In a world where the chicken dishes considered most delicious are deep fried and smothered in a calorie-dense sauce, chicken shawarma challenges the status quo. It’s packed with mind-shattering deliciousness, with only a slight uptick in calories and difficulty compared to plain chicken. There isn’t a more perfect food.
What is Shawarma?
Shawarma is a popular middle eastern dish consisting of spiced and marinated meats, commonly lamb, beef, or chicken. It’s traditionally roasted on a vertical skewer, slowly rotating in order to evenly brown the outer layer. Portions are usually carved directly off the roasting rack, and served with either pita bread or rice. The shortcut we use to recreate the roasted flavors of traditional shawarma is by simply searing the meat in a pan. It isn’t perfect, but if you let the meat cook on one side for a long time on medium heat, a delicious well developed browning will form. This is by far the easiest and quickest way to get that roasted flavor in a home kitchen.
How to eat Shawarma?
Shawarma is commonly served alongside a carbohydrate, usually rice or pita bread. Various sides such as hummus, cucumber salad, lettuce, and pickled onions are served to accompany. There is usually a strongly flavored sauce to bring the dish together, such as toum. These ingredients are served either on a plate, or in the form of a wrap.
The Spices
This spice mix is one I’ve developed to best suit my tastes. It has a little more cumin and smoked paprika than average simply because I like their warm flavors a lot. Other spices often used but not present here are ground ginger and allspice. Everybody’s shawarma spice mix is a little different and personalized. I encourage you to try this one, taste it, and then play with the ratios to suit your tastes.
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp cayenne
- ½ tsp coriander
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp clove
- ¼ tsp black cardamom
Fast and Easy Chicken Shawarma
6-8
servings1
hour20
minutes10
minutesIngredients
4-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
½ lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tsp salt
- SPICE MIX
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp cayenne
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp clove
¼ tsp black cardamom
Directions
- Trim any excess fat off the chicken thighs. Place them in a container with the spice mix, juice of half a lemon, olive oil, and salt. Rub the marinade in to coat every piece evenly. Let marinate covered in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Cut the chicken into thin strips. Lightly oil a pan and heat it on medium-high. When the oil is shimmering, place the chicken in the pan. Spread the chicken out so that every piece is laying flat on the pan.
- Let the chicken fry without flipping for three to four minutes or until well browned. Adjust the heat to medium low. Flip and cook for another eight to ten minutes to finish. Serve.
