Halifax Donair

4.64 from 55 votes

This Halifax Donair is a true Canadian Treasure and the official food of Halifax. But you don't have to go to Halifax to enjoy one, you can now make it right at home. With bold flavors, easy to follow steps and convenient ingredients, the Donair will become a guaranteed family favorite!

Prep Time15

Cook Time2

Total Time2 15

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Canadian, Greek

Keyword: donair, donair recipe, halifax donair

Servings:

Calories: 401kcal

Equipment

9x13-inch Baking Pan

Ingredients

Donair Meat

2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Donair Sauce

10 ounce evaporated milk (1 can)
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup white vinegar

To Assemble

1 large tomato chopped
1 onion chopped
4 large pita breads

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make Donair Sauce

Make sweet sauce: Whisk all the donair sauce ingredients together, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. You’ll want to make this in the beginning, to give the sauce ingredients time to blend together.

Donair Meat

Make the meat mixture: Add all the donair meat ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer and mix using the dough hook for about 5 minutes on medium low.
Form the meat mixture and cover with foil: Form the meat into a loaf that’s about 8 inches in length. Make sure to knead it and roll the loaf so that it’s as tight as possible and all the air is out of it. Cover the loaf tightly with aluminum foil, rolling the ends tightly, so that it forms an even log. If you have skewers, thread 2 skewers through the log. Transfer the loaf to the fridge and let it rest for 30 minutes up to 24 hours.
Prep oven and baking sheet: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the log on the baking sheet, propping the skewers on the edges.
Bake: Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 1½ hours. Remove the foil from the donair log and place the skewers back on the baking pan. Bake for another 30 minutes or until browned all over. Let it cool before slicing.

Assemble Sandwich

Cut the meat: Remove the skewers from the donair meat log and cut off one end so that you can stand the log up. Shave the meat thinly about ⅛ inch in thickness.
Prep the pita breads: Steam the pita breads or warm them in the microwave so that it’s easier to make donair wraps.
Crisp up and reheat the meat: Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet and cook the shaved meat until warmed through but not crispy.
Assemble donairs: Place the donair meat onto a pita bread, add chopped tomatoes and onions, then drizzle with donair sauce. Roll up the pita tightly and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Make sure to make the sauce early on, to give all the ingredients time to blend together.
For the other version of the sauce, use sweetened condensed milk with the same amount of garlic powder and white vinegar. Whisk well and refrigerate until ready to use. The sauce taste the same, the only difference is the one with condensed milk is a bit thicker.
The crisping of the shaved meat is optional but it's preferred to warm up the beef plus make the meat pieces a bit crispier.
The Donair meat can also be used to make a Donair pizza. Pizza dough, plus same ingredients, donair meat, chopped tomatoes and onions, and lots of donair sauce.
If there are any leftovers, you can store the ingredients separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days and serve them when ready on fresh pita breads.

Nutrition