Chicken shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish packed with rich spices that makes a wonderful anchor for many meals, from pita sandwiches to a savory topping for rice.
Chicken Shawarma
Of all the delicious dishes that have come out of Middle Eastern cuisine, chicken shawarma might just be the finest. When paired with a simple yogurt sauce, this flavorful dish is practically irresistible, and it can be dressed up, customized and paired in so many different ways.
A rich blend of spices and a good long marinating session are the key to making this chicken dish so tasty. So let’s get to mixing and marinating, so when dinnertime rolls around you can have a hot and tasty dish on the table.
Chicken Shawarma Ingredients
- Olive oil: For the marinade, you can be generous with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Lemon juice: For the fresh squeezed lemon juice, however, you’ll want to be precise—too much lemon juice and the flavor profile will be off.
- Cumin: Cumin is a potent spice, so just a teaspoon is enough.
- Coriander: You’ll want to use ground coriander, not whole coriander, as the latter won’t incorporate properly.
- Paprika: The paprika adds its delightfully savory flavor along with some nice color.
- Turmeric: Turmeric is not only tasty, it’s one of the best spices for your health.
- Cloves: Cloves are very potent, especially when they’re ground, so just 1/4 teaspoon is recommended here.
- Cayenne pepper: The cayenne pepper brings is characteristic strong spice to this dish.
- Chicken thighs: You’ll start with boneless skinless chicken thighs, then thinly slice them prior to marinating. This will make it easier to slice the chicken into small pieces for the finished dish.
- Greek yogurt: You’ll want to use a plain, not flavored, Greek yogurt for the yogurt sauce.
- Lemon juice: The fresh lemon juice gives a wonderfully tangy edge to the yogurt sauce.
- Garlic: The recipe calls for freshly minced garlic for the yogurt sauce, but you can also use a frozen garlic cube that you allow to thaw.
- Whole pita bread: Whole rounds of warm pita bread are the perfect delivery vehicle for chicken shawarma.
Directions
Step 1: Marinate the chicken
In a large glass bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cloves, pepper and cayenne pepper. Add the chicken, and toss it to coat. Cover the bowl, and refrigerate the chicken and marinade for at least four hours.
Step 2: Make the yogurt sauce
Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice and garlic. Cover the sauce, and refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it.
Step 3: Bake the chicken
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Layer the marinated chicken in the loaf pan, pressing the meat down to fill the pan evenly. Bake the chicken until its internal temperature reaches 165°, 45 to 50 minutes.
Step 4: Slice and serve
Let the meat rest for 10 minutes, then flip it out onto a cutting board and slice it crosswise into small pieces. Serve the chicken shawarma on pita with yogurt sauce.
Chicken Shawarma
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
40 min
Yield
6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
- YOGURT SAUCE:
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Whole pita breads, warmed
Directions
- In a large glass bowl, whisk together first ten ingredients. Add chicken; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours.
- Meanwhile, whisk together yogurt, lemon juice and garlic. Cover; refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 400°. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray. Layer marinated chicken in greased 9x5-in. loaf pan, pressing down to fill. Bake until internal temperature reaches 165°, about 45-50 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes. Flip chicken onto a cutting board; slice crosswise into small pieces.
- Serve shawarma on pita with yogurt sauce.
Nutrition Facts
1 serving: 288 calories, 18g fat (5g saturated fat), 106mg cholesterol, 490mg sodium, 3g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 1g fiber), 29g protein.
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Bake this food truck favorite instead of grilling it, making it a perfect weeknight meal. We wrap the juicy chicken in warm pitas and drizzle with a garlicky yogurt sauce. You can make a double batch of the delectable shawarma spice mix and store half in a glass jar with a tight lid, so your next meal is even faster to prep. —Laura Wilhelm, West Hollywood, California
Recipe Creator
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