Shawarma is the street food of the Middle East and if you haven’t sunk your teeth into this heavenly sandwich, well, you’re missing out! I grew up eating Shawarma on regular summer visits to Jerusalem. You can find it at just about every corner in the region, but my favorite spots to eat this popular street food is in the bustling Old City or in the West Bank town, Ramallah. 

Shawarma comes from the Turkish word, 'çevirme', which means 'turning'. It is traditionally prepared on a spit rotisserie where stacks of beautiful, seasoned meat are placed and slowly roasted by turning on the spit. When the meat is ready to serve, it is sliced off by a large knife, electrical knife or a cooking saw. Shawarma can be made from all sorts of meats, but commonly chicken, beef and lamb are used to make this delicious, aromatic meat. 

Freshly made pockets of pita are stuffed to the brim with meat, an Arabic or cabbage salad, Arabic pickles, French fries (YES French fries), garlic mayo or tahini, hummus and a spicy condiment if you choose. *Cue the chorus* 

You don’t need a special rotisserie or spit to make shawarma. My husband and I make it at home all the time. It’s great because you can marinate it a day ahead and throw it on the grill or cast iron the next day. 

We’ve tried many variations of Shawarma using different spices. This recipe is our take on all the delicious Shawarma sandwiches we've devoured throughout our adventures in our beloved Jerusalem.   

Ingredients:

• I cup of plain yogurt 

• 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar 

• 2 tablespoon garlic, minced

• 1 ½ teaspoon curry powder 

• 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder 

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• ½ teaspoon all spice 

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger 

• ½ teaspoon turmeric 

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 

• 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon salt 

• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 

• 1 ½ pound of boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast, thinly sliced 

• 8-10 wood skewers, soaked for 30 minutes prior to grilling 

• 3-4 large Baba’s Lebanese Flat Bread or Baba’s White or Wheat Pocket Pita

• Arabic salad, recipe below 

• Garlic Mayo, recipe below 

• Baba’s Creamy Dreamy Traditional Hummus 

• 4 Pickles, sliced 

• French fries if you dare! (Fried or baked)

• Spicy condiment (sliced jalapenos, hot sauce of your choice or shatta- Arabic hot sauce)   

Directions

Step 1: In a medium size bowl, add yogurt, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic and all the spices including the salt and pepper. Mix well and add chicken. Mix the chicken thoroughly with the sauce and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Marinate overnight or 24 hours for best results. 

Step 2: When you’re ready to cook the chicken, place it in a strainer to allow the juices to fall and rid of any excess marinade. You don’t want it to be wet when you're cooking the meat. Assemble your kabobs if you're grilling your chicken shawarma. 

Before you begin cooking your chicken, prepare the Arabic salad, garlic-mayo and French fries (to your liking) and set aside. (recipes below) 

Grill 

Step 3: Heat your grill to medium-high heat. Place chicken on grill and cook for 4-5 minutes on one side. Flip over and cook for another 4 minutes (or until fully cooked). Usually the chicken will not need as much time to cook on the second side. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Baba’s Tip* My husband likes to cook kabobs on the top rack of the grill. This allows the chicken to slowly cook and crisp, almost in a rotisserie style. If you try this method, grill chicken a little longer on both sides. 

Sauté 

Step 4: If you prefer to sauté your chicken shawarma, heat your griddle or cast iron over medium high heat. Because your chicken is nicely marinated with yogurt, you most likely won’t need any oil to cook it, but if you do, add a tablespoon or so of evoo to your pan. Add chicken and sauté for 10-12 minutes until chicken is cooked through, golden brown and crispy. 

To assemble the sandwich:  

Step 5: Lay Lebanese pita flat, add a tablespoon of the Garlic-Mayo sauce on one half and hummus on the other half. Top with a good amount of chicken, Arabic Salad, pickles and French fries. Drizzle with hot sauce or shatta (Arabic hot sauce).  Roll the pita like you would a burrito. If you’d like, toast in a panini or quickly char both sides of your sandwich in your cast iron! Sahtain!