Classic Chicken Shawarma

Ingredients

• 2 lbboneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/3 cupplain yogurt
• 3 Tbspolive oil
• 3 Tbspfresh lemon juice
• 5 clovesgarlic, minced
• 1 Tbspground cumin
• 1 Tbspground coriander
• 2 tspsmoked paprika
• 1 tspground turmeric
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 1/2 tspground cardamom
• 1 tspkosher salt
• 4pita or flatbreads, warmed
• 1 cupgarlic sauce (toum) or tzatziki
• 1tomato, diced
• Pickled turnips or cucumbers, for serving (optional)

Nutrition / serving

No nutrition data for this recipe — tap Nutrition in Ask Chef AI above for an estimate.

Method

1. 1

   Whisk yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt together to make the marinade.

2. 2

   Coat the chicken thighs thoroughly and marinate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.

   ⏱Start 2:00:00
3. 3

   Heat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken 6-7 minutes per side until charred at the edges and cooked through.

   ⏱Start 6:00
4. 4

   Rest the chicken 5 minutes, then slice as thinly as possible.

   ⏱Start 5:00
5. 5

   Sear the sliced chicken briefly again in the hot pan to crisp the edges, mimicking the shaved crust of a vertical spit.

6. 6

   Pile the sliced chicken into warm pita or onto a plate with garlic sauce, diced tomato, and pickled vegetables.

7. 7

   Serve immediately.