andrejthechef
Middle EastSandwichDinner

Chicken Shawarma

Marinated chicken thighs cooked until lightly charred, folded into warm pita with fresh vegetables and tahini or garlic yogurt sauce.

prep
20 min
cook
15 min
total
35 min
serves
4
level
easy
Chicken shawarma wrap with fresh vegetables in warm pita bread

Shawarma is Middle Eastern street food, traditionally carved off a rotating spit. This home version works the same warm spices, cumin, paprika, turmeric and cinnamon, into sliced chicken thighs, then chars them in a hot skillet.

The marinade does the heavy lifting. Give it at least an hour, or overnight if you can. The rest is a quick fry and assembly.

method

  1. Make the marinade. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and all the spices in a bowl.

  2. Add the sliced chicken and coat it well. Marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

  3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, until fully cooked and slightly charred.

  4. While the chicken cooks, slice the vegetables and get your sauce ready.

  5. Warm the pita breads. Fill each one with a portion of chicken, then the sliced vegetables.

  6. Drizzle with tahini sauce or garlic yogurt sauce and serve.

chef's tips

  • Don’t crowd the skillet. The chicken should char, not steam.
  • Overnight marinating makes a real difference. The lemon and spices need time to get into the meat.
  • Warm the pita in the empty skillet for a few seconds per side. It picks up the leftover spices.