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chicken shawarma recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com
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4.93 from 14 votes

Chicken Shawarma Recipe

This chicken shawarma is going to blow you away. Pantry spices + chicken = magic!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Marinating Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 20 minutes
Course: main
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: shawarma
Servings: 4
Calories: 641kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 lemon juice only

Shawarma Spice Mix

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

Shawarma Sauce

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

Assembly

  • 2 cups romain
  • 1 cups tomato cubed, tomatoes of choice
  • 1 cucumber sliced, optionally salted
  • 1/2 red onion sliced, optionally pickled
  • 4-8 fresh pita

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, paprika, garlic powder, coriander, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, aleppo peppers, cinnamon, and ground cloves to make a shawarma spice mix.
    shawarma spice mix | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Add the spice mix, along with olive oil and lemon juice to a bowl with the chicken thighs. Season with salt and pepper. Marinate for at least 2 hours.
    marinated chicken for shawarma | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • While the chicken is marinating, make the shawarma sauce by stirring together the yogurt, garlic, tahini, and lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside in the fridge until ready to eat.
    shawarma sauce | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Heat up a cast iron or heavy bottomed frying pan over medium-high and cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until caramelized and cooked through.
    pan grilled shawarma chicken | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Slice the chicken into bite sized pieces and enjoy hot on a platter 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 slicing the chicken into bite sized pieces, and add back to the pan and cook over high heat to add extra char before serving.
    shawarma plate | www.iamafoodblog.com

Notes

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

Nutrition

Calories: 641kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 70g | Fat: 28.4g | Saturated Fat: 6.3g | Cholesterol: 202mg | Sodium: 353mg | Potassium: 916mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 4.5g