My kids are crazy about shawarma sandwiches. They could eat it a few times a week if I made them, and Arabic restaurants are usually their first choice when asked where to dine (closely followed by Mexican). When I was growing up , we probably used to eat shawarma sandwiches at least once a week, if not more. Sandwiches are my most favorite way to eat at any meal, in fact I could eat it three times a day and not get tired of sandwiches ever. Meats, veggies, pickles, sauce or cheese between toasty bread, I mean what’s not to like?
Today I was debating about what to make for dinner when I remembered that we had some pita bread in the fridge that I could put to use. My kids were ecstatic when they found out what we were having for dinner. My 8-year-old is so funny, she used to call the sandwich ‘shower me’ when she was younger, and the name has stuck in our household.
This recipe is very simple and quick to make, so it’s a convenient one to have on hand for busy days. You can use hummus, mutabbal or even a dash of tahini as a spread in your sandwich as well, basically whatever you have on hand, since this is meant to be an easy fix dinner dish :-). I hope this recipe is a hit in your household, just like it is in mine!
Here’s how to make the Chicken Shawarma :
1. Take one large chicken breast and chop it into bite sized pieces.
2. Put 3 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp dried mint, 1 tsp dried oregano, and 1 tsp cumin powder into a mixing bowl. Add chicken, and stir to coat the chicken with the marinade (you can make this up to two hours in advance or cook immediately).
3. Place a skillet on high heat, add two tbsp olive oil, and 2 cloves of grated garlic. Stir for 10 seconds.
4. Transfer the chicken into the skillet in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes, do not touch.
5. Stir the chicken, lower heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Turn the heat back on high, and let the sides of the chicken brown a bit for about a minute. Turn off heat, transfer to a plate.
7. Make a sauce with 1/3 cup yogurt, 1 tbsp tahini, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 clove grated garlic, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.
8. Arrange a platter with warm pitas, chopped lettuce, pickles, parsley, tomatoes, chicken and the sauce, and proceed to assemble your sandwich. Serve immediately.
