Egyptian Style Chicken Shawarma

Egyptian Style Chicken Shawarma

Chicken shawarma is a beloved Middle Eastern street food made by stacking marinated chicken on a vertical skewer and roasting it until tender and juicy. It's known for its bold spices, smoky aroma, and thin slices of flavorful meat. Typically served in warm pita bread with garlic sauce, tahina, pickled turnips, and fries, chicken shawarma delivers a perfect balance of savory, tangy, and creamy flavors in every bite.

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Ingredients

(Seasonings should be added to taste.)

For the Chicken Marinade:

• 4 pounds chicken thighs

• 4 tablespoons Greek yogurt

• olive oil

• fresh garlic, minced

• ground coriander

• ground cumin

• smoked paprika

• allspice

• turmeric

• sea salt

• black pepper

• white pepper

For the Garlic Sauce:

• 2 ounces fresh garlic

• canola oil (or any other neutral oil)

• juice of one lemon

• sea salt

For the Tahina Sauce:

• ½ cup tahini

• juice of two limes

• ground cumin

• sea salt

• fresh parsley, chopped

• water

For Assembling the Sandwich:

• pita bread

• pickled turnips

• fries

• fresh parsley, chopped

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Instructions

Marinate the Chicken

Start this recipe by marinating boneless, skinless chicken thighs. In a large bowl, add Greek yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic, ground coriander, ground cumin, smoked paprika, allspice, turmeric, sea salt, black pepper, and white pepper. Mix everything really well until the chicken is fully coated.

Assemble the Skewer

You will need a vertical skewer for this part. Start by placing half of a yellow onion at the base. Drizzle it with olive oil, then carefully layer the marinated chicken thighs over it. Once you have stacked the chicken, place the second half of the yellow onion on top and drizzle again with olive oil.

Bake the Chicken Shawarma

Place the assembled skewer in the oven at 425°F covered with foil and bake for 1 hour. After that, remove the foil and continue baking for another 15 minutes, or until the chicken is browned and slightly crispy on the outside.

Make the Garlic Sauce

While the chicken is baking, prepare the garlic sauce. In a glass jar, combine fresh garlic with neutral oil. Add enough oil to cover the garlic, then squeeze in fresh lemon juice and a bit of sea salt. Use an immersion blender to blend everything together until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.

Make the Tahina Sauce

Now let’s move on to the tahina sauce. In a bowl, mix tahina with fresh lime juice, ground cumin, sea salt, chopped parsley, and a splash of water. Keep adding water slowly while mixing until the sauce reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.

Slice and Assemble the Sandwich

Once the chicken is out of the oven, it should look golden and juicy. Choose one side of the stack and begin slicing the chicken very thin.

To assemble your sandwich, start with fresh pita bread. Spread a generous amount of homemade garlic sauce on it. Add sliced tomatoes and season them with sea salt and black pepper. Then, pile on the sliced chicken, followed by pickled turnips along the side. Add crispy fries on top of the chicken, then drizzle everything with the tahina sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley for the final touch.

Toast and Serve

Fold the sandwich tightly, wrap it in foil, and give it a nice toast to warm through and crisp the outside. Slice it in half, and just like that, your homemade Egyptian-style chicken shawarma is ready to serve!