Chicken Shawarma

Shawarma's! I've made my fair share. Some good. Some bad. Most the same. Every now and then I find one that has some different ingredients. This was one of those recipes. 

The marinade has several ingredients, but don't let that scare you away. It also involves a blender. So put your margaritas away and make this recipe. 

First let me say, I did not put this in a pita. Rather I ate a pita on the side with some hummus. I was keeping it somewhat de-constructed. 

I also didn't make the white sauce. I did make the pickled onions, but completely forgot about them until AFTER I was done. 

This was a delicious chicken shawarma. Super flavorful and fulfilling. 

What was bad was the salad I made with it. I'm still trying to figure out why this Apple Pecan Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette. Apple cider vinegar and shawarma do not mix. Both were delicious separately, but really shouldn't have been eaten together. 

Chicken Shawarma

Recipe from The Food Charlatan

Serves 6

For the marinade:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, optional
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

For the pickled red onion:

• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, for pickling red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• black pepper , to taste

For the white sauce:

• 3/4 cup plain yogurt, full fat
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 large clove garlic , smashed and minced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced, about 1-2 tablespoons
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• pinch chili powder, optional

To assemble shawarma:

• 6 Homemade Naan breads
• 1/2 head green leaf lettuce, shredded
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 large English cucumber, sliced