Description
Chicken shawarma brings Middle Eastern street flavors home with minimal effort. Juicy marinated chicken wrapped in warm pita promises a quick, delicious meal you can savor without traveling far.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken:
- 1.5 pounds (680 grams) chicken thighs or breasts, skinless and boneless, sliced into 0.5-inch thick strips
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Wraps and Vegetables:
- 6 small pita bread
- 2 cups (80 grams) romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 2 Persian or mini cucumbers, diced
- 0.25 cup (15 grams) fresh parsley, finely chopped
Garlic Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
- 0.5 teaspoon minced garlic
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Craft a robust marinade by blending aromatic spices with olive oil, thoroughly coating chicken strips in a sealed container to infuse deep, complex flavors. Allow the mixture to rest in the refrigerator, permitting spices to penetrate the meat completely.
- Heat the oven to a precise temperature, creating an environment that transforms raw chicken into golden, crispy morsels. Arrange marinated strips on a lined baking surface, ensuring even exposure to heat for uniform cooking.
- While chicken roasts, prepare fresh vegetable accompaniments by precisely chopping crisp romaine lettuce, ripe tomatoes, cool cucumbers, and fragrant parsley into uniform pieces.
- Construct a velvety garlic yogurt sauce by whisking Greek yogurt with zesty lemon juice, pungent minced garlic, and subtle seasonings until achieving a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Gently warm soft pita bread to enhance flexibility and prevent cracking during assembly.
- Layer each pita with a verdant bed of lettuce, arrange succulent roasted chicken strips, and scatter vibrant vegetable medley across the surface.
- Generously drizzle the creamy garlic yogurt sauce over the filled pitas, allowing flavors to meld and enhance the overall taste profile.
- Carefully fold or roll the pita, creating a compact, portable meal that seals in warmth and captures the essence of traditional shawarma.
Notes
- Marinating overnight unlocks deep, complex flavors that will make your taste buds dance with excitement, turning an ordinary meal into a culinary adventure.
- Versatile cooking methods like oven-baking or air frying ensure you can whip up this delicious dish quickly.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 85mg