This Chicken Shawarma recipe is going to knock your socks off! Just a handful of every day spices makes an incredible Chicken Shawarma marinade that infuses the chicken with exotic Middle Eastern flavours. The smell when this is cooking is insane! This is one of my signature recipes that will be very familiar to all my friends because I make this so often. When this chicken is cooking, the smell is incredible. They were elated when I handed out samples! Shawarma is a popular dish originating from the Middle East.
We can cook our horizontally in a good old pan or on the BBQ! Shawarma was traditionally made with lamb, mutton and chicken though these days you see it with beef too. Chicken β I like to make Shawarma with boneless, skinless thighs as its juicier than breast. But chicken breast and tenderloin both work great. Spices β Nothing out of the ordinary here! The only one you might not have in stock is cardamom, though these days its easily found at any grocery store.
It has a piney, sort of citrusy flavour and it is a key ingredient that distinguishes the Shawarma marinade from other cuisines, such as Mexican, that regularly uses the other spices used in this recipe. Spice control β The spiciness in the Shawarma marinade comes from the cayenne pepper.
Lots of other flavours going on in this dish! Shawarma is traditionally served with either a tahini sauce common in Israel or a Yogurt Sauce. But to be honest, the volume and flavour of the marinade is intense enough that you can get away with a minimum of 3 hours of marinating. Been there, done that plenty of times, and nobody has complained! Mix marinade β For convenience, just mix the marinade directly in a ziplock bag.
A bag works best because the chicken remains nicely coated in the marinade. Add chicken into the marinade. Seal the bag, removing excess air, then massage to coat from the outside. Leave to marinade for 12 to 24 hours in the fridge. Yogurt sauce β Make the yogurt sauce simply by mixing the ingredients then set aside for at least 20 minutes to let the flavours meld. This will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Cook chicken either on the stove or on the BBQ. It will get a great crust on it from the spices, and you will adore the smell.
