Shawarma is a Middle Eastern street food that’s slow roasted for days from a vertical rotisserie, similar to gyro meat. It is marinated and juicy, served in pocket pitas with tomatoes, cucumbers and yogurt sauce. To those of you familiar with the flavors and smells of Dubai (sadly, this pirate has not had that opportunity!) your memories can be relived at home, using chicken thighs then marinating in lemon juice, onions, and Middle Eastern spices. It can be oven broiled, but best grilled…on your transom grill at anchor, or your marina BBQ pit.
Chicken Shawarma
Juice of two lemons
1/4 cup EVOO
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon alepo pepper
1 teaspoon sumac
4 cloves pressed garlic
Salt and pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion, thinly sliced
Assembly
6 pita pockets
Tzatziki sauce
Baby arugula
Red onion, cucumber and tomato slices
The hardest thing about making Chicken Shawarma is gathering up all the spices, squeezing the lemons, pressing the garlic and slicing the onion. This is just prep for the marinade. Keep in mind, too, that you can frequently find “Shawarma Spice Mix” in your grocery store to save you oodles of time. Not sure how good it is, but in a pinch…. I believe even McCormicks makes Shawarma mix.
In a medium sized bowl, squeeze the juice out of two lemons, add the olive oil and press 4 garlic cloves into the lemon juice/EVOO. Combine your dry spices into the mixture.
Whisk to combine. Cut the chicken thighs in half. You want them small enough absorb the marinade but not so small as to fall through the grate on the grill. Slice the onion and combine the thighs and onion into the marinade. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to a day.
While your thighs are marinating, slice up some tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion. Tear up some arugula leaves and throw into a pile. I was lucky enough to have arugula ready today to pick from the marina garden.
Heat your grill. If using propane, get the temperature up to at least 550º. If using charcoal, use direct heat, low hot coals.
If using your oven, heat it to 450º. Roast under high heat for about 10 minutes, then flip and cook an extra 6-10 minutes. If you have a broiler, light that and brown each side a little. Once they are done, remove to a platter and slice up.
Throw your marinated thighs onto the grill. Keep the fire hot. A little flaming will give the thighs a nice charred flavor. The beauty of thighs is that they do not dry out like chicken breasts. Grill one one side until browned, then flip to brown the other side, about 2-4 minutes depending on how hot your grill is. Once they are browned on both sides and cooked through (slightly firm to the touch but still have some “spring” to them), remove to a platter.
Warm your pita bread on your grill, in your oven, or even in your microwave. Slice your grilled Shawarma thighs into bite sized pieces to fit into the pocket pitas.
Assemble your pocket pita sandwiches, or have each of your guests fill their own! Be sure to dollop on generous amounts of tzatziki sauce! Enjoy in the afternoon or before the sun sets!
(Is that a pug puppy I see? You are right! Welcoming Elton onboard his new home, Night Town!)
Chicken Shawarma
Ingredients
- 2 Lemons, juiced
- 1¼ cup EVOO
- 1 tbsp Ground cumin
- 1 tbsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp Ground coriander
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- ¼ tsp Ground cloves
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- 1+ tsp Alepo pepper
- 1 tsp Sumac
- 4 cloves Garlic, pressed
- Kosher salt & pepper
- 6 Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 Large onion, sliced
For Assembly
- 6 Pocket pitas
- Tzatziki sauce
- Baby arugula
- 1 Red onion, sliced
- 1 Cucumber, sliced
- 1 Tomato, sliced
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, squeeze the juice out of two lemons, add the olive oil and press 4 garlic cloves into the lemon juice/EVOO. Combine your dry spices into the mixture.
- Whisk to combine. Cut the chicken thighs in half. You want them small enough absorb the marinade but not so small as to fall through the grate on the grill. Slice the onion and combine the thighs and onion into the marinade. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to a day.
- While your thighs are marinating, slice up some tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion. Tear up some arugula leaves and throw into a pile.
- Heat your grill. If using propane, get the temperature up to at least 550º. If using charcoal, use direct heat, low hot coals.
- (NOTE: If using your oven, heat it to 450º. Roast under high heat for about 10 minutes, then flip and cook an extra 6-10 minutes. If you have a broiler, light that and brown each side a little. Once they are done, remove to a platter and slice up.)
- Throw your marinated thighs onto the grill. Keep the fire hot. A little flaming will give the thighs a nice charred flavor. Grill one one side until browned, then flip to brown the other side, about 2-4 minutes depending on how hot your grill is. Once they are browned on both sides and cooked through (slightly firm to the touch but still have some "spring" to them), remove to a platter.
- Warm your pita bread on your grill, in your oven, or even in your microwave. Slice your grilled Shawarma thighs into bite sized pieces to fit into the pocket pitas.
- Assemble your pocket pita sandwiches, or have each of your guests fill their own! Be sure to dollop on generous amounts of tzatziki sauce and serve!
Notes
