Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Submitted by ANN N.

"These are delicious and addicting. You can also use beef or lamb in place of the chicken. I usually will make my own tahini (See Recipe#191672."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 5mins
• Ingredients: 20
• Serves: 4-8

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs boneless skinless chicken (thighs or breasts, thinly cut)
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1⁄4 cup vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 lemon, juice of

• FOR THE SAUCE

• 1 cup tahini
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1⁄4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons yogurt

• PITA FILLINGS

• 8 small pita bread, whole or 4 large pita breads, halved
• thinly slice cucumber
• thinly sliced onion
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sumac
• thinly sliced tomatoes
• 1⁄2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• pickle, slices (optional)

directions

1. Combine all ingredients except for chicken, fillings, and sauce ingredients to make marinade. If it seems a little dry, add a little olive oil (a tablespoon at a time).
2. Add chicken, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferable overnight.
3. In a stockpot or large saucepan, cook chicken over medium heat for 45 minutes or until done. Be sure not to overcook! If chicken becomes a little dry, add a few tablespoons of water throughout cooking duration.
4. While chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. Combine sauce ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
5. Take the onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and sprinkle with sumac. Add any other filling ingredients in a large bowl and combine well.
6. When the chicken is done, you can shred it, slice it, or leave into large pieces. Just make sure it is thinly cut.
7. Spread each half pita with hummus.
8. Place enough chicken on pita that cover 1/4 of the loaf.
9. Add veggies and pour on sauce.
10. Roll like a soft taco or burrito and you have shawarma!
11. You can also stuff the pocket of the pita if you prefer. I prefer to roll large pitas and stuff the smaller ones.
12. ****Cooking time does not include refrigerating overnight****.

Reviews

[Lesley G]

I used chicken tenders and had to skip the cardamom because I didn't have any and it is about 10 bucks a bottle. It was still good w/o it! I was really worried at first because when I took the chicken out of the bag it was marinating in, it smelled horrible (mostly b/c of the vinegar)! But once it started cooking, it smelled great and turned out wonderfully. The marinade made a tasty coating on the chicken. I didn't cut the tenders before cooking them, and they only cooked for about 15 minutes on medium heat before they were done (flipped halfway through). I used roasted garlic hummus instead of the sauce. I topped the wraps (I used tortillas) with chopped red onion, sliced cucumbers, halved grape tomatoes, and feta cheese. It was so yummy!

 

[Retro Kali]

I quadrupled the recipe and made this for a Middle Eastern themed party, and it was a huge hit! Almost everyone asked for the recipe, and there was none left. I made my own tahini, and the sauce was amazing. It looked like someone had licked the bowl clean! Thanks!

 

[soederman]

The recipe is not written in a good way and the proportions seem to be totally out of place.<br/><br/>1 cup of Tahini with 2 tbsp of yoghurt does not make a sauce, it is concrete!<br/>You definitely don't need 45 minutes to cook a chicken that has been marinated and in thin cuts. it takes more like 5-10 min.

 

[ellewoods808]

I absolutely love this recipe! My boyfriend is from Saudi and he couldn't believe how much it tastes like the Shawarma he grew up with. I usually shred the chicken and it absorbs the flavor much better. Garlic mayo and warm pita are a must for this dish. Thank you for sharing!

 

[verybaddmom]

this was a wonderful Shawarma recipe! a friend from out of town introduced us to a fantastic Mediterranean deli near where she lives that serves it and ever since I've been trying to replicate it at home. this comes the closest to what i know it should taste like. i used a mix of chicken thighs and breasts and wrapped the cooked chicken up in warmed pitas with garlic mayo, pickles, lettuce, onion, tomato and cucumber. my family devoured every drop, nothing left over at all