Chicken Shawarma
These soft wraps are stuffed with perfectly seasoned, smoky chicken, creamy yogurt sauce, and colorful toppings of choice. The chicken is moist, slightly charred, and insanely flavorful, and it partners beautifully with the tangy yogurt sauce. Easy to make and much better than take-out!
What is shawarma? Shawarma is a popular Middle Eastern dish featuring marinated meat (lamb, chicken, and/or beef) that’s cooked vertically on a rotisserie. The meat is shaved into thin slices and often served as a wrap with yogurt and toppings. The good news is, you don’t need a vertical rotisserie to enjoy the exact same experience!
The secrete to maximum flavor is marinating the chicken. The marinade for this chicken consists of olive oil, lemon, garlic, and plenty of dried spices. The spices are smoky, spicy, and aromatic and they catapult the chicken to new heights. For the best results, marinate your chicken for 24 hours, or at least 4 hours.
Don’t skip the yogurt sauce! The chicken is heavily seasoned and the creamy yogurt mixture balances everything out, while encouraging flavors to linger on your palate. The mixture comes together quickly (and you can make it up to 3 days in advance), so make sure you serve it with this chicken. If desired, you may substitute store-bought tzatziki sauce.
What kind of chicken should you use for this chicken shawarma? I used boneless skinless chicken thighs because they cook up juicy and tender every time. If desired, you may substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts.
How should you serve your chicken shawarma? As mentioned above, the marinated meat is often served wrap-style, in flatbread or pita. Some countries serve the meat alongside rice and/or mixed greens, so that’s also an option. And if you’re looking for a gluten-free suggestion, gluten-free tortillas work well!
Chicken Shawarma
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespooon ground cardamon
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or less to taste
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, or chicken breasts
For the Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For Serving
- Flabread, or pita, or tortillas
- Shredded lettuce, or arugula
- Chopped tomato
- Chopped red onion
Instructions
- To prepare the chicken, in a large bowl or zip-top freezer bag, combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the rest of the ingredients for the chicken EXCEPT for the chicken. Mix well. Add the chicken and massage the mixture into the meat, making sure to coat every side. Refrigerate for 24 hours (or at least 4 hours).
- To make the yogurt sauce, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (sauce will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator).
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches to prevent crowding the pan, add the chicken and cook until nicely charred on both sides and cooked through (165 degrees), about 4 to 5 minutes per side.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate, cover with foil and let stand 5 minutes.
- Slice the chicken into strips and serve on flatbreads (or pita or tortillas) with yogurt sauce, lettuce (or arugula), tomato, and onion.