shawarma chicken

An easy, grilled chicken version of the classic Turkish street food which is usually cooked on a rotating spit. It is perfect served over couscous with yogurt and cucumbers as I did here, or try it with rice pilaf, or on a pita.

Shawarma-Spiced Grilled Chicken with Garlic Yogurt Sauce

chicken

extra virgin olive oil

lemon

garlic

cumin

smoked paprika

turmeric

curry powder

cinnamon

red pepper flakes

salt

black pepper (to taste)

2% Greek yogurt (I like Fage)

lemon juice

garlic (finely minced)

kosher salt

parsley (for garnish)

Place the chicken breasts, 1 at a time, in a Ziploc bag.  Pound each breast to an even thickness, about ½-inch thick, being careful not to puncture the bag. Place pounded chicken breasts back into bag and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine olive oil and lemon juice.  Whisk until combined.  Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, turmeric, curry powder, cinnamon, red pepper, salt and black pepper and whisk again.

Pour the marinade into the bag with the chicken, massaging it to evenly coat.  Refrigerate and marinate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.

In a small bowl (or right in the container), combine the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and salt.  Stir to combine and refrigerate until ready to use.

Over medium-high heat, grill the chicken for 3 minutes or until it no longer sticks to the grill. Turn the chicken and grill an additional 3-4 minutes.  Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes then slice it thinly, across the grain.  Top each breast with 2 tablespoons sauce and a sprinkle of parsley.  Serve.

Shawarma-Spiced Grilled Chicken Thighs with Tahini

olive oil

cumin (ground)

red pepper

black pepper (freshly ground)

chicken thighs (trimmed of fat)

tahini

olive oil (extra-virgin)

garlic (minced)

lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

butter lettuce (leaves torn)

Persian mini cucumbers (sliced on an angle)

heirloom tomato (sliced)

Kalamata olives (sliced, pitted)

olive oil (for the grill)

onion

pocketless pitas (whole wheat recommended)

parsley (fresh, chopped (for garnish))

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice. Whisk in the garlic, cumin, paprika, curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon, pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper to taste.&nbsp;

Pour the marinade into a zip-top plastic bag and add the chicken, massaging it to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

For the chicken:

In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons water, the tahini, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. The consistency should be smooth enough to pour; add more water to loosen if needed.

Arrange the lettuce, cucumbers, tomato, and olives on a platter.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat (or preheat a grill to medium-high). Spray the pan with oil (or rub the grates with oil). Grill the chicken until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to the open half of the platter and tent with foil.

Wipe the grill pan clean and spray it with more oil (or just rub the grates with oil again). Grill the onion wedges until they have grill marks, about 3 minutes per side. Grill the pitas until heated through, about 1 minute per side. Cut the pitas in half and transfer them to the platter. Garnish the tahini sauce with the parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.

For the tahini sauce:

This slow cooker chicken shawarma is full of bold Mediterranean flavor! Juicy, spiced chicken is slow-cooked to perfection and served with a cool cucumber yogurt sauce. Great over rice or in pita wraps.

Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma Recipe with Yogurt Sauce

Greek yogurt

black pepper

7 spice

chicken thighs

Tablespoons grated cucumber

rice,

To a medium mixing bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, and seasonings.

Add the chicken thighs to a large zip top bag pour the yogurt mixture on top. Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken so it is fully coated. Move to the fridge for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.

Once marinated, add the sliced onion to the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker and pour the chicken on top.

Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove from the crockpot, slice into strips, and place back in the sauce for serving.

To make the Chicken Shawarma

To a small mixing bowl, whisk together the plain Greek yogurt, minced garlic, grated cucumber, lemon juice, and seasonings.

Serve as a bowl over yellow rice with toppings or lay out a slice of pita bread, spread some yogurt sauce down the middle then pile in some sliced chicken. Top with sliced tomatoes, Arabic pickles, lettuce, etc.

To make the Yogurt Sauce

Loved this recipe!  Didn't have 7 spices but used shwarma spice, and didn't have the smoked paprika so used regular, and despite these substitutions, it was delicious!  The sauce was far better than purchased taziki sauce and the chicken was fall of the bone moist and delicious. Will definitely make again.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/xND47Upq.mp4

Juicy Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma is a weeknight game-changer! Marinated in smoky, spicy lemon-garlic yogurt, this Mediterranean recipe is simple comfort food. Serve it over rice or stuffed in a pita.

Crockpot Chicken Shawarma

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