Chicken Shawarmas Recipes

CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix the cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic powder, sweet paprika and cloves. Set aside the shawarma spice mix for now.
• Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt on both sides, then thinly slice into small bite-sized pieces.
• Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add the shwarma spices and toss to coat. Add the onions, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss everything together again. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight (if you don't have time, you can cut or skip marinating time)
• When ready, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Take the chicken out of the fridge and let it sit in room temperature for a few minutes.
• Spread the marinated chicken with the onions in one layer on a large lightly-oiled baking sheet pan. Roast for 30 minutes in the 425 degrees F heated-oven. For a more browned, crispier chicken, move the pan to the top rack and broil very briefly (watch carefully). Remove from the oven.
• While the chicken is roasting, prepare the pita pockets. Make tahini sauce according to this recipe or Tztaziki sauce according to this recipe. Make 3-ingredient Mediterranean salad according to this recipe. Set aside.
• To serve, open pita pockets up. Spread a little tahini sauce or Tzatziki sauce, add chicken shawarma, arugula, Mediterranean salad and pickles or olives, if you like. Serve immediately!

CHICKEN SHAWARMA (MIDDLE EASTERN)

Steps:

• Marinade chicken - Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Add the chicken, seal, the massage from the outside with your hands to make sure each piece is coated. Marinate 24 hours (minimum 3 hours).
• Yogurt Sauce - Combine the Yogurt Sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix. Cover and put in the fridge until required (it will last for 3 days in the fridge).
• Preheat stove or BBQ - Heat a large non-stick skillet with 1 tablespoon over medium high heat, or lightly brush a BBQ hotplate/grills with oil and heat to medium high. (See notes for baking)
• Cook chicken - Place chicken in the skillet or on the grill and cook the first side for 4 to 5 minutes until nicely charred. Turn and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes (the 2nd side takes less time).
• Rest - Remove chicken from the grill and cover loosely with foil. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• In a glass baking dish, mix together the malt vinegar, 1/4 cup yogurt, vegetable oil, mixed spice, cardamom, salt and pepper. Place the chicken thighs into the mixture and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, 1/4 cup yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, taste, and adjust flavors if desired. Cover and refrigerate.
• Cover the chicken and bake in the marinade for 30 minutes, turning once. Uncover, and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove from the dish, and cut into slices.
• Place sliced chicken, tomato, onion, and lettuce onto pita breads. Roll up, and top with the tahini sauce.

BAKED CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Combine olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, turmeric, and cinnamon in a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and gently squeeze ingredients together until they are well blended. Add chicken thighs to the bag, squeeze out most of the air, seal, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 8 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease a 12x18-inch baking sheet. Spread onion slices over the bottom; add chicken thighs on top.
• Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven, about 30 minutes. Switch on the broiler and move rack closer to the broiler. Broil chicken until a light char develops, 2 to 3 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Garnish with parsley.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Tip all the ingredients, except the chicken and lemon wedges, into a blender or a smoothie bullet with 1 tsp sea salt and whizz to a smooth paste. Pile the chicken into a bowl or large plastic container, pour over the paste and mix through so the chicken is completely coated. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hrs or up to 48 hrs - the longer, the better.
• Cooking on the barbecue: Light a lidded barbecue, and let the flames die down. Once the coals have turned ashen, pile them up on one side with a few coals scattered around the other. Starting and ending with half a baking potato, thread all the chicken onto two long metal skewers - so that both skewers go through each piece of meat - packing the thighs down between the potato halves so that they are really compact. Place the large chicken kebab to the side of the barbecue with only a few coals underneath. Pop the lid down and cook for 45-50 mins, turning every 15 mins, or until cooked through - prise the chicken pieces apart in the centre to check, or use a digital cooking thermometer; it should read 70C or more. Leave to rest for 5 mins.
• Cooking in the oven: Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. Sit the kebab across a roasting tin so it is suspended, or rest a wire rack over a roasting tin and place the chicken on top. Cook for 45-55 mins or until cooked through.
• Warm the naan on the barbecue or in the oven. Bring the kebab to the table to carve, wrap with warm naans, and serve with the other salads and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• To make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, and oil. Add curry powder, salt, pepper, and food coloring and whisk to combine. Add chicken and coat with marinade. Marinate chicken overnight in the refrigerator.
• Preheat a grill to medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade. Grill chicken for about 10 minutes on each side or until fully cooked through. Serve chicken on pita and top with tomatoes and Shawarma Sauce.
• Add garlic to the bowl of a food processor and process until chopped. Add tahini and pulse to combine. With the machine running, slowly add cold water until frothy. Add lemon juice and mix until creamy. Season with salt, to taste.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Combine the tomato paste, vinegar, garlic, paprika, red pepper, coriander, cumin, oregano, sumac, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1 cup water in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.
• Put the chicken in a large bowl and pour the marinade over the chicken; mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Fillet open the chicken thighs, making them as thin as possible. Stack the chicken vertically on a skewer, pushing it down as you go to make it as tight as possible.
• Place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes per side. Slice the chicken into thin pieces and serve with Zaytoon Garlic Sauce.
• Add the potatoes, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon salt, 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1 cup ice to a 20-cup food processor. Process until smooth and creamy.

SHAWARMA MARINADE FOR CHICKEN

Steps:

• Zest lemons until you have 1 tablespoon zest. Juice both lemons.
• Combine lemon zest and juice with olive oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, salt, turmeric, pepper, and cinnamon in a glass jar. Seal jar with a lid and shake vigorously to combine.