Homemade Shawarma
Dive into this mouthwatering homemade shawarma that has stolen my husband's heart! Packed with tender marinated meat, fragrant spices, and a zesty garlic sauce, this recipe transforms your kitchen into a bustling Middle Eastern street food stall. Get ready to impress your taste buds and your loved ones with this easy-to-make delight!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- juice of half a lemon
- red onions
- parsley
- fresh parsley
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- chicken cut into pieces (454 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 4 tablespoons of Greek yogurt (60 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- Lebanese bread
- a good drizzle of olive oil
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- salt
- sumac, a Lebanese spice
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (30 ml)
📦Other(5)
- a bit of chili
- spicy fries
- Polish pickles
- spices
- 1 tablespoon of sweet and sour chili sauce (15 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
546
Protein
31g
Carbs
202g
Fat
96g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Put the cut chicken in a bowl, add the spices, 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, a good drizzle of olive oil, and the juice of half a lemon. Mix well to combine the flavors.
- 2
Cook the chicken in a pan until well grilled.
- 3
Prepare the red onions with parsley, sumac, salt, and the juice of half a lemon. Mix well.
- 4
For the sauce, combine 4 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of sweet and sour chili sauce, a bit of chili, and some fresh parsley. Mix well.
- 5
Season the fries with smoked paprika, sumac, and parsley.
- 6
To assemble, take a piece of Lebanese bread, spread the sauce, add the prepared red onions, grilled chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, spicy fries, Polish pickles, and more sauce.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate chicken for 4-6 hours minimum (not overnight) because the lemon juice's citric acid denatures surface proteins in 2-3 hours, but extended marination beyond 6 hours causes the acid to break down muscle fibers, making texture mushy and dry.timing4-6 hours maximum
- ✓Use a 1:1 ratio of mayo to Greek yogurt (2 tbsp each) in your marinade because mayo's emulsifiers (lecithin) help distribute fat-soluble spices evenly while yogurt's lactic acid tenderizes; this ratio prevents the marinade from breaking or separating during cooking.ingredient1:1 mayo to yogurt ratio
- ✓Cut chicken into 1-1.5 inch pieces and pan-fry over medium-high heat (350-375°F) for 3-4 minutes per side; this thickness allows Maillard browning on the exterior while keeping interior at 165°F without drying out the marinated surface proteins.technique1-1.5 inch pieces|350-375°F|3-4 minutes per side
- ✓Prep the onion-sumac mixture (pikliz) 15-20 minutes before assembly so lemon juice maceration softens cell walls by 15-20%, reducing onion harshness and allowing sumac's tannic compounds to mellow while maintaining textural crunch.timing15-20 minutes maceration
- ✓Toast sumac lightly (20-30 seconds in dry pan at 300°F) before mixing into the sauce to concentrate its citric acid volatiles and reduce any earthiness; this increases perceived acidity by 25-30% without additional lemon juice.technique20-30 seconds|300°F
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Homemade Shawarma
Dive into this mouthwatering homemade shawarma that has stolen my husband's heart! Packed with tender marinated meat, fragrant spices, and a zesty garlic sauce, this recipe transforms your kitchen into a bustling Middle Eastern street food stall. Get ready to impress your taste buds and your loved ones with this easy-to-make delight!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- juice of half a lemon
- red onions
- parsley
- fresh parsley
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- chicken cut into pieces (454 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 4 tablespoons of Greek yogurt (60 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- Lebanese bread
- a good drizzle of olive oil
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- salt
- sumac, a Lebanese spice
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (30 ml)
📦Other(5)
- a bit of chili
- spicy fries
- Polish pickles
- spices
- 1 tablespoon of sweet and sour chili sauce (15 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
546
Protein
31g
Carbs
202g
Fat
96g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Put the cut chicken in a bowl, add the spices, 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, a good drizzle of olive oil, and the juice of half a lemon. Mix well to combine the flavors.
- 2
Cook the chicken in a pan until well grilled.
- 3
Prepare the red onions with parsley, sumac, salt, and the juice of half a lemon. Mix well.
- 4
For the sauce, combine 4 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of sweet and sour chili sauce, a bit of chili, and some fresh parsley. Mix well.
- 5
Season the fries with smoked paprika, sumac, and parsley.
- 6
To assemble, take a piece of Lebanese bread, spread the sauce, add the prepared red onions, grilled chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, spicy fries, Polish pickles, and more sauce.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate chicken for 4-6 hours minimum (not overnight) because the lemon juice's citric acid denatures surface proteins in 2-3 hours, but extended marination beyond 6 hours causes the acid to break down muscle fibers, making texture mushy and dry.timing4-6 hours maximum
- ✓Use a 1:1 ratio of mayo to Greek yogurt (2 tbsp each) in your marinade because mayo's emulsifiers (lecithin) help distribute fat-soluble spices evenly while yogurt's lactic acid tenderizes; this ratio prevents the marinade from breaking or separating during cooking.ingredient1:1 mayo to yogurt ratio
- ✓Cut chicken into 1-1.5 inch pieces and pan-fry over medium-high heat (350-375°F) for 3-4 minutes per side; this thickness allows Maillard browning on the exterior while keeping interior at 165°F without drying out the marinated surface proteins.technique1-1.5 inch pieces|350-375°F|3-4 minutes per side
- ✓Prep the onion-sumac mixture (pikliz) 15-20 minutes before assembly so lemon juice maceration softens cell walls by 15-20%, reducing onion harshness and allowing sumac's tannic compounds to mellow while maintaining textural crunch.timing15-20 minutes maceration
- ✓Toast sumac lightly (20-30 seconds in dry pan at 300°F) before mixing into the sauce to concentrate its citric acid volatiles and reduce any earthiness; this increases perceived acidity by 25-30% without additional lemon juice.technique20-30 seconds|300°F