Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken Shawarma:
- 1.5 pounds chicken breasts
- 4 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon each: ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, salt
- ½ teaspoon each: allspice or 7 spice, turmeric, ground cinnamon, garlic powder, black pepper
For the Shawarma Sauce:
- ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons tahini paste
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Pinch of salt and pepper
To Assemble:
- 6–8 medium tortillas, thin pitas, or saj bread
- Pickled turnips or pickles, thinly sliced
- Thinly sliced onion
- Thinly sliced tomato (optional)
- Chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Cut your chicken breasts into thin slices or small bite-size pieces. Add the chicken to a large bowl with yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, and all the spices. Mix everything well until the chicken is coated. You can also do this in a zip-seal bag if you prefer.
- Marinate (optional): You can cook the chicken right away, but if you have time, let it sit for up to 24 hours in the fridge.
- Cook the chicken: Heat a large heavy-duty pan over high heat. Add the chicken mixture and cook on high heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the chicken is browned and cooked through.
- Make the sauce: Add all sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Make sure all the garlic chunks are completely blended.
- Assemble the wraps: Lay tortillas or bread on a flat surface. I like to use parchment paper to make it easier. Add a good amount of chicken to each wrap. Top with pickled turnips, sliced onion, tomato, and fresh parsley. Drizzle generously with the white sauce and wrap tightly.
- Toast (optional): If you want crispy wraps, brush the outside with a thin layer of oil and toast them in the same pan you used for the chicken. Don’t wash the pan first – the leftover spices will add more flavor.
Notes
- Cut chicken against the grain for more tender pieces
- Don’t skip the yogurt marinade – it makes the chicken super soft
- Use a hot pan to get good browning on the chicken
- Make the sauce ahead of time so the flavors can blend
- Warm your tortillas before assembling for easier wrapping
- Don’t overfill the wraps or they’ll be hard to close
- Add a paper towel under assembled wraps to catch drips
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan-Searing
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 wrap
- Calories: 500 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg