Chicken Shawarma

This Chicken Shawarma Recipe is going to blow your mind.  Just a few basic spices mix together for a marinade that will yield the boldest Middle Eastern flavors with regards to chicken. The smell that wafts through your kitchen while this cooks is absolutely irresistible!

What is Chicken Shawarma

Chicken shawarma is one of those Middle Eastern dishes that’s been so good, it went global. In short, it means traditionally spiced meat cooked on a vertical spit, but you can just knock it up in a pan or on the BBQ at home.

Originally, people made Shawarma with lamb, mutton, or chicken. Nowadays, you can also find it with beef. Most places serve Shawarma in a wrap, but some serve it on a plate with seasoned rice, fries, and salads. Today in this recipe, I am going to show you how to have it both ways! Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Ingredients

• For chicken – I like to use skinless and boneless thighs instead of breasts for Shawarma; they stay juicier. However, chicken breast and tenderloin do work well.
• For best flavor, use fresh lemon juice.
• Olive oil – for flavoring and to slightly neutralize the lemon juice so it doesn’t “cook” the chicken.
• Spices – The spices are fairly typical, but you might not have cardamon. It’s available everywhere now and has a distinctly piney, citrus note. Plus, it’s instrumental in giving Shawarma its characteristic taste so it’s not really optional!
• Spice Control – The heat comes from cayenne pepper. If you enjoy the taste of the dish, but could do without the heat, use less or leave it out. The dish will still be loaded with other fabulous flavors!
• Sauce options for Shawarma

Shawarma is traditionally served with either a Yogurt Sauce.

How to make Chicken Shawarma

For the best results, it’s best to marinate the chicken overnight. But to be honest, the volume and flavour of the marinade is intense enough that you can get away with a minimum of 3 hours of marinating. Been there, done that plenty of times, and nobody has complained! Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Marinade Combine: Whisk marinade ingredients together in a bowl or measure and add directly to a sealable bag to decrease dishes and make the bag do the massaging.

If using a bag, add chicken, squeeze out excess air then seal the bag.

Can also just add chicken directly to a container for marinating. Make sure the marinade covers the chicken entirely or increase.

Place chicken in a marinating bag and seal; massage to coat chicken with marinade. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours. If you’re running late, even 3 hours will work!

Yogurt Sauce – Just whisk together the ingredients for the yogurt sauce below and let it sit for at least 20 minutes so that the flavors can meld together. The yogurt is good in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Cook Chicken – Grill chicken on the stove or BBQ. The spice creates a fantastic crust and the aroma is irresistible!

Rest chicken once it is off the grill for a few minutes before slicing to allow juices to redistribute.

Serve – Put all of the toppings on a serving platter and let everyone make their own wrap. On the platter place chicken, lettuce, onion, tomato slices, yogurt sauce and warmed flatbreads. If the chicken pieces are big, slice them; if they are small, leave them whole.

How to Serve Chicken Shawarma

 

To serve Chicken Shawarma, just set all of the ingredients in front of you on a large platter. Slice the chicken into thin strips and set it in the middle. Add lettuce, tomato slices, and onion on top of the chicken.

Add a bowl of yogurt sauce on the side. Warm your homemade or store-bought flatbreads and line it up right beside your platter.

Let everyone prepare their own wraps. First, spread a little yogurt sauce on the flatbread. Then, place a layer of the chicken, some lettuce, tomato, and onion. Roll the flatbread around the ingredients.

To make things a bit neater, you can slice the chicken into strips. If they are small pieces, you can just leave them as is. That way, everyone’s meal is fresh and to their choice. Chicken Shawarma Recipe

FAQs

Is Shawarma Good or Bad for Health?

It is high in calories, especially when served in large portions with rich sauces and refined bread.

Is Shawarma a Turkish food?

Shawarma is a popular street food in the Middle East, with its roots in Turkey. Shawarma consists of thin slices of lamb, beef, or chicken, placed on a vertical rotisserie and grilled. The meat is sliced into small pieces and served in pita bread or wrapped in flatbread. Shawarma is comparatively close to the Greek gyros; However, the key difference lies in the heavy seasoning used in shawarma, while gyros features a more herbal flavor.

Can Shawarma be considered as Junk food?

This largely depends on how the shawarma is prepared and sodium control measures involved, your age, your lifestyle and your recommended calorie intake.