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Smoky Chicken Shawarma

5 from 1 vote
Prep: 1 day
Cook: 53 minutes
Servings 4
Course
MAIN DISHES

Snack
Cuisine
#Middle Eastern

Lebanese

Mediterranean

RECIPES FROM AROUND THE WORD

Description

Shawarma, an Arabic word thought to take its name from the Turkish, çervirmek, meaning to rotate or spit-roast; it is cooked with spiced chicken steaks stacked on a large skewer and grilled slowly against a gas roaster where the cooked chicken is basted in its own fat, resulting in a juicy chicken meat with caramelized edges that are shaved with a sharp knife and wrapped in a sandwich. An iconic popular street food in Lebanon and the Middle East that still can be doable at home with good results even without a vertical gas roaster but requires an investment in time, a recipe that you’re going to fall in love with!

Ingredients
 

For the shawarma:

  • 1 kg /2 lb 4 oz chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1/3 cup whole milk yogurt
  • 8 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 leveled teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup sunflower oil or a combination of olive oil and sunflower oil
  • 1 freshly squeezed lemon juice do not use bottles lemon juice, squeeze and strain lemon over a mesh sieve to catch any seeds.
  • 1 freshly squeezed orange juice squeeze and strain lemon over a mesh sieve to catch any seeds
  • 1 tablespoons white or red vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
  • ½ teaspoon ginger powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • ½ tablespoon white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon coriander powder
  • 1 heaped tablespoon cornstarch

For the garlic sauce

  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 10 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 200 ml neutral oil sunflower oil
  • Arabic bread saj bread or other thin flatbread

Instructions
 

To make the marinade:

  • Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally, then cut into 1 inch /3cm thick strips.
  • Combine together the salt, paprika, cumin powder, cardamom powder, ginger powder, cinnamon powder, grated nutmeg, white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, coriander powder, cornstarch and crushed garlic.
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  • Add the yogurt, tomato paste, oil, lemon juice, orange juice and vinegar. The lemon, orange and vinegar provide an acid hemp that will tenderize the chicken, whisk together to homogenize.
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  • Add the chicken strips and make sure the chicken pieces are evenly coated in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for 24 hours or a minimum of 4 hour
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  • To make the garlic sauce:
  • In a saucepan, dissolve cornstarch and water, place on high heat and whisk continuously until the sauce bubbles and totally thickens. Remove from heat and set aside to completely cool down.
  • Combine the garlic cloves, ½ cup water, lemon juice and salt. Puree until smooth, the garlic will be more dominant after blending, stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
  • Add the cornstarch paste to the food processor, and pulse a few times to integrate the garlic mixture with the cornstarch paste.
  • Slowly, add the oil, drizzling it in a slow steady stream, while your food processor is running, keep on adding the oil in the same gradual fashion until you used all the oil. It is crucial to add the oil gradually while the food processor is running to help emulsifying the garlic sauce. The end result should be loose and fluffy but not runny. If it is too thick add 3 tablespoons oil and pulse a few times to incorporate the mixture. Taste it to adjust salt to your taste preference.
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  • Preheat oven to 220°C/ 430 °F.
  • Add the chicken shawarma and the marinade to a large baking dish. The chicken will absorb some of the marinade, you will have marinade leftover, so add everything and spread everything evenly over the baking dish. Bake in the oven until the chicken is browned and crisp on the edges, for about 50 minutes, for a crispier top, employ the broiler at the very end, for about 2-3 minutes to give everything a little char and browning.
  • This step is optional, but recommended! You will receive an irresistible smoky effect, making you think that the shawarma has just came out of a charcoal grill without the struggle of firing up the barbecue at home. You start with a small piece of coal, use natural lump charcoal, and avoid using the ones that have chemicals added to them, light a piece of coal on your stove, keep it until you will be able to see the white ashes appearing on the lit end, then transfer it to a small heat proof cup, put it in the center of the grilled shawarma, add 3 tablespoons of ghee to the charcoal, a dense dark smoke will be emitted. Immediately, cover the cooked shawarma with a lid, and keep it for 1 minute, allowing the flavors to infuse together, this technique gives an intense charcoal barbecue taste to your shawarma. optional!
  • To assemble the chicken shawarma wraps: Use Arabic bread, saj bread or other thin flatbread, smear a generous layer of the garlic toum; layer chicken, pickles and fries and some shredded Romain lettuce, wrap it tightly and put it in a panini press or oven to crisp it!
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Video

Notes

You might also like to learn about our Lebanese Beef Shawarma (One-pot wonder)

Keyword #shawarma, chicken
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