Donair, a savory, meaty, satisfying food originating in Halifax, is a beloved Canadian comfort food. It is prepared with ground meatloaf and served with pita bread and tangy, sweet sauce.
It is a perfect meal with bold flavors and easy-to-follow steps. You can easily make your Halifax Donair at home, whether you are craving a quick lunch or a tasty dinner with convenient ingredients.
What is Halifax Donair?
Halifax Donair is the official food of Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia in Canada.
Its history started with a chef named Peter, who began selling gyros, but unfortunately, his project failed. Instead of giving up, he found the perfect variation of his recipe and created a zesty dish that got so famous among Halifax locals and then all over the world.
With spiced roasted beef and signature sauce, it became the official food in 2015.
The meat is seasoned with perfect spices, wrapped in a loaf of warm pita bread, and topped with a sweet and tangy sauce. The sauce is the signature component that makes it unique from gyro and shawarma.
You need not go to a restaurant to fulfill your cravings. Now! You can make this crunchy textured, and mouth-watering treat at your home in no time with few ingredients.
Ingredients Required
Ground Beef: Use ground beef for the best taste. You can also use lamb or chicken according to your liking, but the original recipe uses ground beef.
Onion powder: Ground, dried onions are crucial for every dish that adds tasty flavor.
Garlic powder: It adds a savory and spicy flavor to the dish.
Paprika is a commonly used spice that adds a soft, sweet, vibrant red color.
Cayenne pepper: This spicy seasoning adds heat and a slightly smoky flavor.
Ground Black Pepper: Used for spicy and intense flavor.
Salt: A crucial component for every dish.
Pita Bread: It is a type of Middle Eastern flatbread use for wrapping all mixtures.
Breadcrumbs: Perfect for a crunchy texture.
Donair Sauce
- Condensed Milk:
- Vinegar
- Garlic powder
Donair Topping
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Shredded Mozzarella cheese (optional)
Make Donair Sauce
- Take a bowl and combine all the ingredients of condensed milk, vinegar, and garlic powder. Whisk them all thoroughly to blend them.
- Cover it and refrigerate it until ready to use.
Prepare Donair Meat
- Preheat your oven at 350
- Add ground beef, bread crumbs, and seasonings, including onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt. Mix them on medium to low flame until all the spices are evenly distributed for 10 minutes. By using your hands, mix for 15 to 20 minutes.
- On a clean shelf, spread the mixture on a baking sheet and put it into a log.
- Remove all the air pockets by throwing the log on the shelf several times.
- Carefully shape the meat into a smooth log.
- Pass a metal skewer from the center carefully. Wrap in a foil and lock the edges.
- Bake the meat for 2 hours in a preheated oven.
- After that, remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes to get the brownish texture of the meat.
- Remove the meat log from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Take a sharp knife or a meat slicer and shave thin slices of the meat.
Assemble the Donair Pita bread.
- Warm the pita bread in the oven or on the stovetop.
- Prepare the topping with diced tomatoes and onions.
- Cut the aluminum foil and place the pita bread on it. Spread the donair sauce and top it with sliced meat, onion, tomatoes, and a final layer of sauce (Just like Taco Bell).
- Fold the sides of the pita bread inwards and roll it up tightly. Do the same with your remaining donairs.
- Enjoy your delicious homemade Halifax-style donair!
Storage Tips
Donair meat:
Store any leftover cooked donair meat in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Donair meat can be frozen by being firmly wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and stored in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Freeze for up to three months, marking the container with the date. Put the meat in the fridge overnight to thaw before using.
Donair sauce:
You can keep extra donair sauce in the fridge for up to a week if stored in an airtight container.
For long term use freeze the sauce after being held in an airtight container or bag for the duration of the donair’s shelf life.
Additional Tips
- Add some shredded lettuce or sliced cucumbers on top of the meat and veggies to make a more substantial donair.
- If you need more time, you may use store-bought tzatziki sauce or garlic sauce instead of making your sauce.
- Roll up the donair firmly and secure it using foil or parchment paper to keep it together while you eat it. A toothpick will work just as well.
- A donair can serve as a tasty appetizer or party meal. You might prepare a massive quantity of meat and sauce and have your guests make their donairs.
FAQs
What is the difference between donair, doner, gyro, and shawarma?
Popular meat meals with diverse regional origins include donair, doner, gyro, and shawarma. These dishes shared the common denominator of meat roasted on a rotisserie and served in a flatbread or wrap. Still, they vary significantly in both taste and technique of preparation.
Donair is a Canadian cuisine prepared with ground beef seasoned differently than doner, a Turkish dish that may be made with either beef or lamb. Shawarma is a Middle Eastern cuisine prepared with marinated chicken, lamb, or beef; the Greek dish gyro uses the same three types of meat.
Donair recipe
Ingredients
Donair Meat
- 2½ - 3 lbs Ground Beef
- 1 ½ tbsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 4 tbsp Paprika
- 1 tbsp smoked paprica
- 3 tbsp onion powder
- 4 tbsp garlic powder
- ¾ cups bread crumbs
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Ground black pepper
Donair Sauce
- 300 ml Condensed Milk
- ¼ cup White vinegar
- ½ tbsp garlic powder
Toppings
- onion
- tomatoes
- Shredded mozzarella cheese (Optional)
Instructions
Make Donair Sauce
- Take a bowl and combine all the ingredients of condensed milk, vinegar and garlic powder. Whisk them all thoroughly to blend them.
- Cover it and refrigerate it until ready to use.
Prepare Donair Meat
- Preheat your oven at 350
- Add ground beef, bread crumbs, and seasonings, including onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt. Mix them on medium to low flame until all the spices are evenly distributed for 10 minutes. By using your hands, mix for 15 to 20 minutes.
- On a clean shelf, spread the mixture on a baking sheet and put it into a log.
- Remove all the air pockets by throwing the log on the shelf several times.
- Carefully shape the meat into a smooth log.
- Pass a metal skewer from the centre carefully. Wrap in a foil and lock the edges.
- Bake the meat for 2 hours in a preheated oven.
- After that, remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes to get the brownish texture of the meat.
- Remove the meat log from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Take a sharp knife or a meat slicer and shave thin slices of the donair.
Assemble with Donair Pita bread.
- Warm the pita bread in the oven or on the stovetop.
- Prepare the topping with diced tomatoes and onions.
- Cut the aluminium foil and place the pita bread on it. Spread donair sauce and top it with sliced meat, onion, tomatoes and a final layer of sauce.
- Fold the sides of the pita bread inwards and roll it up tightly. Do the same with your remaining donairs.
- Enjoy your delicious homemade Halifax-style donair!
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