Chicken Shawarma with Chopped Veggies and a Homemade Tahini Sauce

Serving Size: 6

This delicious Shawarma-Style Chicken is a great weeknight dinner and can be served in a pita bread, in a wrap or in a salad. It’s got all the flavor that you might expect from your local Middle Eastern restaurant! Add to this meal, Tumeric rice, or Tzaziki sauces.

Recipe by: Arash Hashemi

Cook Times

Active Prep10

Hands-On Cook0

Hands-Off Cook45

Passive0

Total Time50

Recipe Serving Size6

Cooking Tools Required

8.5x4.5x2.5 Bread Loaf Pan, Cutting board, Food Processor, Measuring cups and spoons, Mixing bowls, Sharp Knives

Ingredients

For the Chicken Shawarma

2.5 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
0.25 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoon plain yogurt
0.5 each lemon juiced
1 tablespoon dry thyme
1.5 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
0.25 teaspoon crushed red pepper Adjust to spiciness preference
0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
0.25 teaspoon ground cardamom
0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
0.5 teaspoon ground turmeric
0.125 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 each small red onion thinly sliced

Homemade Tahini Sauce

2 clove garlic add more as needed
0.666 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup tahini paste
0.666 cup lime juice or lemon juice, if you prefer
0.333 cup cold water more if needed
0.666 cup fresh parsley fresh chopped parsley leaves stems removed first (optional)

Chopped Veggies

16 ounce cherry tomato halved
1 each English cucumber chopped
1 each medium red onion chopped

To Serve (Optional)

6 each pita bread
dill pickle

Instructions

The Chicken Shawarma

Start with 2.5 lbs of boneless chicken thighs. Trim off any excess fat to the extent you’d like. Add it to a bowl.
Season the chicken well. Add olive oil, salt, fresh cracked pepper, plain yogurt, the lemon juice. Then add thyme, garlic powder, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg. Adjust to customer's preferences.
Mix it super well, then thinly slice the red onion and mix it in with the chicken. You ideally let this marinate for 2 or more hours, but if you want to make it right away, you can.
When ready, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the chicken from the fridge and let it come up to room temp (about 30 mins). Then pack the marinated chicken tightly into a bread loaf pan in layers (about 8.5x4.5x2.5). Roast in the oven for 45-55 mins at 425F.
Remove the chicken from the oven, tilt the pan over a glass bowl or container to pour out the excess juices (save the juice to use as broth or to pour over the chicken).
Flip the loaf pan onto a cutting board to remove the chicken and cut it into thin slices or strips.

The Tahini Sauce

Mince the garlic and season with salt
Add the crushed garlic, tahini paste and lime juice to the bowl of a food processor and blend (it will be thick as it emulsifies.) Add a little bit of water and blend again until you reach the desired consistency.
Use only a little bit of water at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Generally, tahini sauce should have a runny, salad dressing-like consistency. But, if you prefer tahini more as a dip, simply use less water.
Transfer the tahini to a serving bowl, and if you like stir in fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!

For the chopped Veggies

Chop the veggies and place them in a bowl or container.

To Serve

Open pita pockets up. Add chicken shawarma, chopped veggies, pickles, and spread a little tahini sauce if you like. Serve immediately!

Reheating Instructions

refrigerate the tahini sauce in a tight-lid container for 2 to 3 days. The chicken stays well in the fridge in an airtight lid for 4-5 days. Warm the shawarma up in a skillet over medium heat, adding a little bit of liquid and tossing the chicken pieces until warmed through. Assemble pita pockets as instructed.

Nutrition