Shawarma
This chicken shawarma is deeply spiced, juicy, and charred at the edges, tucked into warm pita with nutty tahini, tangy amba, bright parsley, and crisp pickled turnip. The result is rich, savoury, fresh, and sharp all at once, like a great shawarma shop wrap made at home.
Ingredients
Chicken and shawarma seasoning
- 500 gboneless skinless chicken thighs
- 60 gplain yogurt
- 20 mlolive oil
- 15 mllemon juice
- 2 clovesgarlic, finely grated
- 2 tspground cumin
- 1 tspground turmeric
- 2 tspsweet paprika
- 1 tspground coriander
- 1/2 tspground allspice
- 1/2 tspground black pepper
- 1 tspfine salt
Tahini sauce
- 60 gtahini
- 45 mlwater
- 15 mllemon juice
- 1 small clovegarlic, finely grated
- 1/4 tspfine salt
Salad and pickles
- 150 gtomato, diced small
- 15 gflat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 80 gpickled turnip, sliced into sticks
- 40 gamba
To serve
- 2 large (about 160 g total)pita breads
- 5 mlolive oil
Instructions
- 1
Slice the chicken thighs into thin 1 cm strips for faster cooking and better char. In a bowl, combine the yogurt, 20 ml olive oil, lemon juice, 2 cloves grated garlic, cumin, turmeric, paprika, coriander, allspice, black pepper, and 1 tsp salt. Add the chicken and mix thoroughly until every piece is coated. Let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes while you prepare the other components.
- 2
Make the tahini sauce: whisk the tahini with the water, 15 ml lemon juice, 1 small clove grated garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt until smooth and pourable. If it tightens, whisk in a teaspoon or two of extra water. The ideal texture is like thick cream so it drizzles but still clings to the shawarma.
- 3
Prepare the toppings by dicing the tomato, chopping the parsley, and slicing the pickled turnip into thin sticks if needed. Keep the amba ready for assembly.
- 4
Heat a large heavy frying pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high to high heat until very hot. Add 5 ml olive oil, then spread the chicken in a single layer. Cook for 4-5 minutes without moving it too much so the edges caramelize. Turn and cook for another 4-6 minutes until deeply browned in spots and the thickest pieces are fully cooked through. If the pan crowds, cook in two batches; good browning is more important than speed.
- 5
Transfer the cooked chicken to a board and rest for 3 minutes, then chop it roughly into bite-size shawarma pieces. This short rest keeps the juices in the meat instead of running onto the board.
- 6
Warm the pita breads for 30-60 seconds per side in the still-hot pan or directly over a low flame until soft and lightly blistered. Do not crisp them fully; they should stay flexible enough to fold.
- 7
Assemble each pita by spreading in some tahini sauce, then adding the hot chicken, diced tomato, parsley, pickled turnip, and a spoonful of amba. Finish with a little more tahini if you like, fold, and serve immediately while the chicken is hot and the bread is still soft.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •For the best flavour within 45 minutes, use chicken thighs rather than breast; they stay juicier and char better in a pan.
- •If you have time, marinating the chicken for 30 minutes in the refrigerator improves depth, but the recipe works well with the short room-temperature rest given here.
- •A cast-iron pan gives the closest home-cooked result to the intense heat of a shawarma grill.
- •Serve with extra pickles, a simple cucumber salad, or fries for a classic shawarma stand-style meal.
Background
Shawarma in Israel reflects the wider Eastern Mediterranean tradition of vertically roasted seasoned meat served in bread with sauces and salads. Israeli versions commonly feature turkey or chicken and are often finished with tahini, pickles, and amba, the tangy mango sauce brought by Iraqi Jewish communities. It has become one of the country's most iconic street foods.
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