how to do this in your oven.
What is a Donair?
Lets start off with a little history on the Donair. According to previous research by the Canadian Media Outlet Globe and Mail, the Donair (previously called a Donair Kebab) started in Berlin by a Turkish restaurant owner. Shortly after the Greeks invented their version called the Gyro (lamb meat). The Greek Gyro was the version that John and Peter Kamoulakos from Bedford, Nova Scotia initially served their patrons in the 1960’s. Quickly they learnt the locals were not keen to eat the lamb based Gyro, so the brothers modified the recipe using ground beef with a sweet sauce. The rest is history as the “Halifax Donair” became extremely popular. Now you can find an East Coast Donair at many restaurants across the US and Canada.
What is Donair Meat?
Donair meat is ground beef with various ingredients such as black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, seasoning salt, bread crumbs, paprika, onion salt, garlic powder and basil.
The method of preparing the Donair meat and cooking it is somewhat unique and adds to the overall flavor. The ground beef and spices are mixed with an electric mixer with a dough hook. This ensures the spices are mixed properly and gets the meat at the right consistency. The Donair meat is then formed into a log formation and put on a vertical spit. If you are cooking it at home, you can put it on a rotisserie spit and gas grill, or cover in tin foil and cook in the oven.
What is donair Sauce?
The traditional Halifax style Donair uses a “Sweet Sauce”. The sweet sauce really compliments the Donair meat in the pita by adding a sweet garlic flavor. Donair sauce usually consists of evaporated milk, white sugar, white vinegar, garlic powder and corn starch. The corn starch is added to help thicken the sauce. We go over the sauce in detail below.
How to Make a Donair
Lets start making the Donair. Below are the lists of equipment, ingredients and instructions to make an authentic Halifax Donair. In this recipe I give you three options on how to cook the donair meat. Rotisserie on a Gas Grill, on a Pellet Smoker and in you oven. All three work great. The Rotisserie is my favorite.
Servings: 10
Total Time: 4 hours
Equipment You Will Need
- Small Sauce Pan
- Fine Mesh Metal Strainer
- Wooden Spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Electric Mixer with Dough Hook (Kitchenaid or Similar)
- Gas Grill With Rotisserie or Oven
- 2 Long Skewers (If Using Oven)
- Catch Pan (Catch Drippings for Rotisserie)
- Instant Read Thermometer
- Tin Foil
- Mixing Bowl
- Deli Meat Slicer (Optional but great for making thin slices of Donair meat)
Halifax Donair Sauce Recipe
First off, you will want to make the sauce. It is easy and can stay chilled the in the fridge for days. You can also use the Donair sauce with other foods such as fries, burgers, chicken fingers, donair pizza etc.
Donair Sweet Sauce Recipe Ingredients
- 1 Can (12 ounce) Evaporated Milk
- 4 TBSP White Vinegar
- 1-2 TBSP Corn Starch (Use as needed for thickening)
- 1/2 TSP Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Cup White Sugar
Donair Sweet Sauce Recipe Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan except the corn starch. Mix well.
- Place the sauce pan on low/medium heat and stir frequently.
- When the sauce is warm and seems well mixed, start adding some corn starch to thicken the sauce. You want the same consistency as ketchup.
- Cool the sauce down and refrigerate. I put my sauce into a squeeze bottle for easy application.
Halifax Donair Meat Recipe
Now it is time to start working on the Donair meat. This process is not that challenging or time consuming. You will need to make sure your ground beef is thawed and have your Kitchenaid mixer ready with the dough attachment.
Donair Meat Ingredients
- 2.5lbs Ground Beef (Thawed)
- 1/2 TBSP Black Pepper
- 1/2 TSP Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 TBSP Oregano
- 1.5 TBSP Seasoning Salt (I use Lawry’s)
- 1/2 TSP Paprika
- 1/2 TSP Cumin
- 1 TSP Onion Salt
- 1 TSP Garlic Powder
- 1/2 TSP Basil
- 1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs
Donair Sandwich Ingredients
- 2 Tomatoes Chopped
- 1 White Onion Chopped
- 1 Cup of Shredded Mozzarella
- 1 Cup of Chopped Lettuce
- 10 Greek Pitas
Donair Meat Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients into the mixer bowl. Attach the bowl to the mixer and connect the dough hook.
- Turn the mixer on to 4-5 speed setting. Use a spoon to help move the meat around the dough hook if needed.
- Let the mixer run for about 5 minutes. We want the ingredients mixed well and have the ground beef somewhat mashed.
- Once the mixer is done, remove the meat and start packing the meat into a log shape. I roll mine on the counter and try to make sure it is packed tight and has no air in it.
- Cover the log in tin foil and wrap tightly.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour minimum. This allows the meat to cool and set in place.
- I use my gas grill rotisserie for the actual cook. Now is a good time to setup the grill and warm to 350F. You can substitute the grill and use your oven at 350F.
- If using the rotisserie, remove the wrapped foil from the meat and pierce the rotisserie spit through the center of the log. Attach rotisserie holders. If using the oven, keep the meat in the foil and pierce the two long skewers through the foil and meat. Make sure the skewers are long enough to extend through both sides of the Donair meat. They will be used to hang the meat above the catch tray.
- Place a catch tray or pan in the grill or oven, below the area that the meat will cook.
- Place the meat in the grill and start the rotisserie motor. Cook for about 1 hour or until the meat reaches 160F.
- Oven Method: place the meat on top of the catch tray with the skewers holding the meat above the pan. Cook for about 1 hour at 350F. Remove the foil and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes to brown up. It is done when it reaches 160F.
