BAKED chicken shawarma

Baked chicken shawarma is so full of flavor and best part is, its baked so its healthier for you.

what is a chicken shawarma sandwich?

Chicken shawarma is the ultimate street food in the Levantine world; Syria, Turkey, Lebanon etc.  Marinated chicken is stacked on a spit fire and rotated to evenly cook all parts of the chicken.  The chicken (or beef) are then sliced and put in fresh pita and depending on what part of town you’re ordering your shawarma from, the toppings vary.  In Damascus, a chicken shawarma sandwich is simply fresh bread, chicken, lots of garlic sauce, and pickles.  Of course, the ingredients used to marinate the chicken in have to be top quality because the flavor is really going to shine through.

Spices:

You can find a ready made shawarma spice mix at your local middle eastern supermarket however for me personally, I have all the spices on hand and its easy to put them all together in no time.  Keep in mind the quality of the spices are very important which is another reason I prefer doing it myself versus the store bought spice mix.  Not all spices are created equally.  If you saw on Instagram I put together a little video of several sumac spices that I have and the difference between Spice Tribes sumac compared to the other brands.  Spice Tribes sumac gives off an incredible aroma as soon as you open the jar.  The freshness literally jumps out at you.  I guarantee that you’ve never smelled anything like it.

Garlic sauce aka Toum:

Garlic sauce is extremely important in a Syrian chicken shawarma sandwich and in most places throughout the Levant.  It’s easy to make your own garlic sauce at home however most times I cheat and buy the Whole Foods or Trader Joes brand of garlic sauce.   If you don’t have time to buy some or make some a super easy trick/shortcut/cheat is just mayo, crushed garlic and salt.    Of course the real thing doesn’t have mayo in it but if you’re pressed for time, this will get the job done.

If you enjoyed this recipe you should follow me on Instagram for more behind the scenes. You will also probably enjoy these recipes

1. Sumac honey roasted chicken 
2. Chicken shish tawook
3. Chicken and Lemon mushroom 
4. Baked chicken in lemon garlic
5. Chicken sumac pinwheels

Print

Chicken shawarma

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Marinate

1 hr

 

Chicken shawerma is the ultimate street food in the Levant region. This is a simple baked recipe that will still give you the best flavor combo.

Course: arab cuisine, arab food, baked dinner, chicken dinner, easy lunch, Lunch, Mediterranean, middle eastern, street food

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Keyword: baked chicken, baked dishes, chicken sandwich, easy dinner, easy lunch

Servings: 6

Author: Nadia Hubbi

Ingredients

• 2 lb chicken thigh
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp Spice Tribe sumac
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp allspice

Instructions

1. Cut chicken diagonally into 1/2 inch strips
2. Add all spices
3. Mix well and put in the refrigerate
4. Heat oven to 425
5. Lay chicken on a baking sheet
6. Drizzle with olive oil
7. Put in the oven for 30 minutes and flip halfway through
8. When fully cooked, take out and let it rest for at least 10 minutes
9. Assemble sandwich with fresh pita, garlic sauce, and/or purple onions, tomatoes, parsley, turnip pickle