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Calories · American & British

Calories in a doner kebab

A typical restaurant serving of a doner kebab (one takeaway doner kebab in pitta with salad, about 400 g) is about 1,000 calories, usually 700–2,000.

Restaurant portions vary; this is a typical estimate, not a label. Also called döner kebab, donner kebab, kebab in pitta, takeaway kebab.

~1,000
Doner kebab

The usual range

Drawn on one 0–2,000 scale shared by every dish page, so plates compare at a glance.

Protein, carbs and fat

  • Protein56 g
  • Carbs50 g
  • Fat64 g

One serving

Serving
one takeaway doner kebab in pitta with salad
Weight
~400 g
Per 100 g
~248

The dish

About a doner kebab

A doner kebab is shaved, seasoned lamb or mixed meat from a spit, stuffed in pitta with salad. The meat is fatty, so it carries most of the energy. A UK council survey of 494 takeaway doners found the average one was nearly 1,000 calories before salad and sauce, with the worst near 1,990; UK CoFID values for a doner in pitta with salad give about 1,000 for 400 g.

Ways it comes

One dish, a few numbers

Doner kebab · rough numbers

  • Shish kebab in pitta with salad, same size~600
  • With 30 g mayonnaise-style garlic sauce~1,200

What moves the number

Why one plate is 700 and another 2,000

  • Fatty doner meat, about half the weight
  • Garlic and mayo-style sauces
  • Size of the portion and the bread (pitta, wrap or naan)

Ordering lighter

If you want a lighter plate

  • Pick shish (grilled chunks) over doner
  • Ask for extra salad and chilli sauce instead of garlic mayo
  • Share it, or skip the side of chips

Side by side

Next to other American & British dishes

American & British · typical restaurant servingAll about American & British food →

  • Mimosa~120one 6 oz mimosa: sparkling wine and orange juice · usually 80–150
  • Glass of red wine~130one standard 5 oz pour · usually 100–230
  • Green bean casserole~130one cup of green bean casserole · usually 60–190
  • Yorkshire pudding~130one large pub-style Yorkshire pudding (about 60 g) · usually 60–350
  • Pint of beer~210one 16 oz US pint of regular beer · usually 100–280
  • Scotch egg~270one standard Scotch egg (113 g) · usually 220–450
  • Hot dog~300one beef hot dog in a white bun with mustard · usually 250–650
  • Mashed potatoes and gravy~300one cup of restaurant mashed potatoes with gravy · usually 150–450
  • Gumbo~330one restaurant bowl, about 1½ cups, with rice · usually 220–430
  • Mac and cheese~340one restaurant side, roughly a heaped cup · usually 250–1,000
  • Clam chowder~350one bowl of New England chowder, about 1½ cups · usually 200–900
  • Sausage roll~350one bakery sausage roll in flaky pastry · usually 250–550

In PlateDiary

A rough number for the dishes you save — only if you want one.

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How these numbers were made

Method and sources

Last reviewed

Restaurant portions and cooking vary, so these are typical estimates for one serving, built from the sources below. Treat it as a rough number: your plate may land anywhere in the range.

If you manage a health condition, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.

AI helped draft this page; every number was checked against the sources.

  1. UK CoFID 2021 (McCance and Widdowson's Composition of Foods) — Doner kebab in pitta bread with salad, code 19-526
  2. UK CoFID 2021 (McCance and Widdowson's Composition of Foods) — Doner kebabs, meat only, takeaway, code 19-539
  3. UK CoFID 2021 (McCance and Widdowson's Composition of Foods) — Shish kebab in pitta bread with salad, code 19-525
  4. UK CoFID 2021 (McCance and Widdowson's Composition of Foods) — Mayonnaise, standard, retail, code 17-654
  5. LACORS survey of 494 UK takeaway doner kebabs (2009), as reported by The Register
  6. LACORS doner kebab survey (2009), as reported by FarmingUK

Questions

Questions people ask.

How many calories are in a doner kebab?

A typical restaurant serving of a doner kebab (one takeaway doner kebab in pitta with salad, about 400 g) is about 1,000 calories, usually 700–2,000. The number depends mostly on the portion and how it is cooked.

How many calories in a doner kebab?

About 1,000 for a takeaway doner in pitta with salad. A 2009 survey of 494 UK doners found nearly 1,000 on average before salad and sauce, and up to about 1,990.

Is a large doner kebab much more than a small one?

Not always: the same survey found little difference in weight between kebabs sold as small and large. The meat is what counts, at about 380 per 100 g.

Is a shish kebab lighter than a doner?

Yes. Grilled chunks are leaner: a 400 g shish in pitta with salad is about 600, against about 1,000 for a doner.

How many calories does garlic sauce add?

A mayonnaise-based garlic sauce adds about 200 for 30 g. Chilli sauce adds far less.

What changes the calories in a doner kebab?

Fatty doner meat, about half the weight. Garlic and mayo-style sauces.

How can I order a doner kebab lighter?

Pick shish (grilled chunks) over doner. Ask for extra salad and chilli sauce instead of garlic mayo.

Can PlateDiary show calories for the dishes I eat out?

Yes, if you want it to: calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and each dish you save from a photo of the table gets one rough “~” number you can accept or change.