Description
This Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Yoghurt Sauce recipe offers a deliciously spiced Middle Eastern-inspired wrap featuring tender, marinated chicken thighs cooked to perfection and served with crispy fries, fresh vegetables, and a creamy garlic yoghurt sauce, all wrapped in soft Lebanese flatbread. Ideal for a flavorful and satisfying meal ready in 40 minutes.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Shawarma:
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (can be substituted with chicken breast)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated puree)
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp freshly minced garlic
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
For the Garlic Yoghurt Sauce:
- 1 cup (250 g) Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsp toum (garlic dip) or freshly minced garlic with salt if not using toum
Other Ingredients:
- 400 g (14 oz) frozen French fries
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh mint leaves (optional)
- 4 Lebanese flatbreads
- ½ tsp sumac (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients: Preheat your oven or air fryer and cook the frozen French fries according to the packet instructions to crispy perfection. Prepare the tomatoes, red onion, and mint by washing and slicing them as described.
- Make the garlic yoghurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine the Greek yoghurt with toum or your garlic dip. If you don’t have garlic dip, mix freshly minced garlic with some salt into the yoghurt. Set this sauce aside to allow flavors to meld.
- Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl. Add tomato paste, Greek yoghurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, ground cumin, ground cardamom, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, sea salt flakes, freshly cracked black pepper, and olive oil. Using tongs, thoroughly toss the chicken until every piece is well coated with the marinade. You can cook the chicken immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours for deeper flavor.
- Cook the chicken: Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium–high heat. When hot, add the marinated chicken pieces. Cook them for 5–6 minutes on each side until fully cooked and slightly charred. In the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the water to loosen all the crispy bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, enhancing the sauce.
- Rest and slice the chicken: Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for several minutes to keep it juicy. Then slice the chicken into thin strips and drizzle with the flavorful pan juices.
- Assemble the wraps: Lay out the Lebanese flatbreads on plates. Spread a generous amount of garlic yoghurt sauce in the center of each flatbread. Top with sliced chicken, crispy fries, tomato slices, red onion, shredded mint (if using), and a sprinkle of sumac for an extra tangy note.
- Fold and serve: Fold the sides of each flatbread up taco-style to enclose the fillings. Serve the wraps immediately, accompanied by extra garlic yoghurt sauce for dipping.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken thighs with chicken breasts if preferred but thighs offer more juiciness and flavor.
- Marinating the chicken longer, up to 24 hours, intensifies the flavors for a richer taste.
- For a smoky flavor alternative, cook the chicken on a barbecue grill instead of a frying pan.
- Sumac is optional but adds a lovely citrusy tang that complements the shawarma spices.
- Toum is a traditional Lebanese garlic sauce; if unavailable, using freshly minced garlic in the yoghurt sauce works well.
