Easy Shawarma-Spiced Chicken
This Easy Shawarma-Spiced Chicken is full of flavor and tantalizes your taste buds with the flavors of the Middle East. It is an easy stovetop version of the traditional dish, so you can enjoy it anytime.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time18 minutes mins
Total Time28 minutes mins
Course: Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean Recipes, Middle Eastern Recipes
Keyword: Chicken Shawarma, how to make shawarma, shawarma
Diet: Flexitarian, Gluten-Free, Mediterranean
Servings: 6
Calories: 340kcal
For the marinade
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezd
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For the Greek Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp fresh dill leaves finely chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezd
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
To serve
- Bib or Romaine lettuce leaves
- tomato slices
- cucumber slices
Prepare the marinade
Mix the garlic, spices, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, and whisk to combine.
Add the chicken to the marinade
Prepare the Greek yogurt sauce
Cook the chicken
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the remaining marinade.
Add the chicken to the hot skillet and brown on each side, approximately 2 minutes per side. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired.
Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until chicken is cooked through, approximately 6-7 minutes per side. Remove from heat and let cool for several minutes.
- This recipe is best made with skinless, boneless chicken thighs. You can replace some chicken with chicken breasts if desired, but not all. This dish gets a lot of flavor from dark meat.
- You can also cook the chicken on the BBQ.
- For best results, plan to marinade the chicken for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Let the cooked chicken rest for at least 3 minutes before serving. This will allow the juices to redistribute and the chicken to remain juicy after you slice it.
- This recipe stores well in the refrigerator. You can make a large batch and enjoy it for several days afterward. Just reheat the chicken before serving in a skillet over medium heat, add a little bit of liquid, and toss the chicken pieces until warm.
- You can prepare this recipe ahead of time for quick weeknight meals. Double or triple this recipe and prepare several freezer bags with chicken and marinade. Then, place each bag in the freezer straight away. Then, pull out a bag the night before cooking; the chicken will defrost and marinate at the same time.
Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 549mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g