Traditionally Chicken Shawarma is prepared by marinating chicken, before stacking the chicken thighs on a vertical rotisserie where it cooks slowly. Slices are taken off the outside and served stuffed into a pita with fresh and pickled veggies and topped with a selection of sauces including hummus, tahini, tzatziki and/or garlic sauce.
Ingredients
- 3T Chicken Shawarma Marinade Blend From Lex’s Pantry
- 1kg Chicken - 8-12 boneless chicken thighs
- ½ c yogurt
- ¼ c Lemon juice
- 2T olive oil
Preparation
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces
- Combine Chicken Shawarma Marinade Blend with yogurt, olive oil and lemon juice, and mix thoroughly.
- Add spice mixture to the chicken and mix evenly to coat all the meat.
- Cover and marinate from 4 to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
- Sear your chicken on your barbecue over high heat or in a heavy cast iron pan over medium to medium-high heat to get that dry sear that is traditional Shawarma.
- Then move to indirect (BBQ) or reduce the heat on your pan, and cook until you reach an internal temperature of 160°
- Rest your chicken for 5 minutes -if you can wait.
- Cut meat into strips
Serve wrapped up in a pita or with rice and salad.
Alternatives Ways to Cook your Chicken Shawarma
Sure you can use your barbecue or a cast iron pan for a quick sear, but why not experiment a bit and try:
on the Barbecue
It's a bit slower, but slightly more traditional method - thread your chicken onto skewers, sear it fast and then slow roast it indirect on low-medium to medium.
In the Kitchen
Oven roasting your Chicken Shawarma on a sheet pan is a great way to cook without having to leave the kitchen. You could even throw in some potatoes, onions or other vegetables to roast alongside.
Have a Rotisserie?
why not try the tried and true method and build a cone-shaped spit of meat and slow roast it on your rotisserie. It's not for every day, but certainly fun to do occasionally.
Other uses for our Chicken Shawarma Marinade Blend
Mix things up and mix some directly into ground chicken or turkey turn this into a Shawarma Burger. Serve with the same toppings on a burger bun. Yum!
Don't want the meat? No problem!
Skip the chicken and use any of your favourite plant-based meat alternatives. Or just skip straight to using Chicken Shawarma Marinade Blend to season your tofu or seitan. Or sprinkle it on cauliflower steaks before grilling. The flavour is there for the using!
