Homemade Chicken Shawarma
About this recipe
Get ready to make some legendary chicken shawarma right at home! This recipe captures the essence of traditional Middle Eastern street food with juicy, marinated chicken thighs, a blend of spices, and a smoky flavor that will transport your taste buds.
The key to this shawarma's success is the marination process and the careful cooking technique that ensures the chicken remains tender and flavorful. Plus, the addition of garlic sauce, pickles, and fries wrapped in pita bread makes for a delicious meal that’s hard to resist.
Ingredient notes
- You can use chicken breast instead of thighs, but thighs are preferred for their juiciness.
- For the garlic sauce, you can choose between regular or spicy, depending on your preference.
Tips from The Golden Balance's video
- Marinate the chicken for 24 hours to allow the flavors to develop fully.
- When cooking, make sure not to overcrowd the pan to avoid boiling the chicken; you want it to brown nicely instead.
- To achieve a smoky flavor, use a small bowl with lit charcoal and olive oil in the center of the chicken while it cooks.
No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to The Golden Balance: watch the original on YouTube.
The recipe
Ingredients
Steps
- 1
Start by placing 800g of chicken thighs in a bowl.
- 2
Add 2 tbsp of tomato-based lemon juice and 1 tbsp of vinegar to the chicken.
- 3
Season the chicken with 1 tsp each of turmeric, coriander, black pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, all spice, and ground cloves.
- 4
Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil over the chicken and massage the spices into the meat.
- 5
Marinate the chicken for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- 6
Heat a pan with 2 tbsp of neutral oil until screeching hot.
- 7
Add the marinated chicken to the pan, ensuring not to overcrowd it, and cook until golden brown on each side.
- 8
Once browned, reduce the heat and cook until the chicken is juicy.
- 9
Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for a few minutes.
- 10
Slice the chicken into thin pieces to mimic traditional shawarma shavings.
- 11
For a smoky flavor, transfer the chicken to a pot, form it into a circle, and place a small bowl with lit charcoal and olive oil in the center. Cover the pot to trap the smoke for 5-10 minutes.
- 12
Prepare the pita bread by spreading a generous amount of garlic sauce on it.
- 13
Layer the sliced chicken, pickles, and fries on top of the garlic sauce.
- 14
Drizzle a small amount of pomegranate molasses over the top.
- 15
Wrap the pita tightly, ensuring it's sealed well.
- 16
Toast the wrapped shawarma until the bread is sealed and slightly crispy.
Heads up — we had to guess a little:
- The quantity of chicken thighs is inferred based on typical serving sizes for shawarma.
- The amount of garlic sauce is a guess based on common usage in shawarma recipes.
Credit where it's due: this recipe was transcribed from The Golden Balance's original video on YouTube. Follow them there — it's their dish.
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