Ready-made kebab from the supermarket put to the test: How good is it really?

Frozen kebab, kebab box from the refrigerated counter, “Mangal kebab” by Lukas Podolski: supermarkets and discounters are relying on the kebab boom. But how good is the ready-made kebab really? Can it compete with the snack bar around the corner, or is it more practical convenience food?

A current product comparison from SWR “Market check“ from January 2026 investigated exactly this question. The result: There is little reason to celebrate when it comes to taste, but when it comes to the declaration it is worth looking at the small print.

Ready-made kebab in the supermarket: This is how it was tested

Starting point: Doner kebab has become more expensive, the average price is now well over eight euros. At the same time, the range of finished products in stores is growing. SWR “Marktcheck” had four products compete:

• a frozen kebab pan from Edeka (“Good & Cheap”)
• a chicken kebab from Lidl (cooked sous-vide, bulk pack)
• Frozen kebab meat “Mangal” from Lukas Podolski (chicken and veal variant)
• the Aldi kebab box with chicken, bread, tzatziki and coleslaw from the refrigerated section

The reference was a classic snack kebab for 8.50 euros, prepared by Neuss cult kebab professional Akif Ayar.

The central question in the test: Does the supermarket kebab come close to the fresh product on the skewer in terms of taste and quality, and how big is the price advantage really when you take bread, vegetables and sauce into account?

Professional verdict: “It’s not a kebab”

Doner maker Akif Ayar took a close look at the products for SWR “Marktcheck”. His impression:

• The Edeka meat Loses a lot of volume in the pan and becomes watery: 300 grams is barely enough for a “real” bag.
• At Lidl he criticizes the thick pieces of meat: “It looks like a schnitzel.” Here too, the portion shrinks when frying, the taste and smell are very similar to the Edeka product: a lot of spice, little meat character.
• At the “Mangal” kebab by Lukas Podolski he is particularly skeptical about the veal version. His criticism: It says kebab on the package, but the product doesn’t really correspond to what is legally considered kebab.

Actually lays that German food book stipulates: If a doner kebab contains more than 60 percent minced meat, it can no longer be called a “doner kebab”, but only a “rotisserie”. In response to criticism, the name of “Mangal” products was changed: instead of “doner meat” it now says “veal preparation” on the label.

The bottom line is that Ayar comes to a clear conclusion: for him, none of the finished products tested have anything to do with what he understands as a high-quality kebab.

A look into the factory: low wages, additives, mass-produced goods

It’s exciting to take a look behind the scenes: of the 15 manufacturers requested, only Green kebabs look at the cards. Managing director Ercan Altun leads a tour of a large-scale production facility in Poland, one of the largest kebab factories in Europe.

There, kebab skewers are manufactured industrially, cut by robots and flash-frozen. The location is no coincidence: with a minimum wage of around seven euros (instead of just under 14 euros currently in Germany), the personnel-intensive processes can be run significantly more cheaply.

Altun openly reports that this is often the case in the industry Flavor enhancers, binding agents, starch and flour work is being done to reduce costs. He himself emphasizes not doing this; his spice mixtures do not contain any additives. But the article proves one thing above all: large-scale production significantly reduces costs and makes frozen kebab attractive for supermarkets, canteens and large kitchens.

Consumers often end up with products that are cheap, but sensory-wise they are far removed from fresh meat on a skewer.

Consumer test: Students judge based on taste and impression

Finally, “Marktcheck” deliberately relies on a subjective consumer perspective: three Cologne students try the four products and rate the taste.

Your impression is clear:

• Edeka and Lidl kebabs: Both appear watery in the pan and the meat loses a lot of volume. In the taste test, spices and salt predominate, while a clear meat or chicken taste is barely noticeable.
• Mangal meat from Lukas Podolski (chicken): It is best received in a direct comparison – the students think it tastes okay. The veal version, on the other hand, falls short and is rated rather disappointed.
• Aldi kebab box: This is less about the taste and more about the impression of freshness. After several days of refrigeration storage (within the declared shelf life), the meat package has bloated significantly. When opened, the testers noticed a strong, unpleasant smell. Subjective judgment: “We won’t eat that.”

In its statement, Aldi points out that a minimum shelf life of eight days is common when packaging in a protective atmosphere and that the batch in question was internally unremarkable. Specialist departments like that Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) generally emphasize that with fresh meat, despite a protective atmosphere, an interrupted cold chain or excessively high refrigerator temperatures can quickly lead to spoilage.

Conclusion: Frozen and refrigerated kebabs are cheap, but they hardly reach the level of a fresh snack kebab in terms of taste and quality. When making the declaration, it is worth looking at the label – not every product that says “doner kebab” meets the legal requirements for doner kebab (minced meat content, meat quality).