Shawarma
Photo: Omar B Shokerat on Pexels
Lebanese

Shawarma

The Middle East's most iconic street food — spice-marinated chicken or lamb stacked on a rotating vertical spit and slow-roasted for hours, shaved off in thin crispy-edged slices and stuffed into warm pita with garlic sauce (toum), pickles and tahini.

Total
50 min
Serves
6
Level
Hard

Prep 20 min · Cook 30 min

Ingredients

6 servings

Method

  1. Combine all marinade ingredients. Coat chicken thighs thoroughly. Marinate 8 hours to overnight.

    About 5 min

  2. Toum: blitz garlic with a pinch of salt until finely minced. With the food processor running, add oil in a very thin stream alternating with lemon juice, drop by drop at first, then in a thin stream — this emulsifies to a thick, white, garlicky cream. Takes 5 minutes of processing.

    About 11 min

  3. Oven method: stack marinated chicken in a tight pile in a loaf tin or on a skewer stack so pieces overlap. Roast at 220°C/430°F for 40–45 minutes until the edges are charred and caramelised.

    About 11 min

  4. Let the meat stack rest 5 minutes. Slice vertically in thin strips as a spit would release, getting the charred edges into every portion.

    About 11 min

  5. Warm the pita. Spread generously with toum.

    About 11 min

  6. Layer the shawarma slices, pickled turnips, tomato and cucumber in the pita. Drizzle with more toum and tahini. Roll tightly and eat immediately while the meat is still hot.

    About 3 min

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Calories
560
Protein
42 g
Carbs
40 g
Fat
24 g
Fibre
3 g
Sugar
4 g
Sodium
980 mg

Contains: gluten, sesame

All Lebanese recipes

Recipe by Boon Tools.