Jul 14 2026
RestaurantsMcKelvie's RestaurantDonair Dip Recipe

Donair Dip Recipe

Time45m
Serves6

Cream cheese, onion, tomato, crispy tortillas

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Ingredients

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Donair filling

Crispy tortillas / dippers

Method

Donair filling

  1. 1

    Cook beef and aromatics

    Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and break it up with a spatula. Cook until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the finely chopped onion and minced garlic and continue to cook until the beef is fully browned and the onion is softened, about 4–5 more minutes. Drain excess fat if there is a lot, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.

  2. 2

    Season and simmer

    Stir in the donair spice blend, salt, and black pepper. Pour in up to 1 cup water to deglaze the pan and create a slightly saucy mixture. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the liquid has reduced and the mixture is thick but moist, about 8–10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then stir in the diced tomato (the fresh tomato should be folded in off heat to keep texture).

Creamy base & sweet sauce

  1. 3

    Make sweet donair sauce

    In a small bowl, whisk together the white sugar, white vinegar, and ketchup until the sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust — this should be pleasantly sweet-tangy. Set aside.

  2. 4

    Prepare cream cheese base

    In a medium mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a whisk or spatula until smooth. Fold in the sour cream and the teaspoon of mayonnaise until uniform and creamy. Season lightly with salt and black pepper to taste.

  3. 5

    Combine filling with base

    Fold about two-thirds of the cooked donair beef mixture into the cream cheese base until evenly distributed. Reserve the remaining beef for topping. Stir about half of the sweet donair sauce into the dip mixture to incorporate a subtle sweet tang; reserve the rest to drizzle on top. Transfer the dip to a shallow serving bowl and smooth the top.

  4. 6

    Garnish

    Top the dip with the reserved beef, remaining sweet sauce drizzled in a thin stream, chopped parsley, and sliced green onion. Optionally grind a little extra black pepper on top.

Crispy tortillas / dippers

  1. 7

    Cut and oil tortillas

    Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Stack the tortillas and cut each into 6 triangles (like pizza). Toss the tortilla triangles with the oil in a bowl to lightly coat, then spread them out in a single layer on two baking sheets. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt evenly.

  2. 8

    Bake until crisp

    Bake for 8–12 minutes, turning once halfway through, until they are crisp and just lightly browned at the edges. Watch closely after 8 minutes to avoid burning. Remove from oven and let cool — they will crisp further as they cool. Alternatively, fry tortilla triangles in a skillet with 1/4 inch oil over medium-high heat for 1–2 minutes per side until golden, then drain on paper towels.

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