- Pellet Grill Smoker Method: place the meat on top of the loaf pan with the skewers holding the meat above the pan. Cook for about 1.5hrs (Flip after 45 mins) at 350F unit you reach an internal temp of 160F.
Donair Pita Assembly
- Once the meat is cooked to temp. Remove and let it cool.
- I typically steam my pita bread before I build the sandwich so the pita will not tear. I do this by lightly boiling water in a small pot and lay a fine mesh strainer above the pot. Lay the pita on the strainer for about 20 seconds on each side.
- Cut the Donair meat into thin pieces. Try your best to cut them as thin as possible. I will sometimes let the Donair meat cool completely and use my Deli slicer to make very thin cuts.
- (Optional but worth it) Heat a frying pan to medium high heat. Fry the thin cuts of Donair meat for a couple minutes on each side to crisp the meat.
- Build the Donair by adding several pieces of the meat, tomatoes, onions, lettuce (optional) and cheese. Then add a liberal amount of the Donair Sweet Sauce we made earlier.
- Wrap the Donair in foil to keep everything tight and neat.
Enjoy the Halifax Donair and eat while it is still hot.
East Coast Halifax Donair Recipe
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Fine Mesh Metal Strainer
- Wooden Spoon
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Electric Mixer with Dough Hook (Kitchenaid or Similar)
- Gas Grill with Rotisserie or Oven
- 2 Long Skewers (If Using Oven)
- Catch Pan (Catch Drippings for Rotisserie)
- Tin Foil
- Mixing bowl
- Deli Meat Slicer (Optional but great for making thin slices of Donair meat)
Ingredients
Donair Sweet Sauce Recipe Ingredients
- 12 ounce Evaporated Milk
- 4 TBSP White Vinegar
- 1-2 TBSP Corn Starch Use as needed for thickening
- 1/2 TSP Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Cup White Sugar
Donair Meat Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs Ground Beef Thawed
- 1/2 TBSP Black Pepper
- 1/2 TSP Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 TBSP Oregano
- 1.5 TBSP Seasoning Salt I use Lawry’s
- 1/2 TSP Paprika
- 1/2 TSP Cumin
- 1 TSP Onion Salt
- 1 TSP Garlic Powder
- 1/2 TSP Basil
- 1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs
Donair Sandwich Ingredients
- 2 Tomatoes Chopped
- 1 White Onion Chopped
- 1 Cup Mozzarella Shredded
- 1 Cup Lettuce Optional
- 10 Pitas Greek
Instructions
Donair Sweet Sauce Recipe Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a saucepan except the corn starch. Mix well.
- Place the saucepan on low/medium heat and stir frequently.
- When the sauce is warm and seems well mixed, start adding some corn starch to thicken the sauce. You want the same consistency as ketchup.
- Cool the sauce down and refrigerate. I put my sauce into a squeeze bottle for easy application.
Halifax Donair Meat Recipe Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients into the mixer bowl. Attach the bowl to the mixer and connect the dough hook.
- Turn the mixer on to 4-5 speed setting. Use a spoon to help move the meat around the dough hook if needed.
- Let the mixer run for about 5 minutes. We want the ingredients mixed well and have the ground beef somewhat mashed.
- Once the mixer is done, remove the meat and start packing the meat into a log shape. I roll mine on the counter and try to make sure it is packed tight and has no air in it.
- Cover the log in tin foil and wrap tightly.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour minimum. This allows the meat to cool and set in place.
- I use my gas grill rotisserie for the actual cook. Now is a good time to setup the grill and warm to 350F. You can substitute the grill and use your oven at 350F.
- If using the rotisserie, remove the wrapped foil from the meat and pierce the rotisserie spit through the center of the log. Attach rotisserie holders. If using the oven, keep the meat in the foil and pierce the two long skewers through the foil and meat. Make sure the skewers are long enough to extend through both sides of the Donair meat. They will be used to hang the meat above the catch tray.
- Place a catch tray or pan in the grill or oven, below the area that the meat will cook.
- Place the meat in the grill and start the rotisserie motor. Cook for about 1 hour or until the meat reaches 160F.
- Oven Method: Place the meat on top of the catch tray with the skewers holding the meat above the pan. Cook for about 1 hour then remove foil and cook another 30 minutes to brown. It is done at 160F.
- Pellet Grill Smoker Method: Place the meat on top of the loaf pan with the skewers holding the meat above the pan. Cook for about 1.5hrs (Flip after 45 mins) at 350F unit you reach an internal temp of 160F.
Donair Pita Assembly Instructions
- Once the meat is cooked to temp. Remove and let it cool.
- I typically steam my pita bread before I build the sandwich so the pita will not tear. I do this by lightly boiling water in a small pot and lay a fine mesh strainer above the pot. Lay the pita on the strainer for about 20 seconds on each side.
- Cut the Donair meat into thin pieces. Try your best to cut them as thin as possible. I will sometimes let the Donair meat cool completely and use my Deli slicer to make very thin cuts.
- (Optional but worth it) Heat a frying pan to medium high heat. Fry the thin cuts of Donair meat for a couple minutes on each side to crisp the meat.
- Build the Donair by adding several pieces of the meat, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and cheese. Then add a liberal amount of the Donair Sweet Sauce we made earlier.
- Wrap the Donair in foil to keep everything tight and neat.
This was delicious! I served it to family and everyone enjoyed it so much we went for seconds even though we were full already. The meat was spiced to perfection.
Thanks, I will definitely be making this again.