Matt Xiaxiang
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Main dishesChicken shawarma
Posted: 28/10/2024Updated: 28/10/2024
Middle Eastern chicken shawarma combining smoky marinated chicken thighs, garlic sauce (toum), sumac onions, and gherkins in a wrap.
Serve chicken shawarma with refreshing sides like tabbouleh salad, featuring parsley, mint, and tomatoes, or fattoush salad with mixed greens and crispy pita chips. Roasted seasonal vegetables such as bell peppers and courgettes add a sweet contrast.
Ingredients
Servings
Shawarma marinade
- 600 grams Boneless and skinless chicken thighs
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon All spice
- 2 teaspoons Ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons Ground cardamom
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon White vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Plain yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Salt
Assembly
- 4 large Wraps or flatbread
- 1 medium Brown onion
- 2 large Tomatoes
- 1 handful Fresh parsley
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 3 teaspoons Olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Sumac
- 0 Iceberg lettuce
- 0 Gherkins
- 3 teaspoons Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons Pepper paste
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 3 teaspoons Salt
- 8 tablespoons Neutral oil
Instructions
Shawarma marinade
- Thinly slice the chicken thighs into strips and finely mince the garlic.
- Add everything to a mixing bowl and massage everything together. Ensure the marinade fully coats the slices of chicken.
- Cover and allow to marinade for at least 60 minutes in the fridge.
Assembly
- Pre-heat a pan over medium-high heat. Cook the marinated chicken thighs for about 5-6 minutes per side, or until fully cooked and nicely charred.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the fillings. Slice the tomatoes, gherkins, iceberg lettuce and julienne the brown onion.
- To make the sumac onions, add the julienned brown onions to a bowl and add in 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons olive oil, the sumac and the chopped fresh parsley. Mix until fully combined.
- For the toum (garlic sauce), add the garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon of salt to a food processor. Pulse until finely minced. With the processor running, gradually add the neutral oil in a very slow, steady stream. Once the mixture starts to thicken, gradually add the lemon juice while continuing to process. If the toum is too thick, add a little cold water until the desired consistency is reached.
- The red sauce is made by combining the tomato puree, pepper paste, cumin, paprika, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
- Assemble the chicken shawarma by first spreading a layer of toum followed by red sauce along the centre. Add the tomatoes, gherkins, iceberg lettuce and sumac onions on top of the sauces.
- Evenly distribute the cooked chicken along the other fillings. Fold both sides in and roll tightly to secure the fillings. Lightly toast each side of the shawarma in the leftover oil from cooking the chicken.
My notes
Cooking tips
- Marination time: For the best flavour, marinate the chicken thighs for at least 1 hour or overnight. This allows the spices to penetrate the meat.
- Overcrowding the pan: Do not overcrowd the pan with chicken as this will cause it to steam. Cook in batches if necessary.
- Moving the chicken: Avoid moving the chicken too much while cooking. Ideally only move the chicken once when cooking to turn it. This will help it to develop a char and develop the smokiness needed.
- Making the toum: Using room temperature ingredients makes it easier for the mixture to emulsify, resulting in a creamy, smooth sauce.
Alternative ingredients
- Chicken breasts can be used instead but will result in a slightly drier texture.
- Experiment with different fillings such as cucumbers. Tahini or a yoghurt sauce work very well in a chicken shawarma.
- Instead of making toum, a basic combination of mayonnaise and minced garlic can suffice.
Storage instructions
Store each component separately and assemble when needed.
- Refrigeration: The uncooked chicken can be stored for 1-2 days in an airtight container. Cooked chicken can be stored for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container. The toum and red sauce can last for 5-7 in an airtight container.
- Freezing: Store both the uncooked and cooked marinaded chicken (allow cooked to cool completely) in a freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag. Label with the date and freeze for up to 3 months.
Re-heating instructions
From frozen, ensure it has fully defrosted whether that is overnight in the fridge out in the microwave on the defrost setting.
- Microwave: Quickly re-heat the cooked chicken in a microwave until hot throughout.
- Stove: Re-heat or cook on the stove over medium heat. Cook until hot throughout - about 3-4 minutes.
Nutrition and dietary facts
Dairy-free
(Per serving) Calories: 785kcal (35%), Protein: 46g (77%), Fat: 22.8g (29%), Saturated fat: 11g (73%), Carbohydrates: 28.5g (10%), Sugars: 8.5g (34%), Fibre: 4.7g (16%)
Note: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is an estimate based on ingredients and cooking instructions as described - it is intended for informational purposes only.