# Crispy Chicken Shawarma

A recipe for crispy chicken shawarma, featuring thinly sliced chicken thighs marinated and then broiled, served with a red paste, toum, and pickles in pita bread.

- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Category: Drink
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 2 lbs chicken thighs
- 3 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 Tbsp hot pepper paste or tomato paste
- 0.25 cup full-fat yogurt
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- shawarma spices or pre-mixed shawarma spice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 0.5 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.5 tsp cardamom
- 0.5 tsp clove
- 0.5 tsp msg
- to taste Salt
- 0.5 tsp ginger (optional)
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 3 Tbsp beef tallow or neutral oil
- 0.25 cup oil for red sauce
- 0.25 cup tomato paste for red sauce
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper for red sauce
- 0.25 cup water
- to taste Salt for red sauce
- Large pita bread/flat bread
- Toum
- Thinly sliced pickles (wild cucumber pickles)
- Pomegranate molasses
- natural charcoal

## Instructions

1. Thinly slice the chicken thighs.
2. Prepare the marinade by combining hot pepper paste (or tomato paste), full-fat yogurt, fresh lemon juice (or white vinegar), a squirt of oil, and shawarma spices.
3. Mix the chicken with the marinade.
4. Marinate the chicken, preferably overnight.
5. For the red sauce, heat oil, add tomato or hot pepper paste, cayenne pepper, and ketchup. Splash in water and turn it into a paste.
6. Preheat the oven with a sheet tray on a high broil for about 10-15 minutes.
7. Add beef tallow or neutral oil to the hot sheet tray.
8. Slide the marinated chicken onto the sheet tray and spread it out into a thin layer.
9. Broil the chicken in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.
10. Place an aluminum foil bowl with oil and a lit natural charcoal in the oven with the chicken to smoke it.
11. To assemble, split a pita and use the insides.
12. Spread a generous amount of toum on the pita.
13. Pile a generous amount of cooked chicken onto the pita.
14. Add thinly sliced wild cucumber pickles to the pita.
15. Fold, tuck, and roll the pita.
16. Toast the seam side down in some pan drippings.
17. Paint the beautiful red paste onto the toasted shawarma, ensuring all sides are basted.

## Equipment

- oven
- sheet tray
- aluminum foil bowl
- pan

## Tips

- Get really thin slices on some thighs for a good home shawarma.
- Do not use Greek yogurt.
- Marinate chicken overnight for best flavor.
- Smoke the chicken with lit natural charcoal for extra flavor.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQ7aGVIkvVN/?igsh=MTV5M3RwdWhsczQ1aw==
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/540d5697-9308-4844-bf6c-1a2283d1d04b
- Extracted: 2026-01-08

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt