Chicken Shawarma
Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish made with very thin cuts of meat, seasoned and threaded on skewers and grilled. The grilled meat is then served on a warm pita with tomatoes, lettuce or cucumbers and a creamy yogurt sauce. Think of it almost like a Middle Eastern taco. Traditionally beef, chicken, goat, lamb, or turkey is used in this dish. We used chicken breasts for this particular recipe, partly because of its overall appeal and partly because it is what we had on hand. We encourage you to use whatever kind of meat you have that you want to cook. This dish is flexible so it will work with just about anything.
Helpful Hint: To slice the meat really thin, partially freeze chicken breasts until they are firm, but not frozen solid. Use a sharp knife and cut very carefully. The partially frozen meat will make it easier to hold and slice.
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
- 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon Shawarma Seasoning
- 1 batch Tzatziki Sauce
- Cooking Spray
- 4 whole wheat pitas - 6" round, does not need to have a pocket
- Tomato slices, cucumber slices, and chopped romaine lettuce to garnish
- In a medium glass bowl, combine chicken strips, lemon juice, olive oil, and Shawarma Seasoning. Make sure all pieces of chicken are coated with the seasoning.
- Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least an hour, but all day or overnight works too.
- While chicken is marinating, prepare Tzatziki Sauce. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Thread chicken strips onto wooden skewers. PLEASE NOTE: If you are going to use wooden skewers, please soak skewers in water for 1/2 hour before using them to prevent them from burning.
- Lightly coat grill pan with cooking spray and place chicken skewers onto hot grill.
- Grill for 1 - 2 minutes on each side until meat is cooked through and toasted on the outside.
- Warm the pitas on the grill, microwave or oven. Don't toast them - just warm them so they can be folded.
- Arrange chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce on the warm pita. Top with Tzatziki Sauce, fold (like a taco) and serve.
