Chicken Shawarma. Originally coming from the Ottoman Empire, now Turkey, is one of our favorite meals to have on a weekly basis. It is so simple to make, and the flavors are out-of-this-world good. We use it in salads and on our favorite “tacos” with mini naan bread or pita, lots of veggies, FETA, and yogurt sauce. Once you try this Shawarma, you will be having it all the time, no doubt.
In western cooking we don’t use many warm spices in our cooking so when I first tried making this, I was a little skeptical, especially growing up in an area that didn’t have any Middle Eastern restaurants, but we fell in love at first bite! Your western palate may be challenged a bit by the idea, but I promise, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove are made for savory dishes!!
The area I live in now has many more options when it comes to Middle Eastern cuisine and I have been able to expand my knowledge of the flavors and textures immensely and I ADORE everything I have tried. If you haven’t had the opportunity to try any, I encourage you to do so! And if you live in an area where there aren’t any restaurants to try, then definitely make this.
The marinade you make for this dish is a mix of spices, yogurt, and lemon. The yogurt gives the chicken an incredible moistness that makes it nearly impossible to dry out so if you like dry, sawdust chicken, maybe don’t make this.
You will need to marinate your chicken overnight or at least through the day. I have made the marinade in the morning before work and had it for dinner the same day and it is still delicious, but the longer you can leave it, the better it will become!
*One disclaimer* This chicken will STICK to your grill if you don’t oil everything properly. Like, so stuck you’ll never be able to get it off without ripping the chicken to bits, stuck. If you have a George Foreman grill, or something similar that is non stick that you use inside, it shouldn’t be an issue, just spray both sides with cooking spray and you should be fine. But if you want to cook it on your BBQ like I do, here are some tips:
- Spray the HECK out of your chicken breast. Make sure it is completely covered in cooking spray.
- Make sure your grill is clean. No chunks of last weeks BBQ left on the grates. CLEAN
- Oil your clean BBQ grates with a high heat oil like grapeseed or canola (this is good practice for any time you grill) simply use a rag that you aren’t afraid to get dirty or burned, dip it in oil, then using tongs, rub your BBQ grates with the oil soaked rag.
Other than the sticking, this recipe is simple and delicious, I know you will love it!
To make it a complete dish you can serve it as we do – on naan bread with yogurt, veggies, and feta. Feel free to sub out pita, or lavash, or whatever else sounds good, you really can’t go wrong!
You can serve is as a salad with a yogurt dressing, or you can serve it as an entrée with saffron rice and grilled vegetables! The options are only limited by your imagination!
Chicken Shawarma
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts
- ½ Cup Yogurt I use non-fat greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp Garlic minced
- 1 each Lemon, juiced
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Dried Oregano
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg, ground
- ¼ tsp Cloves, ground
Instructions
For The Marinade
- Combine all ingredients minus the chicken breast in a large ziplock bag, seal the bag and mix everything together.
- Filet your chicken breasts in half, flat, so that you get four thin breast pieces
- Add your chicken to the bag with the marinade and mix so that the four pieces of chicken are fully coated in the sauce.
- Marinate your chicken in the refrigerator overnight or at least 10 hours.
How to Cook
- Turn your grill on medium high heat and let pre-heat fully. You want your grill grates to be very hot!
- Remove your chicken from the bag, the marinade should still be coating the chicken. Spray each piece generously with cooking spray, to help from sticking. I recommend oiling your grill grates as well.
- Place your chicken on your hot, oiled grill sprayed side down. Cook for about 7 minutes on that side, DONT MOVE IT AROUND! You want the marinade to form a crust, that will unstick from the grill when its ready to flip. You will still experience some sticking, that is normal.
- Before you flip your chicken, spray again with cooking spray. You may experience some sticking to the grill, it is normal. I use a metal spatula to flip the chicken rather than tongs, because it is easier to un-stick the meat.
- Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until your breasts are fully cooked.
- Let your chicken rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into slices and enjoying on a salad or in a wrap!
