Chicken Shawarma is an immensely popular street food in Middle Eastern countries. My daughter-in-law Saanya says that getting it from a street vendor is the absolute best way to enjoy and appreciate it. But, this is the next best option…
Saanya knows her stuff and she created the spice mix for the chicken and it is amazing. She also says to only use chicken thighs…but I still used chicken breasts. She says that where she comes from thighs are superior to breasts. You do you.
Whether you are using breasts or thighs, trim the meat well and slice into strips.
Add in spices and mix well making sure every piece is well coated.
Spread evenly on a baking sheet.
While the chicken is baking whip together the dressing.
My impulse is to serve this with a yogurt dressing, but Saanya says purists will only eat this with Tahini. So I mixed olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, tahini, honey and garlic. Just whisk it all together.
But if you are allergic to sesame seeds like Corinne, I included a yogurt sauce recipe.
Use naan bread or pita to make wraps.
Top with tomatoes, shredded lettuce and red onions. Saanya says they eat this with pickled turnips! I opted to pickle the red onions.
AND, here’s a pro-tip from Saanya. FRENCH FRIES. Yep! She said you should put French fries right in the wrap. Who would’ve thought?!
OR make rice bowls.
Layer rice , chicken, toppings and dressing. DELICIOUS.
Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet spray with cooking spray or cover with silicone baking sheet.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs, skinless and boneless
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp coriander
- ½-1 tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Tahini Sauce
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4 Tbsp tahini
- 3 tsp honey
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- water as needed
Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, plain
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Add Ons
- Pita bread or small Naan breads
- tomatoes, chopped
- red onions, sliced thin *I like to use pickled red onions
- shredded lettuce
- hot French fries
- hot rice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°.
- Cut chicken into slices about ¼ inch thick. Place into mixing bowl.
- Add olive oil and mix well.
- Mix spices together in a small bowl and pour over the chicken. Mix until every piece of chicken is covered evenly in spices.
- Pour chicken onto prepared baking sheet and spread evenly. Bake for 15 minutes. Change to broil and cook 3 more minutes.
Tahini Sauce
- Whisk all ingredients together except for the water. Add water as needed to get consistency like a creamy salad dressing.
Yogurt Sauce
- Whisk all ingredients together.
Wraps
- Heat pitas or naan breads according to package instructions.
- Load with a few slices of chicken, tomatoes, onions and hot french fries.
- Drizzle with Tahini sauce or Yogurt sauce and wrap together.
Rice Bowls
- Spoon about 1 cup of rice into bowl individual serving bowl.
- Top with chicken and any desired toppings and sauce,