Crispy Chicken Shawarma

Finished chicken shawarma on a platter with fries and sliced pickled red onions

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Crispy chicken shawarma was a late night delicacy for me in college, and this freakin' delicious recipe brings back some great memories.

Prep Time15

Cook Time2

Marinating Time2

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Servings: people

Author: Derek Wolf

Ingredients

Chicken & Shawarma Marinade:

2 lbs Chicken Thighs pounded thin
½ cup Olive Oil
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
3/4 tsp Ground Turmeric
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1.5 tbsp Kosher Salt
1 White Onions halved

Red Onions:

1 cup Sliced Red Onion
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Sumac Powder

Wrap:

5-6 Large Lavash Bread
Toum Sauce

Instructions

Pound your chicken thighs thin (about ¼”)
Add the chicken to a bowl along with marinade ingredients. Mix together thoroughly until well coated. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Pull out the chicken and add to a trompo or skewer on an onion. Stack on top of each chicken until good. Add to the base some sliced onions and then set to the side.
Preheat your grill or oven to medium high heat (around 375F) for indirect cooking.
Add the shawarma to the oven to cook for 1.5-2 hours until the chicken is deep brown and cooked through (about 165F internal). Pull off once done and let rest.
In a bowl, add the red onions, lemon juice, olive oil and sumac.
Carve off chicken from the skewers and place on a warmed lavash bread with red onions. Wrap tightly and brush with some of the juice from the baking dish.
Add a cast iron skillet over the grill on high heat and sear off the shawarma wrap until crispy on all sides. Start with the seam side to make sure the wrap stays secure.
Once seared, pull off and serve with some toum sauce and fries. Enjoy!

Notes

Make Your Own Toum Sauce

Toum sauce is a Lebanese garlic spread that adds an extra kick to any sandwich, and especially this crispy chicken shawarma. You can find it in some specialty markets, but it's easy to make your own too. Place 1/3 cup garlic cloves into a food processor and pulse until the gloves are minced (about 10 pulses). Then, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice and run the processor until you create a paste. Add another teaspoon of lemon juice; then, with the food processor running, slowly pour in 1 cup of neutral oil. Serve and enjoy with your crispy chicken shawarma! Store any extra garlic sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one month.

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