Lebanese Chicken Shawarma Food

LEBANESE CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl. Mix in chicken strips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Remove chicken from the bowl and arrange in a single layer on a broiling pan. Discard excess marinade.
• Broil chicken, turning once, until juices run clear, about 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

LEBANESE CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Place your chicken breast in a very large bowl or pot containing the water solution of cold water, vinegar, salt, and lemon juice. Leave the chicken in this solution for an hour. After that, rinse and clean the chicken really well. Cut off any excess inedible fat as well. After that, cut into the breast on a bias until you have a large tender-like piece. Continue to do this until you reach the end. Once you can't cut on a bias anymore near the end, just slice that piece into thin strips. Continue to slice the rest of the large pieces into thin strips. Place them in a large colander as you go. Do this until you have cut up all eight chicken breasts into thin strips. Place the colander under running cold water and rinse well for two minutes to further clean the chicken. Let the chicken drain over a large bowl for five minutes so any excess water will drip off.
• After your chicken is done draining, you can move on to the next step. Place the chicken into a very large bowl. Add in the chicken shawarma spice blend (we recommend purchasing a pre-made blend, but if you can't get it, combine the spice blend ingredients above and use that as your blend), vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
• Mix thoroughly to combine. Be careful not to be too rough with it or the chicken can become stringy. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge overnight ideally or at minimum for 2-3 hours.
• Pour olive oil into the bottom of a large pot over high heat. Pour in the chicken shawarma, excess juices and all. Cook for about five minutes over high heat. Stir occasionally. After five minutes or so, place a lid over the pot and continue to cook over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the juices simmer and the chicken appears opaque. Taste to ensure doneness. If the chicken needs more time, continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes, and taste again. The chicken should be juicy, moist, flavorful, and tender. Stir occasionally while you cook, but don't overdo it as this can cause the chicken to break up and become stringy.
• The shawarma is now finished! You can serve as-is with a side of rice, however, we're going to be making a sandwich. Slice some white onion, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and Lebanese-style pickles.
• Set-up your station. Sliced veggies, pita bread, and garlic sauce.
• Assemble your sandwich as you please and grill. Here's a secret, we slather some garlic sauce and add a pinch of salt to the outside of the pita before grilling just to add a bit of flavor to the pita bread. Grill and enjoy warm!

LEBANESE CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Mix together the yogurt, lemon juice and all of the ground spices and garlic together in a large mixing bowl
• Add the boneless skinless chicken thighs to the bowl and coat them in the marinade
• Marinate the chicken for minimum of 30 minutes or up to 24 hours
• Roll each piece of chicken up tightly and skewer it with 2 skewers (see video)
• Layer onion pieces between chicken either on the 2 skewers or with a 3rd skewer, whichever is easiest
• Grill on medium to high heat for 30 minutes, turning periodically, until the chicken is cooked through
• Cut the chicken into thin slices and serve on warm pita bread with shawarma sauce and desired toppings.

LEBANESE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
• Cook chicken, onion and garlic in the butter in a large skillet for about 6 minutes or until chicken is browned, turning once.
• Add orange zest, orange juice and salt to skillet.
• Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle cinnamon and all spice onto chicken.
• Drizzle with honey.
• Simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes more or until chicken is tender and no longer pink.
• Meanwhile, cook couscous according to package directions.
• Top couscous with chicken and sauce before serving.

LEBANESE CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Cut the chicken into thin strips and set aside.
• In a large bowl, add the marinade ingredients : olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, salt, cardamom, paprika, cumin, sumac and cinnamon; and whisk well to combine.
• Add the chicken strips into the marinade and stir well until all the chicken are evenly coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
• Place your grill skillet or any heavy based pan on medium high heat, add and the chicken in a single layer (make sure not to overcrowd the pan).
• Cook on one side for about 5-8 minutes, using a pair of tongs flip the chicken and cook for another 5-8 minutes or until cooked through.
• Serve with rice or in a pita with tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, pickles, air fried fries and garlic sauce, mayonnaise or tahini sauce.
• Enjoy!

