Chicken Shawarma with Tzatziki and Mediterranean Salad

Can we consider sharing one of our favorite meals as a Travel Tip? Sure, why not!

Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish that originated in the Ottoman Empire, consisting of meat cut into thin slices, stacked in an inverted cone, and roasted on a slowly turning vertical rotisserie or spit. Traditionally made with lamb or mutton, we try to be healthy and prepare ours with chicken.

This meal plays a special part in our lives, we found our favorite version of Shawarma while honeymooning in the Greek islands all those years ago. This could be one of the reasons we included it in our video ‘5 Dubai Travel myths debunked and dinner!’.

Let’s look at the Chicken Shawarma first.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3/4 tbsp ground cumin
  • 3/4 tbsp turmeric powder
  • 3/4 tbsp ground coriander
  • 3/4 tbsp garlic powder
  • 3/4 tbsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, more if you prefer
  • Salt
  • 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 large lemon, juice of
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

What’s Needed To Serve

  • 6 pita pockets
  • Greek Tzatziki sauce
  • Baby arugula
  • 3-ingredient Mediterranean Salad
  • Pickles or kalmata olives (optional)

Preparation

  1. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic powder, sweet paprika and cloves. Set aside the shawarma spice mix for now.
  2. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt on both sides, then thinly slice into small bite-sized pieces.
  3. Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add the shwarma spices and toss to coat. Add the onions, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss everything together again. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight (if you don’t have time, you can cut or skip marinating time)
  4. When ready, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Take the chicken out of the fridge and let it sit in room temperature for a few minutes.
  5. Spread the marinated chicken with the onions in one layer on a large lightly-oiled baking sheet pan. Roast for 30 minutes in the 425 degrees F heated-oven. For a more browned, crispier chicken, move the pan to the top rack and broil very briefly (watch carefully). Remove from the oven.
  6. While the chicken is roasting, prepare the pita pockets. Make tahini sauce according to this recipe or Tztaziki sauce according to this recipe. Make 3-ingredient Mediterranean salad according to this recipe. Set aside.
  7. To serve, open pita pockets up. Spread a little Tzatziki sauce, add chicken shawarma, arugula, Mediterranean salad and pickles or olives, if you like. Serve immediately!

Next, the Tzatziki which is as important as the Shawarama itself!

Ingredients

  • 3/4 English cucumber, partially peeled (striped) and sliced
  • 1 tsp kosher salt divided
  • 4 to 5 garlic cloves, peeled, finely grated or minced (you start with 1 to 2 garlic cloves, if you don’t want it to be too strong)
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Preparation

  1. Use a box grater to manually grate the cucumbers or you can use a small food processor to finely chop the cucumbers as I do in this recipe. Toss the grated cucumbers with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Spoon the grated cucumber into a cheese cloth or a double thickness napkin and squeeze dry. (There will be a lot of liquid).
  2. In one large mixing bowl, place the garlic with remaining ½ teaspoon salt, white vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix to combine.
  3. Add the grated cucumber to the bowl with the garlic mixture. Stir in the yogurt, and a pinch of white or black pepper, and the fresh herbs. Stir to combine well.
  4. Cover and refrigerate for a bit (anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple hours before serving). This will help thicken the sauce and give it the best texture, while allowing the flavors to meld.

And finally, a Mediterranean Salad to set the mood for the meal!

Ingredients

  • 6 Roma tomatoes, diced (about 3 cups diced tomatoes)
  • 1 Large English cucumber, or hot-house cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground Sumac
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preparation

  1. In a large mixing bowl, place the diced tomatoes, cucumbers, and parsley. Season with kosher salt and toss. Set aside for 5 minutes or so.
  2. Add the sumac, olive oil, and lemon juice. Give the salad a gentle toss. Enjoy!