CHICKEN SHAWARMA is a classic Middle Eastern recipe that is famous worldwide. I remember while I was growing up I was crazy about chicken shawarma. At that time I didn’t know how to make it at home so the only option to enjoy shawarma was to buy it from a local restaurant. Me and my brother would buy a shawarma wrap from a local restaurant near our home and enjoy the wrap whenever we craved for it.
Now that I know how simple it is to make shawarma at home, I can make it at home and even better than take out whenever the cravings hit me. It only needs a few ingredients which are probably there in your kitchen already to make shawarma. Serve it with pita bread along with some Arabic style pickles or serve over a rice bowl with some salad and hummus. It always tastes delicious.
WHAT IS CHICKEN SHAWARMA?
Chicken Shawarma is a popular Middle Eastern dish made with marinated chicken that is grilled on a vertical rotisserie. The chicken is seasoned with spices such as cumin, paprika, cinnamon, cardamom, garlic, chilli flakes, olive oil and lemon juice.
Traditionally, the marinated chicken is stacked onto a vertical spit. It is then slowly grilled allowing the outer layer to be charred while the inner layer is juicy and tender. When the meat is cooked it is shaved off in thin slices. Chicken shawarma is served as a wrap or sandwich, made of warm pita or flatbread, along with fresh vegetables, pickles and sauces like tahini. It’s a famous street food in the Middle East and has gained popularity worldwide for its delicious flavours.
TIPS AND TRICKS
- Marination is the key, try to marinate for at least 1 hour. However overnight marination is the best, it helps incorporate all flavours of the spices into the chicken. So if you have time marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
- Use a vertical skewer if you have one, or we shall make one.
- To make a vertical bamboo skewer, cut one large onion into two halves from the centre. Place one half on a baking tray with the cut open side facing the bottom of the tray. Insert two bamboo skewers onto the onion. Start stacking the chicken thighs one above the other. Seal with other half onion on top. Look into the video tutorial below.
- If your onion is not large enough it might not hold the bamboo skewers and the stack might fall off. Try to use a large onion or just let the chicken stack rest on the baking tray flat. You can cook on both sides by flipping sides in between.
- If the oven is too small and you don’t want to do the skewer method, then simply stack the chicken thighs in a loaf tin, one above the other tightly and bake.
- Once you have baked and sliced the chicken, make sure to add the juices from the baking tray back to the chicken and mix. It has so much flavour and we don’t want to throw it away.
- Serve the chicken shawarma with a pita bread along with some Arabian pickles, hummus and salad, or make a shawarma wrap. You can also simply serve it with a rice bowl along with salad and hummus, just like I did.
THE PROCESS OF MAKING CHICKEN SHAWARMA:
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CHICKEN SHAWARMA
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 Kg Large Chicken Thighs Or Chicken Breast
- 2 tsp Paprika
- 1.5 tsp Red chilli flakes
- 1 tsp Cardamom powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 1.5 tsp Cumin powder
- Salt to taste
- 1.5 tsp Garlic paste
- 1 Juice of whole lemon
- 4 tbsp Olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic paste, cumin powder, paprika, cardamom powder, cinnamon powder, salt and red chilli flakes. Add the large chicken thighs to the marinade, making sure they're well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or ideally overnight for best flavor.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
- After marinating, remove the chicken from the fridge . Thread the chicken thighs onto a vertical skewer or lay them flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You can also make your own vertical skewer, see the instructions in the NOTE section.
- Place the chicken in the preheated oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and slightly charred at the edges.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. Then, using a sharp knife, thinly slice the chicken off the skewers. Pour all the juices from the baking tray onto the sliced chicken and mix.
- Serve the chicken shawarma in warm pita bread or flatbreads, along with your choice of toppings like sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, pickles, tahini sauce, hummus, etc. You can also serve it with a rice bowl along with salad and hummus. Enjoy!
Video
@cookwithnoorain Chicken shawarma If you rely on a take out whenever you crave chicken shawarma, let me tell you its very easy to make at home and taste even better. Make it at home and spread awareness. Free 🇵🇸 #chickenshawarma #shawarma #chickenthighs #recipe #cooking
♬ original sound – Julia LeFrancois 🍉
