Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma
You can make this popular Middle Eastern/North African street food yourself with a delicious marinade and all the fixings to go with the crispy chicken - tomatoes, greens and a garlicky tsiziki sauce. Put it all in a pita or a buttery, soft naan bread (I often divide the naan dough into nine instead of six) and take a bite. You'll be asked to make chicken shawarma again and again. Originally from the New York Times.
More chicken options: French Chicken Tarragon, Chicken Marbella, Curried Chicken Salad with Raisins, Greek Lemon Oregano Chicken, Chicken Marsala, Fideos (Pasta) with Chicken and Greens, Roast Chicken with Bread and Greens, Buttermilk Chicken, Crispy Chicken over Turmeric Lemon Chicken, Mediterranean Chicken. Back to Main Dishes.
Serves 4-6
Time: 15 minutes prep, 45 minutes oven time plus time for marinating
Ingredients
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
A pinch of ground cinnamon
Red-pepper flakes or chilli powder, to taste
2 pounds chicken pieces, with skin or not, bone in or not, according to your taste
1 large yellow or red onion, quartered
Tsiziki
Equal parts: Mayonnaise and Plain or Greek Yogurt or Skyr
Garlic, minced, to taste
Chunk of cucumber or English cucumber, chopped into small pieces
Salt
Chopped fresh or dried parsley (optional)
Method
To make the marinade for the chicken, combine the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and the red-pepper or chilli powder in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
Add the chicken, and toss well to coat. Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least one hour and up to 24 hours.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Use the remaining tablespoon of oil to grease a rimmed baking sheet. Add the quartered onion to the chicken and the marinade and toss to combine.
Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade and place them on the pan, spreading everything evenly across it.
Bake the chicken in the oven until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30-45 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let it sit for 2 minutes. Then slice the meat into bits.
To make the meat even crisper, heat more oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Saute the sliced chicken until the edges are crispy, according to your preference.
Method for the Tsiziki
Combine the equal amounts of mayonnaise and yogurt or skyr. Mix well. Salt the cucumber lightly and let sit for a few minutes (the recipe will also turn out well if you don't). Add the garlic and pieces of cucumber and mix again. If possible, let the tsiziki sit for an hour at least for the flavours to blend. Click here for specific amounts.
Serving suggestion: Wrap the chicken in a pita or naan with tsiziki, tomatoes and greens, or serve over rice with a salad.
You can make this popular Middle Eastern/North African street food yourself with a delicious marinade and all the fixings to go with the crispy chicken - tomatoes, greens and a garlicky tsiziki sauce. Put it all in a pita or a buttery, soft naan bread (I often divide the naan dough into nine instead of six) and take a bite. You'll be asked to make chicken shawarma again and again. Originally from the New York Times.
More chicken options: French Chicken Tarragon, Chicken Marbella, Curried Chicken Salad with Raisins, Greek Lemon Oregano Chicken, Chicken Marsala, Fideos (Pasta) with Chicken and Greens, Roast Chicken with Bread and Greens, Buttermilk Chicken, Crispy Chicken over Turmeric Lemon Chicken, Mediterranean Chicken. Back to Main Dishes.
Serves 4-6
Time: 15 minutes prep, 45 minutes oven time plus time for marinating
Ingredients
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
A pinch of ground cinnamon
Red-pepper flakes or chilli powder, to taste
2 pounds chicken pieces, with skin or not, bone in or not, according to your taste
1 large yellow or red onion, quartered
Tsiziki
Equal parts: Mayonnaise and Plain or Greek Yogurt or Skyr
Garlic, minced, to taste
Chunk of cucumber or English cucumber, chopped into small pieces
Salt
Chopped fresh or dried parsley (optional)
Method
To make the marinade for the chicken, combine the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and the red-pepper or chilli powder in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
Add the chicken, and toss well to coat. Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least one hour and up to 24 hours.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Use the remaining tablespoon of oil to grease a rimmed baking sheet. Add the quartered onion to the chicken and the marinade and toss to combine.
Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade and place them on the pan, spreading everything evenly across it.
Bake the chicken in the oven until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30-45 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let it sit for 2 minutes. Then slice the meat into bits.
To make the meat even crisper, heat more oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Saute the sliced chicken until the edges are crispy, according to your preference.
Method for the Tsiziki
Combine the equal amounts of mayonnaise and yogurt or skyr. Mix well. Salt the cucumber lightly and let sit for a few minutes (the recipe will also turn out well if you don't). Add the garlic and pieces of cucumber and mix again. If possible, let the tsiziki sit for an hour at least for the flavours to blend. Click here for specific amounts.
Serving suggestion: Wrap the chicken in a pita or naan with tsiziki, tomatoes and greens, or serve over rice with a salad.