Arabic recipesMain dishes
Chicken Shawarma Recipe: Crispy Home-Style Levantine Wraps
Home-style chicken shawarma uses thinly sliced chicken thighs marinated in yoghurt, lemon juice, garlic and warm shawarma spices, then seared over fierce heat until charred at the edges. Wrapped tightly in thin Arabic bread with toum garlic sauce and pickled cucumbers, each roll is toasted crisp in the pan.
Also known as:Syrian chicken shawarma wrapArabic shawarma sandwichPan-seared Levantine shawarma
Servings4
Prep time25 min
Cook time18 min
Ingredients
Add ingredients to cart- 800 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs sliced into thin strips (or a mix of thighs and breast)
- For the marinade: 3 tbsp plain yoghurt, 2 tbsp chicken shawarma spice blend, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 4 crushed garlic cloves, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp sweet paprika and salt
- 4 to 6 thin Arabic flatbreads or saj breads
- To assemble: whipped garlic sauce (toum), crisp Middle Eastern pickled cucumbers cut into batons, and optional fries or a drizzle of pomegranate molasses
Preparation Steps
- 1Whisk together the yoghurt, shawarma spice blend, lemon juice, vinegar, crushed garlic, olive oil, paprika and salt in a wide bowl, coat the chicken strips thoroughly, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- 2Heat a heavy cast-iron frying pan until smoking hot (or preheat a wide tray under a high oven grill) and lay the chicken out in a single uncrowded layer, working in batches so it sears rather than steams.
- 3Let the chicken sear undisturbed over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes until deeply golden, then toss and cook for 4 more minutes until cooked through with crisp, lightly charred edges.
- 4Spread a generous swipe of toum down the centre of an Arabic flatbread or saj sheet, pile on the hot chicken strips and crunchy cucumber pickles, and roll into a tight cylinder.
- 5Place the wraps seam-side down back into the pan brushed with the spiced pan drippings, pressing lightly for 2 minutes until golden and crisp all round, then slice into bite-sized pieces or serve whole.
