Chicken Shawarma

By lorik

Ingredients

• FOR THE CHICKEN, COMBINE:
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• FOR THE SAUCE, WHISK:
• 3 ⁄4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 ⁄4 cup tahini
• 2 tsp. minced lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 4 whole-wheat pitas (6-inch)
• Romaine lettuce
• Variation from Saveur:
• 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 3⁄4 cups full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 ⁄2 cup plus 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 tbsp. ground allspice
• 1 1⁄2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 1⁄2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small white onion, grated
• Skewers, for grilling
• 4 pita breads
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 ⁄2 cup minced cucumber
• 1 ⁄2 cup frozen, thawed, chopped spinach
• 2 tbsp. minced fresh dill
• 2 tbsp. minced fresh mint
• 2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
• 1 tsp. dried mint
• 1 ⁄2 bulb fennel, outer layers discarded, cored and finely chopped
• Sumac, for garnish

Details

Servings 4
Cooking time 45mins
Adapted from cuisinerecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush grill grate with oil.

For the chicken, combine 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. garlic, curry powder, cumin, and olive oil in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat; let stand at least 20–30 minutes.

For the sauce, whisk together yogurt, tahini, zest, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, and 1 Tbsp. garlic; season with salt. Refrigerate sauce until ready to use.

Grill chicken until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Grill pitas until lightly toasted, about 1 minute per side.

Assemble shawarma by spreading 2 Tbsp. sauce on each pita; top with romaine, chicken, and Vegetable Slaw (see side dish).

Nutrition Information
Per serving (without slaw): 502 cal; 20g total fat (4g sat); 76mg chol; 512mg sodium; 46g carb; 7g fiber; 36g protein

Variation:
1. Combine chicken, 1⁄4 cup yogurt, 1⁄2 cup oil, 1 tbsp. pepper, the allspice, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, 1 tsp. salt, 3⁄4 of the garlic, and the onion in a bowl; cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to use.

2. Build a medium-heat fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium. (Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high.) Thread chicken on skewers, discarding marinade; season with salt and pepper. Grill chicken, turning as needed, until charred and almost cooked through, about 10 minutes; remove from grill. Place pita on grill and top with skewers; grill until pita is slightly charred and chicken is cooked through, 8–10 minutes more. Transfer pita to a cutting board and let chicken skewers rest on top for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining garlic and the lemon juice in a bowl; let sit for 10 minutes. Whisk in remaining yogurt and oil, the cucumber, spinach, fresh and dried herbs, fennel, salt, and pepper. Garnish shawarma with sumac and serve with yogurt sauce.