Easy Chicken Shawarma

It’s National Shawarma Day! A day to celebrate the middle-eastern meats, bursting with warm and smoky aromas that fill your mouth with delight! Originating in Turkey, shawarma means to turn.

Traditionally various meats were marinated in spices and cooked slowly on a rotisserie. Many cooks now grill it – even pan fry. It’s the spices that make shawarma so good! Don’t let the ingredients list scare you. It’s mostly spices that can be mixed in big batches.

Here’s How to Do it:

Start by mixing the spices. I like to do four times the recipe then store in an airtight jar. Then I have enough to make shawarma four times. Just put all the spices in a bowl and gently whisk until they are fully blended.

Place the spices and all the other ingredients in a ziplock bag.

Add the chicken. Close the bag and gently massage the marinade into the meat. Squeeze out the air and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Make the yogurt sauce the same time you put the chicken in the refrigerator. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until it’s blended. Cover and put in the refrigerator.

Time to cook the chicken.

First, bring it to room temperature and place the foil wrapped flatbread in a warm oven (about 250 degrees). Heat a grill or a grill pan. If using a grill pan, lightly oil the ridges.

Place the meat on a hot grill and cook for about 4 minutes, then turn. Discard the marinade.

Cook an additional 4 minutes. Turn again and cook each side 4 more minutes. The meat should have no pink at all in it.

Remove from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for five or six minutes.

In the meantime, put out the condiments – shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced onions and the yogurt sauce.

Slice the meat and

serve in the flat bread with the condiments. So good.

© Copyright 2021 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 2 votes

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Easy Chicken Shawarma

Warm and smoky spiced chicken served in a wrap with a cool yogurt sauce.

Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course, main dish, supper

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Keyword: cardamom, chicken, cinnamon, flatbread, garlic, lemon, onion, sandwich, wrap, yogurt

Servings: 4 Servings

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 4 whole chicken thighs, deboned
• 4 flatbreads
• 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground roasted cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil (can also use olive oil)
• 1 onion sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed

Yogurt Sauce

• 3/4 cup plain, greek yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Condiments

• shredded lettuce
• sliced tomatoes
• thinly sliced onion

Instructions

1. Start by mixing the spices. I like to do four times the recipe then store in an airtight jar. Then I have enough to make shawarma four times. Just put all the spices in a bowl and gently whisk until they are fully blended.

2. Place the spices and all the other ingredients in a ziplock bag.

3. Add the chicken. Close the bag and gently massage the marinade into the meat. Squeeze out the air and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

4. Make the yogurt sauce the same time you put the chicken in the refrigerator. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until it's blended. Cover and put in the refrigerator.

Time to cook the chicken!

1. First, bring it to room temperature and place the foil wrapped flatbread in a warm oven (about 250 degrees).

2. Heat a grill or a grill pan. If using a grill pan, lightly oil the ridges.

3. Place the meat on a hot grill and cook for about 4 minutes, then turn. (Discard marinade).

4. Cook an additional 4 minutes. Turn again and cook each side 4 more minutes. The meat should have no pink at all in it.

5. Remove from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for five or six minutes.

6. In the meantime, put out the condiments - shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced onions and the yogurt sauce.

7. Slice the meat and serve in the flat bread with the condiments. So good. 

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2021 The Lazy Gastronome

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