LEBANESE CHICKEN SHAWARMA (WRAPS/PLATTER/PLATE)

Steps:

• Finely chop the onion.
• Add all the marinade ingredients, including the onion, to a large bowl and mix well to combine.
• Cut the chicken into thin slices.
• Add the chicken slices to the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with clingfilm/beeswax wrap and marinate for at least four hours or overnight (up to 24 hours maximum).Alternatively, you can marinate the chicken in a large Ziplock bag - but I find the bowl easier for wet marinades.
• When you're ready to cook the yogurt marinated chicken shawarma, heat a large skillet over medium heat.You shouldn't need to add any oil as there is already some in the shawarma marinade.
• Once hot, add the chicken and sauté, stirring often, until deep golden and fully cooked- this takes between 12-15 minutes usually.
• Other cooking methods:Grilled: When grilling the chicken shawarma, I'll oil the grates slightly to avoid sticking. You can use an electric grill (over medium-high heat) or charcoal BBQ and grill for about 3-4 minutes on one side, turning and cooking until nicely charred and cooked through. If using a grill, it's best to cook the chicken with the lid down. You can use a thermometer to check the internal temp is 160ºF/71ºC - then remove and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.Roasted: Oven-roasted chicken shawarma is very hands-off, but I usually don't bother with chicken I've cut down into thin strips. If you want to, I recommend baking the chicken at 400ºF/200ºC for 10-15 minutes (depending on how large your chicken pieces are. If you're using large fillet-style pieces, then this is more likely to be 20-25 minutes). Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 160ºF/71ºC. Optionally, use the broiler for more browning at the end and allow the chicken to rest for several minutes before serving.
• Once cooked, you can enjoy the Lebanese chicken shawarma in several ways (listed on the blog post); however, my favorite is making delicious chicken shawarma wraps.
• To do so, I like to use Lebanese-style thin pita bread (10-inches - also called Arabic bread). First, spread a layer of garlic sauce (toum), then load it up with gherkins, tomato slices, lettuce, and the chicken shawarma; optionally add some fries (either in the sandwich/wrap or on the side).Other optional toppings include red onion slices, pickled turnips, creamy hummus, chili sauce, tahini sauce, or a creamy yogurt-based shawarma sauce. More non-traditional additions include bell peppers, avocado, olives, or tzatziki.Top Tip: for a large gathering, I recommend setting up a chicken shawarma platter, pairing all the various toppings, dips, and sauces, with pita for wraps and grains/pita chips for shawarma bowls. That way, your guests can pick and choose what they want. Even better, for meat-free guests, you can provide this vegan mushroom shawarma or even traditional falafels!
• Make ahead: you can prepare the marinade 3-4 days in advance and leave the chicken to marinate for up to 24 hours. Alternatively, you can freeze the chicken shawarma before cooking. To do so, add the chicken and marinade to a large Ziplock bag, then freeze for up to 3 months - no need to marinade first as it will marinade as the chicken defrosts in your fridge before cooking. Storing: store any leftovers of the Lebanese chicken shawarma in an airtight container in the fridge for between 2-3 days OR in the freezer for up to 3 months (freeze on a tray until solid, then transfer to container/Ziplock bag, to avoid sticking). Reheating: you can reheat the chicken shawarma either in the microwave (in 30-second intervals) or in a skillet (with a splash of water for moisture). Alternatively, enjoy the leftover Lebanese chicken shawarma cold on salads and pasta salads.

SHAWARMA DJAJ -- CHICKEN SHAWARMA (LEBANON -- MIDDLE EAST)

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine chicken breasts with 1/2 cup of onion, lemon juice, olive oil & spices, then add the thyme before adding the salt to taste.
• Stir well & then let marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, then place chicken breasts in a roasting pan & bake for 25-30 minutes or until done.
• Remove from the oven & shred the chicken into slivers.
• Open oval pitas at the seam to create a large pocket, then spread a tablespoon of garlic sauce on the bottom half before filling each pits with equal amounts of sandwich ingredients (i.e. chicken, tomato, onion, gherkins, mint & parsley).
• Wrap the bottom of the 'sandwiches' with a napkin & serve immediately.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• In a glass baking dish, mix together the malt vinegar, 1/4 cup yogurt, vegetable oil, mixed spice, cardamom, salt and pepper. Place the chicken thighs into the mixture and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, 1/4 cup yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, taste, and adjust flavors if desired. Cover and refrigerate.
• Cover the chicken and bake in the marinade for 30 minutes, turning once. Uncover, and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove from the dish, and cut into slices.
• Place sliced chicken, tomato, onion, and lettuce onto pita breads. Roll up, and top with the tahini sauce.