Chicken Shawarma (Recipe 73 of 150)

Whenever I hear about shawarmas I'm jetted back to my first time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Dad took mom and I to a local souk to see what they were like. Once there he deemed it necessary that we all have shawarmas for lunch. Neither mom nor I knew what a shawarma was. Dad ordered three and what came were three bundles of something. We couldn't tell because they were wrapped in foil like a burrito. 

We took them to the car and sat and ate them. We unwrapped them and Mom took a big bite. The sound she made was one of complete deliciousness. Then she started laughing. In the middle of this meaty, veggie filled Middle Eastern taco was a French fry. Just one. And it was cold. 

I dug into mind and sure enough I had one too. Dad, oddly, did not. Dad said that he's found pickles and potato chips in his shawarmas before. Sometimes they just toss things in. 

I've made shawarmas over the years, many times they don't include putting them in bread. This recipe is one of a few that has you use Naan. I actually think pita would be better, it's not so thick. 

Anyhow, this was a decent recipe. It's still no Saudi shawarma, but it was darn good. I actually put the tomatoes and cucumbers in with the meat. I did not put the lettuce in because I'm not a fan of warm lettuce. I'd make this recipe again. In fact, the left over chicken will be a shawarma salad tomorrow for lunch. 

I changed nothing in this recipe. I did, however, cook the Naan too long on the grill so it wasn't so easy to fold into a taco shape so I just at the "sandwich" with my fork and knife. 

Chicken Shawarma

Recipe from Thefoodcharlatan.com

Serves 4

For the chicken:

• 1.25 lbs chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Yogurt Sauce:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (or one 7 ounce container)
• 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 4 pitas, naans, or flatbreads
• 1/2 head romaine lettuce
• 1 medium cucumber, sliced thin
• 2 medium roma tomatoes, sliced thin

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the marinade (yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cinnamon, oregano, salt, nutmeg, and cloves). Add chicken to the marinade, coat well, cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours. If desired, slice the chicken into strips before marinating to maximize the flavor.

Prepare the yogurt sauce for the sandwiches. Open a 7 oz. container of plain greek yogurt (or put about 1 cup in a bowl) and stir in the garlic, dill, and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use. The longer it sits the better.

After marinating the chicken, grill until cooked through (a George Foreman works great).

Prepare the vegetables for the sandwich. Chop, rinse, and drain the lettuce in a colander. Wash and slice the cucumber and tomato.

Build the chicken shawarma sandwiches. Spread the yogurt sauce on your flat bread, top with the chicken and vegetables. Roll the sandwich closed. You can wrap the sandwich in foil to help it stay closed as you eat.