Recently, I took the trip of a lifetime: a Holy Land pilgrimage, along with a small group from my local church. Words cannot describe the feeling of walking in the footsteps of Jesus, whether we were at the Sea of Galilee, the Shepherd’s Fields in Bethlehem, the Garden of Gethsemane, or the streets of Old Jerusalem.
The Middle Eastern cuisine was equally amazing. I went a few days early and stayed with hosts in an Airbnb who helped orient me not only to the culture but also to the spectacular dishes and flavors of this part of the Mediterranean.
One dish I kept seeing everywhere I went was Chicken Shawarma. When I travel, it’s often street food that is the best, and I enjoyed this savory, spicy meal for my lunch more than once. While I couldn’t fit the traditional vertical spit in my suitcase, I’ve discovered it’s easy to recreate Chicken Shawarma using a baking sheet in the oven. There are multiple recipes online, and I borrowed from several to create my own version below:
Chicken Shawarma
Step 1: Marinate the chicken
Put 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a large ziploc bag. Mix together the following in a small bowl or glass measuring cup and pour over the chicken:
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of one lemon
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
several cranks of fresh ground pepper
If you don’t have all these spices, add the ones you have. Cumin is essential. You can leave out the spicy ones or increase them if you want more heat.
“Squish” the bag well so the marinade completely covers all of the chicken. Place it in the refrigerator for 24 hours, or 3 hours at the very least. The longer the better. You can even freeze it at this point and put it in the fridge to thaw if you want to make it later on.
Step 2: Bake the chicken
Preheat your oven to 375F. Cut up an onion, red, white, or yellow, or a mixture, into thin slices. Add it to the marinated chicken bag and “squish” again, so the onion gets coated with the marinade. Drizzle olive or avocado oil onto a baking sheet. Dump the entire bag onto the prepared sheet and spread it out, so the thighs lie flat and the ingredients aren’t crowded. Bake at 375F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until thighs are cooked and golden brown. I had to bake a bit longer in my oven to get some carmelization going.
Once the chicken is done, let it cool and cut into thin strips. Serve with a warm pita and the following sides:
Chopped tomato and cucumber, fresh cilantro, Tangy Yogurt Sauce, and Creamy Tahini Sauce
Tangy Yogurt Sauce
Mix together:
1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
juice of half a lemon
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
sprig of fresh dill, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of salt (or more to taste)
ground pepper to taste
Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Creamy Tahini Sauce
Mix together:
1/2 cup tahini
Juice of a lemon
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup or more of cold water to get a thin enough consistency