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| Homemade chicken shawarma |
What Is Shawarma?
True shawarma is cooked with stacked,
spice-marinated meats– lamb, turkey, chicken, beef, or a mix of roots– on a
vertical rotisserie machine or spit. The shawarma turns and slowly roasts for
hours and hours, basted in fat and its own juices. Thin slices of meat are
shaved from the surface and served, either on their own or tucked inside a warm
flatbread, topped with tahini or garlic
sauce.
Technically this recipe should actually be
called Shawarma-Style Chicken. It doesn’t cook on a spit, but it’s
got all the flavor that you might expect from your local Middle Eastern
restaurant!
How to Make Shawarma at Home
I’ve been trying to replicate the flavor
of shawarma at home for months, playing with different spice combinations and
cooking methods. At first, I tried buying pre-made shawarma spice blends from
the Middle Eastern markets, but none of them made my mouth happy. I needed more
spice, more flavor, more oomph. So I began to experiment. Then finally, I
nailed it!
You have two choices for cooking this
recipe– in the oven or on the grill. To be honest, both cooking methods taste
great – there really isn’t a big difference between the two. I use boneless
skinless chicken meat (a combination of dark and light meat) in the recipe.
Shawarma gets a lot of its flavor from basting in its own fat. I’ve replaced
the flavor of that skin fat with olive oil, including a final sauté in olive
oil prior to serving.
It may seem strange to sauté meat that has
already been cooked, but you’re going to have to trust me on this one. The
extra sauté adds a ton of flavor and really gives it a shawarma-like texture
that can’t be replicated in the oven or on the grill. I’ve shared the whole
process below, and the video in this post will also show you the method in
great detail!
Can Shawarma be Made Healthy?
This
preparation of shawarma is lighter than one you might find at a local
restaurant. That’s because skinless chicken is used. So this shawarma recipe is
a pretty healthy, lean protein option!
You can actually lighten up this recipe even further. If you’re trying to cut down on your oil intake, you don’t need to do the extra sauté. That will save you two tablespoons of olive oil… it won’t taste exactly like shawarma, but it will still be tasty. But please, don’t replace the chicken thighs with breast meat. This dish really needs some dark meat in it to make it taste great. You can make it with all chicken thighs if you prefer (I actually love it that way), but don’t sub all chicken breast. Pretty please.
What Do You Eat Shawarma With?
This
recipe goes great with hummus and toum or tahini sauce, over a salad for a boost of protein, or
in a pita sandwich or wrap. It stores well in the refrigerator, so you can make
a large batch and enjoy it for several days afterward– just reheat it before
serving. The best part? It’s ridiculously easy to make! You’re welcome.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb boneless
skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
- 1 lb boneless
skinless chicken thighs (4 large thighs)
- 6 tbsp extra
virgin olive oil divided
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp allspice
- 3/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp garlic
powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 pinch cayenne
- Salt and black
pepper
- Nonstick cooking
oil spray
You will also need
- Grill or baking
sheet, tongs, skillet, spatula, plastic wrap.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Slice the chicken breasts into 5-6 pieces
each and the thighs into 3-4 pieces each. Place them in a marinating dish or
large plastic zipper bag.
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| Homemade chicken shawarma |
2. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup
olive oil, the spices, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper (if you are salt
sensitive, use 1/2 tsp of salt). Pour the spice marinade over the chicken
pieces. Stir with a spoon till all the chicken pieces are evenly coated in the
marinade.
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| Homemade chicken shawarma |
3. Cover the marinating dish with plastic
wrap, or close the zipper bag. Place chicken in the refrigerator and let it
marinate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
Oven Cooking Method
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray the
baking sheet with nonstick cooking oil. Place the chicken pieces on the sheet,
evenly spaced.
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| Homemade chicken shawarma |
2. Place the chicken in the oven. Let it
roast for about 15 minutes until cooked through, turning the chicken pieces
once with tongs halfway through cooking.
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| Homemade chicken shawarma |
3. Take the chicken out of the oven and let it
cool slightly. Use a sharp knife to slice the meat into small, thin
shawarma-like pieces.
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| Homemade chicken shawarma |
4. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet on the
stovetop over medium. Pour half of the chicken into the skillet and saute for
3-4 minutes till the smallest pieces of chicken turn brown and crisp. Season
with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
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| Homemade chicken shawarma |
5. Remove the cooked chicken from the
skillet. Heat another 1 tbsp of oil and saute the remaining chicken in the same
way. Serve warm.
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| Homemade chicken shawarma |
Grill Cooking Method
1. Spray the grill with nonstick cooking oil
and preheat to medium heat. Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto wooden
skewers.
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| Homemade chicken shawarma |
2. Cook the chicken for about 20 minutes,
giving a quarter turn every 5 minutes, until cooked through (slice into the
thickest piece of meat to check for doneness).
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| Homemade chicken shawarma |
3. Let the chicken cool slightly, then remove
it from the skewers. Use a sharp knife to slice the meat into small, thin
shawarma-like pieces.
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| Homemade chicken shawarma |
4. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet on the
stovetop over medium. Pour half of the chicken into the skillet and saute for
3-4 minutes till the smallest pieces of chicken turn brown and crisp. Season
with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Remove the cooked chicken
from the skillet. Heat another 1 tbsp of oil and saute the remaining chicken in
the same way.
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| Homemade chicken shawarma |
5. Serve warm. Goes great with toum -
a creamy Middle Eastern garlic sauce - or tahini sauce.
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| Homemade chicken shawarma |
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