Chicken shawarma
- Barney Desmazery
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Serves 6
More effort
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 45 mins
plus at least 4 hrs marinating
A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.70 ratingsRate
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Add oomph to chicken kebabs with yogurt, Indian spices and chillies. This smoky, flavour-packed tandoori shawarma can be cooked on the barbecue or in the oven
Egg-free
Nut-free
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Barney's tips for the perfect chicken shawarma:
- I always marinate the chicken for as long as possible, ideally overnight. It gives the herbs and spices time to work their way into the meat and lemon to break down the muscle fibres, making the chicken even more tender and flavourful.
- Boneless chicken thighs are my first choice for shawarma because they stay perfectly juicy, but chicken breasts work well too. If you are using breasts, then take care not to overcook them so they stay succulent.
- I love serving the chicken wrapped in warm naan with shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, cucumber and pickled red onions. A generous spoonful of garlic yoghurt or tahini sauce ties everything together.
- Any leftovers are incredibly versatile. I'll slice the chicken and add it to grain bowls, salads or wraps for an easy lunch, or serve it with rice and roasted vegetables for another quick meal.
Ingredients
Nutrition
Units:
MetricUS
-
2 lemons
1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges to serve
-
150g pot natural yogurt
-
4 garlic cloves
-
thumb-sized piece ginger
roughly chopped
-
1-2 green chillies
(depending on how hot you like it)
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small pack of fresh coriander
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½ tsp turmeric
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1 tsp ground cumin
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1 tsp garam masala
-
16 skinless, boneless chicken
thighs
-
1 large baking potato
cut in half lengthways
-
6 shop-bought naan bread
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Nutrition: Per serving
-
kcal299
-
fat19g
-
saturates5g
-
carbs3g
-
sugars2g
low
-
fibre0g
-
protein29g
high
-
salt1.9g
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Method
-
step 1
Tip all the ingredients, except the chicken and lemon wedges, into a blender or a smoothie bullet with 1 tsp sea salt and whizz to a smooth paste. Pile the chicken into a bowl or large plastic container, pour over the paste and mix through so the chicken is completely coated. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hrs or up to 48 hrs – the longer, the better.
-
step 2
Cooking on the barbecue:
Light a lidded barbecue, and let the flames die down. Once the coals have turned ashen, pile them up on one side with a few coals scattered around the other. Starting and ending with half a baking potato, thread all the chicken onto two long metal skewers – so that both skewers go through each piece of meat – packing the thighs down between the potato halves so that they are really compact. Place the large chicken kebab to the side of the barbecue with only a few coals underneath. Pop the lid down and cook for 45-50 mins, turning every 15 mins, or until cooked through – prise the chicken pieces apart in the centre to check, or use a digital cooking thermometer; it should read 70C or more. Leave to rest for 5 mins. -
step 3
Cooking in the oven:
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. Sit the kebab across a roasting tin so it is suspended, or rest a wire rack over a roasting tin and place the chicken on top. Cook for 45-55 mins or until cooked through. -
step 4
Warm the naan on the barbecue or in the oven. Bring the kebab to the table to carve, wrap with warm naans, and serve with the other salads and lemon wedges for squeezing over.
Barney Desmazery
As Good Food's longest-serving team member, Barney has written and tested thousands of recipes, worked with many of Britain's top chefs and created videos, live events and masterclasses. After gaining a chef's dipolma and working in restaurants across London, France and Australia, he joined Good Food, where he specialises in sourdough baking, foraging, seasonal ingredients and open-fire cooking. Discover more of Barney's recipes
Recipe from Good Food magazine, June 2017
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A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.70 ratings
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