Lebanese Chicken Shawarma Recipes

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.

LEBANESE CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Place your chicken breast in a very large bowl or pot containing the water solution of cold water, vinegar, salt, and lemon juice. Leave the chicken in this solution for an hour. After that, rinse and clean the chicken really well. Cut off any excess inedible fat as well. After that, cut into the breast on a bias until you have a large tender-like piece. Continue to do this until you reach the end. Once you can't cut on a bias anymore near the end, just slice that piece into thin strips. Continue to slice the rest of the large pieces into thin strips. Place them in a large colander as you go. Do this until you have cut up all eight chicken breasts into thin strips. Place the colander under running cold water and rinse well for two minutes to further clean the chicken. Let the chicken drain over a large bowl for five minutes so any excess water will drip off.
• After your chicken is done draining, you can move on to the next step. Place the chicken into a very large bowl. Add in the chicken shawarma spice blend (we recommend purchasing a pre-made blend, but if you can't get it, combine the spice blend ingredients above and use that as your blend), vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
• Mix thoroughly to combine. Be careful not to be too rough with it or the chicken can become stringy. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge overnight ideally or at minimum for 2-3 hours.
• Pour olive oil into the bottom of a large pot over high heat. Pour in the chicken shawarma, excess juices and all. Cook for about five minutes over high heat. Stir occasionally. After five minutes or so, place a lid over the pot and continue to cook over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the juices simmer and the chicken appears opaque. Taste to ensure doneness. If the chicken needs more time, continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes, and taste again. The chicken should be juicy, moist, flavorful, and tender. Stir occasionally while you cook, but don't overdo it as this can cause the chicken to break up and become stringy.
• The shawarma is now finished! You can serve as-is with a side of rice, however, we're going to be making a sandwich. Slice some white onion, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and Lebanese-style pickles.
• Set-up your station. Sliced veggies, pita bread, and garlic sauce.
• Assemble your sandwich as you please and grill. Here's a secret, we slather some garlic sauce and add a pinch of salt to the outside of the pita before grilling just to add a bit of flavor to the pita bread. Grill and enjoy warm!

PRINCE'S CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• For the chicken shawarma seasonings: Combine the paprika, black pepper, seasoned salt, allspice, cumin powder, granulated garlic, cinnamon, mahlab, red pepper, white pepper and cardamom in a bowl.
• For prince's chicken shawarma: Cut chicken into 1-inch dice and put in a mixing bowl.
• Drizzle chicken with 1 ounce corn oil and the apple cider vinegar. Apply the chicken shawarma seasonings and tumble chicken in seasonings to mix evenly.
• Season a large frying pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons corn oil and turn to high heat.
• Add chicken shawarma and sear 1 side, then stir to flip. Add the diced onions and 1/8 cup Lemon Garlic Sauce. Mix onions and sear second side of chicken. Mix/flip chicken and add diced tomatoes.
• When chicken is ready, finish with hot sauce and additional 1/8 cup Lemon Garlic Sauce and serve with Vermicelli Rice, Hummus and pita bread.
• Whisk together lemon juice, garlic and 1/4 cup cold water in a bowl until incorporated.
• Soak rice for 15 minutes in cold water, then strain.
• Mix 2 1/2 cups water together with chicken bouillon in a bowl.
• Fry vermicelli noodles in corn oil in a rice pot, then add the rice and mix together. Stir in the bouillon mixture.
• Cover and turn to high heat. Once pot begins to steam from sides of lid, turn to lowest heat and let simmer 5 minutes.
• Rice will again begin to steam from sides after a few minutes; when you see this, turn off heat and let rice sit for 5 minutes more.
• Add chickpeas, tahini, oil, salt, garlic and lemon juice to a food processor and pulse until desired texture is reached.

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!

LEBANESE CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl. Mix in chicken strips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Remove chicken from the bowl and arrange in a single layer on a broiling pan. Discard excess marinade.
• Broil chicken, turning once, until juices run clear, about 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

LEBANESE CHICKEN SHAWARMA RECIPE

Steps:

• Cut the chicken into thin slices of about 1/2 inch and place in a marination bowl.
• To make the marinade, mix all dry and liquid ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend for a couple of minutes.
• Add the marinate to the chicken bowl mixing well. Cover and let marinate in the fridge overnight.
• When ready, grill the marinated chicken on a panini/George Forman grill for about 15 minutes on medium heat. You can also cook the chicken on a BBQ grill if so you wish.
• Shred the cooked chicken thinly and set aside to make a bombastic sandwich.
• Spread 1 teaspoon of Lebanese Garlic paste along the center/diameter of a pita bread.
• Add 2-3 tablespoons of chicken
• Add salty cucumber pickles, some French fries, and some grilled tomatoes, roll and enjoy.

LEBANESE BEEF SHAWARMA RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix the spices along with the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar in a blender for a couple of minutes. Don't mix in the olive oil yet.
• Cut the beef into chunks of 4 inches long by no more than 2/3 inch in thickness.
• In a bowl, rub the meat with the marinade, sprinkle a bit of olive oil then rub again, cover and let marinate overnight in the fridge.
• Lay the marinated shawarma chunks on a panini or George Foreman grill and cook for 10-15 minutes on medium-high heat.
• Once cooked, shred the meat on a cutting board and serve hot.
• Lay the marinated beef chunks in a Pyrex tray with a bit of marinade, cover the trap tightly with aluminum foil, then gently bake at 270-300F for 2 hours.
• Once cooked, shred the meat on a cutting board and serve hot. This roasting method will make the meat very tender and juicy and will almost fall apart.
• In a blender, mix the Tahini paste with garlic, lemon juice and salt until you turn it into a thick sauce.
• Place about 4-6 ounces (to taste) of shredded shawarma in a pita bread along the diameter, sprinkle some Tahini sauce, add freshly grilled tomatoes, french fries, a garnish of Italian parsley. Roll and enjoy.

SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Cut the meat into long, thin strips. Prepare the marinade by mixing garlic, oil, vinegar, shawarma seasoning blend, coriander, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, and salt. Rub the marinade into the meat, cover, and refrigerate overnight or at least for several hours.
• In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Mix all the ingredients until the mixture becomes homogenous. If the sauce is too thick, add some more lemon juice.
• Cook the meat in a pan over strong flame until the marinade evaporates. Then, pour in 1 cup of water and continue cooking until the meat is soft. Add tomato and pepper slices and stir until they fall apart. Set aside.
• Spread the sauce over the pita bread. Top with sliced onion, pickles, sumac and parsley, and finish with shawarma. Roll and serve.

LEBANESE CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Mix together the yogurt, lemon juice and all of the ground spices and garlic together in a large mixing bowl
• Add the boneless skinless chicken thighs to the bowl and coat them in the marinade
• Marinate the chicken for minimum of 30 minutes or up to 24 hours
• Roll each piece of chicken up tightly and skewer it with 2 skewers (see video)
• Layer onion pieces between chicken either on the 2 skewers or with a 3rd skewer, whichever is easiest
• Grill on medium to high heat for 30 minutes, turning periodically, until the chicken is cooked through
• Cut the chicken into thin slices and serve on warm pita bread with shawarma sauce and desired toppings.