my comfort recipes
♥ Log in Sign up
  • en
  • fr
  • es
  • pt
  • de
  • it
  • nl
    • 🌍 World Kitchen
    🌍 World Kitchen
    Log in Sign up
    Home / Dinner / İskender Kebab

    İskender Kebab

    Sliced grilled lamb over crisp buttered bread, drenched in tomato sauce and melted butter, finished with cool yogurt and sumac.

    ⏱ 20 minPrep time
    🔥 25 minCook time
    🍽 4Servings
    🏷 DinnerCategory
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    İskender kebab sliced doner with tomato sauce, yogurt and buttered pide

    İskender kebab was born in Bursa in the 1860s, the creation of a cook named İskender Efendi, and his family’s restaurant still serves it today. The classic is carved from a towering vertical spit, but the home version delivers the same soul: seared lamb slices piled over toasted pide bread, soaked in tomato sauce and finished with sizzling butter. Ask anyone in Bursa and they will tell you their city’s kebab is the only true one, yet the layered flavors translate beautifully to a skillet at home.

    A plate full of drama

    Every bite hits a different note: crisp edges of bread, juicy lamb, bright tomato, and cool yogurt that cuts through the richness, finished with sumac and a pinch of chili. The bread soaks up every drop of sauce until it is soft at the center and crackly at the edges. Keep the sauce a little loose so it can soak in, and do not skimp on the butter — it is the gloss that makes the dish shine. Serve it hissing hot, with extra yogurt on the side.

    Craving more? Explore all Turkish Kitchen recipes.

    This dish is built from Middle Eastern pantry staples — explore all 20 in our guide to 20 essential Middle Eastern pantry ingredients.

    Turkish recipes →

    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Season the lamb slices with salt and pepper and toss with the olive oil.
    2. Heat a large skillet over high heat and sear the lamb in batches until browned and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Set aside and keep warm.
    3. In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then add the grated tomatoes and hot water. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and red pepper flakes.
    4. Toast the pide squares in a dry skillet or under the broiler until crisp at the edges.
    5. Divide the pide among 4 plates and spoon a little of the tomato sauce over each so the bread soaks it up.
    6. Pile the lamb over the bread and pour the remaining sauce over the top.
    7. Add a generous spoonful of yogurt to each plate, sprinkle with sumac, and serve immediately with any extra sauce on the side.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Any flatbread works in place of pide, but toast it until crisp so it holds up to the sauce. For the closest thing to döner at home, use lamb with a little fat and slice it thin against the grain.

    Rate this recipe

    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    Sign in to rate this recipe.

    Recipe details

    Prep20 min
    Cook25 min
    Servings4
    CategoryDinner
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

    Keep browsingYou might also like

    View all recipes →