Chicken Shawarma Recipe

If you ask me to choose a favorite food, I would probably instantly say, “Shawarma”. There is nothing I don’t love about this Tasty Lebanese Wrap! I used to have my favorite stall growing up where my Dad would buy these yummy parcels.

Sadly, I found that Shawarma is not available in many parts of the world. I had to recreate that taste that I loved so much. I make both Beef and Chicken Shawarma. Today I am sharing my Chicken Shawarma Recipe here with you. It’s delicious!

Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Ingredients: for about 12 servings

6 chicken breasts or same amount leg and thigh meat which is more tender

For Marinade:

6 cloves garlic, minced/mashed
juice of 2 lemons
¼ cup olive oil
3 bay leaves, broken
1 tsp paprika or mild chili powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
2 tsp cardamom
½ tsp cloves
salt to taste

Garlic Sauce: makes 2 cups- store in fridge

1 small bulb or half a bulb of garlic
2 cups of vegetable oil ( sunflower/peanut / canola etc)
salt to taste
2 Tbsp lemon juice or to taste ( at room temperature).

Other:

¼ tsp sumac if available
Khubz – See Recipe
Lebanese Pickle – See Recipe
Large French Fries – Baked or fried
Tomatoes – sliced into wedges
Parsley

Method:

For Garlic Sauce: Good with grilled meat and wraps, especially chicken.

Use a sterile, dry blender.
Crush the garlic with some salt using a pestle and mortar.
Add to the dry blender.
Run the blender and add the oil in a steady VERY thin stream. Add half a cup at a time. Wait for a few seconds and add ½ TEASPOON lime juice and run till it is absorbed by the oil. Then repeat – ½ cup of oil followed by lime juice wait a few seconds before adding the next portion each time. Also scrape sown the blender each time.
The sauce will emulsify into a thickened cream.
It is very important that the alric is crushed to a paste to begin with. Also the oil must be added in a thread like thin stream. Otherwise the sauce will not emulsify into a thickened cream and will be an oily mess! Also wait each time after adding lemon to add the remaining oil.

The Shawarma:

Combine all the Ingredients for marinade and rub well into the chicken. Marinate at least 3 hours or overnight.
Grill the chicken indoor or outdoor till tender and cover tightly with foil for 30 minutes to rest. (Use the barbecue, indoor grill pan or I like to use my oven on broiler setting).
Cut into thin strips. Sprinkle some sumac over the chicken while hot.
Reheat each pita bread for 5 seconds.
Slather some ‘Toum’ /Garlic sauce over the Khubz/Pita bread. Place some chicken through the centre, top with three wedges of tomato, some parsley, 2 pieces of pickle, 3-4 fries and then add a little more sauce.
Wrap with Parchment Paper and serve.