Chicken Shawarma
What’s better than a simple sheet pan chicken dinner that you can prep and cook with your eyes closed? One that also happens to be light-out delicious!! The shawarma of my 20’s was eaten at 3am and fueled by a post-bar drunken craving. This grown-up version hits the spot in that same way, minus the late night desperation. It’s tender and juicy and truly honors the traditional street-cart flavor bomb we all know and love in the comfort of our own homes.
Yield: 4 to 6
Chicken Shawarma
Prep time: 12 HourCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 12 H & 35 M
What’s better than a simple sheet pan chicken dinner that you can prep and cook with your eyes closed? One that also happens to be light-out delicious!! The shawarma of my 20’s was eaten at 3am and fueled by a post-bar drunken craving. This grown-up version hits the spot in that same way, minus the late night desperation. It’s tender and juicy and truly honors the traditional street-cart flavor bomb we all know and love in the comfort of our own homes.
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 3 lemons, juiced
- ½ cup olive oil, plus 1T to coat the sheet tray later
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 shake of ground cinnamon
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 large red onions, peeled and cut into 8ths
Garnish
- 1 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- Place all marinade ingredients in a large ziploc bag. Add the chicken and then the onions. Seal the ziploc and toss well to coat evenly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. The longer the better. If you marinate it first thing in the morning, it'll be ready to bake for dinner.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease the sheet tray with 1T olive oil. Pour the marinated chicken and onions onto the sheet tray, arranging everything evenly spaced.
- Roast in the oven until it’s browned and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Switch to broil for a minute or two to blacken and crisp the edges. Keep an eye on it at this point, as some broilers are STRONG. Remove from the oven and let rest for 3 - 5 minutes. Slice into strips and toss back in the pan drippings on the sheet tray.
- Arrange on a platter, pan drippings and all, and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
Equipment
EQUIPMENT:
- Ziploc bag
- Sheet pan