Let’s Make Döner Sauce!
Traditionally there are 3 sauces: Kräter (Herb) is a yogurt herb sauce. Knoblauch (Gralic) is garlic yogurt sauce, and Sharf (is sharp, and means hot/spicy).
I make a combination Kräuter-Knoblauch sauce. In modern times many Döner places do this too.
The top two sauces made from the base, is a good place to start if you are new to Döner. Typically the creamy sauce goes on the bottom bread, and the sharf sauce on top. This sharf sauce is very much like the sauce I had at Bilakiss, and is not that spicy.
I like spicy food! When I am making Döner for me. I make the extra Sharf Sauce. Since it is non-creamy, I use the version of the Kräuter-Knoblauch that does not use the base sauce. I have made, and used all of these sauces. These days the top 4 are the ones I make and use.
There is also a pepper flake blend. You see it often at Turkish Grills and Döner shops. It is used like crushed red pepper flakes get used on American Pizza, but it is not as spicy.
A note on Harissa Sauce and Döner:
When I first learned about Döner during COVID, it was from YouTube chef Mike Green (LifebyMikeG). He mistakenly made a harissa sauce for his Döner. I followed his lead. Though it's tasty and the flavors work, I have learned, it's not Berlin- or Turkish-correct.
Harissa is a North African chili paste from Tunisia. Traditional German Döner scharf sauce has many variations—some are ketchup-based, some are creamy, and some are made with peppers, tomato, and oil. But none of them are harissa. Mixing these distinct cuisines compromises the authenticity of both. Just as you wouldn't put marinara on tacos, harissa on a Döner just doesn't fuck.
Döner Base Sauce (400 g total)
200 g mayonnaise
200 g plain yogurt (10% fat if available)
8 g lemon juice
5.3 g salt
3 g MSG
2.33 g sugar
1.33 g black pepper
Whisk smooth. This neutral base keeps up to 10 days refrigerated when handled cleanly. Use 200 g portions to build each sauce. 61 kcal/15 g *actually, use the expiration date on your Yogurt as your Best Buy date.
Kräuter-Knoblauch (Herb–Garlic–Yogurt Hybrid) Sauce
(Andong inspired)
200 g base sauce
3 g sugar
12 g fresh garlic, pressed or grated
0.5 g granulated garlic powder
0.5 g dried dill
0.34 g dried mint
0.5 g dried oregano
1.4 g onion Powder
Weigh out ingredients, combine, and mix until smooth. Rest 1 hour minimum, ideally overnight. Keeps a month refrigerated.
Scharf (Creamy Berlin Döner Chili Sauce)
200 g base sauce (equal parts mayonnaise and yogurt by weight)
30 g acı biber salçası (Turkish hot pepper paste)
4 g acı pul kırmızı biber
1.5 g Tatli toz Kirmizibiber
3–4 g finely grated garlic (1 small clove)
Optional: 5–10 g sunflower oil to adjust consistency
Weigh out ingredients, combine, and mix until smooth. Rest 1 hour minimum, ideally overnight. Keeps a month refrigerated.
Extra Scharf Sauce
Berlin-Style Dairy-Free Scharf Sauce (12 oz bottle) pH 4.0-4.4
Dry ingredients
16 g sweet paprika (edelsüß) (Tatli Toz Kirmizibiber
10 g Aci pul kimizibiber (Aleppo / Turkish chili flakes)
6g Cayenne chili powder (cayenne, hot gochugaru, etc.)
3 g ground cumin toasted, then ground
2 g ground coriander toasted, then ground
2 g dried oregano
2 g garlic powder or granulated garlic
4 g onion powder
8 g fine salt
4 g sugar
Fresh / wet ingredients
35 g neutral oil (sunflower or rapeseed)
40 g tomato paste (tube style)
30 g Turkish red pepper paste (acı biber salçası)
10 g fresh garlic (about 3 cloves), grated or blended smooth
25 g apple cider vinegar or red/white wine vinegar
10 g lemon juice
80 g water or lager beer
Method
1. In a small pan on low heat, combine the oil with the paprika, pul biber, hot chili, cumin, coriander, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and sugar. Warm gently for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, without frying hard or burning (200ºF 30-90 seconds.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, Turkish red pepper paste, vinegar, lemon juice, fresh garlic, and 50 g of the water until smooth.
3. Stir the warm spiced oil mixture into the tomato mixture and whisk until fully combined and emulsified.
4. Add additional water gradually while whisking until you reach a thick but pourable, squeeze-bottle consistency.
5. Taste and adjust salt, acid (more vinegar or lemon), and heat (more hot chili) as needed.
6. Funnel into a 12 oz squeeze bottle and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before using. Keeps for 4 weeks.
Kräuter-Knoblauch Döner Sauce
Version without base sauce (Herb–Garlic–Yogurt Hybrid) Sauce
(~300 g total)
Ingredients
100 g mayonnaise
100 g plain yogurt (10% fat if available) or
8 g lemon juice
5.3 g salt
3 g MSG
4 g sugar
1.33 g black pepper
12 g fresh garlic, pressed or grated
0.5 g granulated garlic powder
0.5 g dried dill
0.34 g dried mint
0.5 g dried oregano
1.4 g onion powder
Method
1. In a bowl, combine everything, and whisk until smooth.
2. Transfer to a squeeze bottle, and refrigerate for at least 1–2 hours to let flavors meld; ideally overnight.
Keeps 2-4 weeks if kept refrigerated and handled with clean utensils.
Approximate nutrition
About 40 kcal per 15 g serving (dominated by the mayo and 10% yogurt; herbs, garlic, and dry seasonings are negligible).
Berlin Pul Biber (Chili flake, and Powder Blend)
This gets shaken on the Döner, as much as you like.
36 g aci pul kirmizibiber pepper flakes
10 g tatli toz kirmizibiber pepper powder
Mix and store in shaker top spice jar. If you don’t have a Turkish grocery store near you. You can use the red pepper flakes you put on your pizza, and a nice paprika. Yes brother Bob, it would be kick-ass to mix ground Chipotle Chile pepper powder, with the Chipotle Morita Chile pepper flakes. However, they don’t have that shit in Berlin…
Kräuter (Herb–Garlic) Sauce
200 g base sauce
1 g dried parsley
1.5 g dried dill
1.5 g dried oregano
1.5 g onion powder
8 g minced fresh garlic (increase to 12 g, and you don’t need Knoblach)
2 g lemon juice
0.5 g dried mint
Stir and refrigerate overnight to let dried herbs bloom. Keeps 2-4 weeks if kept refrigerated and handled with clean utensils. 57 kcal/15 g
Knoblauch (Garlic–Yogurt) Sauce
125 g base sauce
75 g yogurt
12 g minced fresh garlic
5 g lemon juice
Optional: 1 g garlic powder for depth
Mix thoroughly. Rest 2–3 hours refrigerated to mellow raw garlic bite.Keeps 2-4 weeks if kept refrigerated and handled with clean utensils. 44 kca/15 g