Homemade Chicken Shawarma

Ingredients

• 1000 g chicken
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
• 3 tbsp olive oil — or cooking oil instead
• salt — to taste
• 1 tbsp sumac
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 2 tsp shawarma masala — or tikka masala or tandoori masala instead
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 415 g flour
• 7 g active dry yeast — or 25g fresh yeast instead
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp olive oil — or cooking oil instead
• 315 ml warm water
• 1 cup Greek yogurt or hung curd
• 1 tbsp tahini sauce — optional
• ½ cup finely chopped cucumber
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• ½ tbsp chopped mint leaves
• salt — to taste
• ¼ tsp crushed black pepper
• ¼ tsp lemon juice
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp Sriracha or hot sauce

Steps

1. 1

   In a bowl, combine chicken, yogurt, garlic paste, olive oil, salt, sumac, cumin powder, coriander powder, cinnamon powder, shawarma masala, turmeric, paprika, and lemon juice. Mix well to coat the chicken.

   ▶ 0:00
2. 2

   Cover the bowl and marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight in the refrigerator.

3. 3

   Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F).

4. 4

   Place the marinated chicken on a baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes or until fully cooked and slightly charred.

5. 5

   While the chicken is baking, prepare the pita bread. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, active dry yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil, and warm water. Knead until a smooth dough forms.

6. 6

   Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

7. 7

   Once risen, divide the dough into small balls and roll them out into flat circles.

8. 8

   Cook the pita bread on a hot skillet for about 1-2 minutes on each side until puffed and lightly browned.

9. 9

   For the tzatziki sauce, mix Greek yogurt, tahini sauce, chopped cucumber, crushed garlic, chopped mint leaves, salt, crushed black pepper, and lemon juice in a bowl.

10. 10

    For the spicy mayo, combine mayonnaise and Sriracha or hot sauce in a separate bowl.

11. 11

    Once the chicken is done, slice it thinly and serve in pita bread with tzatziki sauce and spicy mayo.