I could have sworn I had a grilled chicken shawarma recipe on my blog, but apparently I didn't. I had to rectify this immediately. Who doesn't love chicken shawarma??
The Marinade
A very important part of shawarma is the marinade. It has a lot of components, but it isn't hard to make at all. Mix them all together and mix in chicken.
So, let's start with olive oil.
Next up is fresh squeezed lemon juice. You can use the lemon juice in a bottle, but I promise it isn't the same.
Coriander has such a great flavor. I love this spice.
Next up is cumin.
Last is beautiful turmeric. I love the color it gives!! don't worry, I didn't take a photo of every spice I used :). Mix your marinade well.
Chicken
I used to have a strong preference for chicken breasts. I loved the white meat. Recently however, I have been leaning towards darker meat.This shawarma is made with boneless skinless thigh meat You will notice in the photo below, I don't trim the fat until it has been grilled.
Marinade time
I like to marinate mine at least 2 hours. I know some people will only do it for 30 minutes, I just don't think that is long enough. So I recommend anytime between 2 hours and overnight. If you are busy during the day, I say start it marinating in the morning and it is ready to go that evening.
Grill time
I like to grill mine hot and fast. My grill was sitting about 500 degrees for grilling. Get a nice char on the first side, then flip and do the same on the backside. It is easier to keep thighs from drying out then breasts when you are grilling, but still be mindful not to walk away when you are grilling.
We served ours with Naan. If you aren't interested in making your own, there are a lot of great premade brands out there. We loaded them with the chicken red onions, heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers and tzatsiki! It was all so good!
Once the meat has rested for a few minutes, trim the fat and slice the chicken up. That's it. It might seem like a lot of steps, but it actually comes together really quick!
Grilled Chicken Shawarma
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander, ground
- 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- dash cinnamon
- ½-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper We like it spicier, so we used 1 teaspoon.
- 2 ½-3 pounds chicken thighs, boneless skinless do not trim fat, we can do that after grilling
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients but chicken in medium sized bowl and mix well. Add in chicken thighs and mix until all chicken is covered. Cover bowl with saran wrap and place in the fridge. Let this marinate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight. Mine was marinated for 4 hours. Remove from fridge. Heat grill to about 500-600 degrees. You can oil you grates if needed, mine didn't. Add the thicken thighs, making sure they are spread for even grilling. Grill until the are cooked through and lightly charred. Flip and repeat process on other side. Remove from heat and allow to sit, covered, for about 5 minutes or so. Slice and serve as desired. We served ours in naan with tons of veggies and tsatsiki!Now, sit back and enjoy. You deserve it!
Alyssa & Marissa says
This chicken shawarma sounds like just the recipe we need to change up our weeknight dinners.
admin says
Thank you so much girls! I think this would make a great addition to your menu!!