Easiest Chicken Shawarma Recipe · i am a food blog

This chicken shawarma will blow your mind. Pantry spices + chicken = magic!

Shawarma is all the good things: crispy grilled spicy meat wrapped in a soft pita with fresh lettuce, juicy tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers. It’s one of the best combinations in the world, especially at 2 a.m. Damn, this really is one of the best combinations for any time of day. There’s a reason humans have been grilling meat since the dawn of time and the deliciousness of shawarma is one of them.

How to make shawarma

Shawarma can be prepared with lamb, beef, chicken or turkey. In our case we are going to use chicken thighs.

1. Make a spice mixture: IIn a small bowl, combine cumin, paprika, garlic powder, coriander, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, Aleppo peppers, cinnamon and ground cloves to make a mixture of spices.
2. Marinate: Add the spice blend, olive oil and lemon juice to a bowl with the chicken thighs. Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours.
3. Cook the chicken: You can do this in the oven, on the stove, in the air fryer or on the grill. When it’s cooked, let it rest, then slice.
4. Serve: enjoy hot on a plate with shawarma sauce, salad and a pita; or place everything in a pita and wrap it up, street food style.

Shawarma Ingredients

Shawarma is all about spices, so aside from the chicken thighs, fresh lemon juice and olive oil, you will need: cumin, paprika, garlic powder, ground coriander, ground cardamom, ground ginger, turmeric, Aleppo pepper, cinnamon and ground. cloves.

• Aleppo pepper – These little dried chili flakes are amazing. The Aleppo pepper in this recipe is optional, so leave it out if you’re opposed to spices. But if you are adventurous, give it a try. This will add just a hint of spice and so much deliciousness. They’re about half as spicy as regular crushed red pepper flakes, but much tastier: earthy, with a fruity flavor.

What is shawarma?

Shawarma, as we know and love it, is a staple Middle Eastern street food. Traditionally, shawarma refers to a Levantine way of preparing meat: thin cuts of marinated meat are stacked in a cone on a vertical roasting pan and grilled. The word shawarma itself means “to turn”.

Shawarma is generally a low-cost street food comprising large quantities of tuom (garlic paste), chicken, pita bread and fries. You can find it all over the world in plates and wraps, and it’s the best thing after a long night of drinking or a quick pick me up at any time.

What if I don’t have all the spices?

If you don’t have all the spices and don’t want to buy them just for shawarma, you can buy one shawarma spice blend instead. It won’t taste the same as this recipe since all spice blends are different, but in a jam it will work the same.

Do I need a vertical spindle?

You can get all the flavors of shawarma without the spit! The key is to marinate your meats in the same spices used at your favorite shawarma shop. If you want a little more char, once your chicken is cooked and sliced, you can aggressively char it in a cast iron skillet for added flavor.

How to cook shawarma

• Stove – Heat a cast iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until caramelized and cooked through.
• Baked – Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange the chicken in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through cooking.
• Air Fryer – Air fry the marinated thighs at 360°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through, turning halfway through cooking.
• Grill – Heat grill to medium-high heat. When hot, grill the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until charred and cooked through.

Sides

Go all out and create the ultimate mezze platter with:

How to serve

You can serve the shawarma in a pita like a wrap or you can serve it on a plate with rice, salad and a pita on the side.

Don’t forget the sauce!

Is it shawarma if there is no shawarma sauce? I’ve included a recipe for creamy garlic yogurt sauce with a hint of tahini and lemon. It’s so good you’ll want to eat it with a spoon.

Chicken Shawarma Recipe

This chicken shawarma will blow your mind. Pantry spices + chicken = magic!

Serves 4

Preparation time 10 minutes minutes

Cooking time 10 minutes minutes

Marinating time 2 hours hours

Total duration 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

• 2 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon juice only

Shawarma spice blend

• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper optional
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Shawarma Sauce

• 3/4 cups Greek yogurt
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 tablespoon tahini
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Assembly

• 2 cups Roman
• 1 cups tomato in cubestomatoes of your choice
• 1 cucumber slicepossibly salty
• 1/2 red onion slicepossibly marinated
• 4-8 fresh pita

• In a small bowl, combine cumin, paprika, garlic powder, coriander, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, Aleppo peppers, cinnamon and ground cloves to make a mixture of shawarma spices.

• Add the spice blend, olive oil and lemon juice to a bowl with the chicken thighs. Season with salt and pepper. Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours.

• While the chicken marinates, prepare the shawarma sauce by mixing the yogurt, garlic, tahini and lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to enjoy.

• Heat a cast iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until caramelized and cooked through.

• Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and enjoy it hot on a plate with shawarma sauce, rice, salad and a pita; or place the shawarma in a pita with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and drizzle with shawarma sauce. Optional: After cutting the chicken into bite-sized pieces, return it to the pan and cook over high heat to add additional char before serving.

If you don’t have all the shawarma spices and don’t want to buy them just for shawarma, you can buy one shawarma spice blend instead. It won’t taste the same as this recipe since all spice blends are different, but in a jam it will work the same.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Amount per serving

Calories 641
Calories from fat 256

% daily value*

Fat 28.4g44%

Saturated fat 6.3 g39%

Cholesterol 202mg67%

Sodium 353 mg15%

Potassium 916 mg26%

Carbohydrates 25g8%

Fiber 2.9 g12%

Sugar 4.5g5%

Protein 70g140%

*Percent Daily Values ​​are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.