The simplest, least complicated, and most flavorful shawarma to make is oven-cooked chicken. Juicy, tasty, and very versatile. An appealing Middle Eastern classic!
Middle Eastern cuisine shawarma is made of thinly sliced meat that is roasted on a rotating rotisserie. Shawarma is flavorful because it contains a lot of unusual spices. It’s a very well-liked street food that is typically sold in sandwiches stuffed with pickles, tomatoes, pickles sauce, or tahini sauce. It’s very accessible and widely used. Everyone enjoys a different shawarma sandwich.
It comes with sauces and is made with thin slices of chicken, lamb, turkey, or veal. The meat can be baked, although it is typically grilled on a grill or rotisserie. Use the chicken that was left over after shredding it the previous evening if you want to prepare shawarma. The shawarma chicken recipe is easy to follow, and the dish is both trendy and nutritious.
What is Chicken Shawarma?
The foundation of traditional chicken shawarma is well-marinated chicken that is stacked high on a rotisserie or spits and slow-roasted for days in its own juices and fat to achieve the most exquisite tenderness and flavor! Typically, the proprietor of the business would remove a layer of shawarma from the spit, place it inside a pita pocket, top it with tahini sauce, and pile on a tonne of fresh toppings.
Even though shawarma chicken is traditionally made outside of a restaurant, you can make it easily and flavorfully at home. With just a few basic components, the genuine flavors can be effortlessly duplicated. The meat used to make shawarma can range from lamb, beef, or chicken to goat, turkey, or a combination of these, and it is marinated before being roasted for hours on a vertical spit.
After the meat has been roasted, it is cut into thin, wide slices and stuffed inside a flatbread with lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, pickles, and parsley. The most popular bread are pita, lavash, and taboon. Condiments might include anything from garlic yogurt to hummus to chili and pickled mango sauce, although the type of bread used differs according to where you are.
How to Cook Chicken Shawarma in the Oven?
Shawarma Chicken, before and after oven roasting.
Chicken
Make the Chicken Marinade
Add the salt, cumin, black pepper, paprika, turmeric, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, olive oil, and lemon juice to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Make sure the chicken is thoroughly covered in the marinade before adding it and tossing it. Refrigerate for at least one hour with a cover made of foil or plastic wrap. The meat will have more flavor the longer it marinates.
Prepare the Oven and Put Everything Together
The oven should be heated to 425 F. Sliced onion should be added to the bowl containing the chicken and thoroughly mixed in the marinade. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, combine everything. Since the chicken absorbed most of the marinade, I didn’t have much left over, which is why I poured everything into the baking dish. Over the baking dish, distribute everything evenly.
Bake the Chicken:
For around 40 to 45 minutes, bake the chicken in the oven until the edges are browned and crispy. Turn the broiler to high and broil the chicken for 3 minutes, or until the outside is beautiful and crispy if you prefer the chicken to be more crispy on top.
Allow the chicken to rest for approximately five minutes before slicing it.
Making Garlic Sauce
Blend all of the ingredients in a blender (or with an immersion blender) for one to two minutes, or until completely smooth. 1 1/2 cups of sauce will be produced by this recipe; store any extra in the fridge.
What does Chicken Shawarma Taste Like?
Shawarma has a rich, tangy, and toasted flavor because it is marinated in herbs and spices including garlic, turmeric, dried lime, cinnamon, and cardamom. Cumin, cardamom, and paprika are widely used in shawarma spice blends, however, the flavors and proportions vary considerably from cook to cook. Then, some vendors will add ground turmeric, smoked paprika, ground coriander, cinnamon, clove, and allspice.
How to Serve Chicken Shawarma?
Traditionally, chicken shawarma is served with a lot of vegetables and sauce in pita pockets or wraps. We like the idea of stuffing pita pockets with vegetables and my three-ingredient Mediterranean salad with sharp arugula.
Like beef shawarma, chicken shawarma can be served with a liberal dousing of tahini sauce. Greek Tzatziki, a white yogurt-based sauce, is also well-known. This chicken shawarma dish may feed 4 to 6 people. However, shawarma sliders can be a great option if you’re seeking to feed a bigger crowd. The fact that you can serve shawarma with any vegetables or sauces makes it excellent! The sauces that are most frequently used in shawarma wraps include tahini, garlic, and hummus.
Depending on your preferences, you may even combine different meats in a single wrap or sandwich! For example, try your shawarma wrap with beef and chicken. Shawarma can also be served in a bowl with different vegetables or fries or rice, Tabbouleh or Fattoush salad, and cooked vegetables; this is known as “Mixed Shawarma.” You decide how much you adore shawarma.
How is Shawarma Prepared for Consumption?
Using a long, thin knife, shawarma is commonly sliced or shaved after it has been cooked. The only pieces that are required are cut into long, thin strips. The meat is then presented in a sandwich, wrap, or packed pita along with a variety of vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and turnips. The unhealthy fatty acids included in shawarma can raise blood cholesterol levels. Limiting your Shawarma consumption will help you avoid heart disease because too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to heart disease and stroke.
Why Should You Eat Shawarma?
Shawarma provides several health benefits and is abundant in healthy fats. This is so because plants like tropical oils and olives contain good fats. Because it contains healthy fats from sliced lamb or beef, shawarma aids in maintaining healthier body composition, stronger muscles, and improved brain function.
Due to its nutritional content, shawarma lacks essential minerals and vitamins that are necessary for healthy physiological development and growth. Unhealthy eating patterns can hinder both physical and mental growth. Too much sugar and soda (both included in shawarma) can lead to bone loss and dental problems.
Is Shawarma Considered Junk Food?
The nutritional content of shawarma leaves it deficient in important vitamins and elements. These nutrients are crucial for healthy body development and growth. Poor eating habits might halt the development of the brain and body. Too much soda and sugar (found in shawarma) can also cause bone loss and tooth loss.
Which is Better for You, a Burger or Shawarma?
It’s wholesome A shawarma’s grilled meat is served with a variety of crisp veggies and fat-free condiments. The same cannot be said for the burger, its Western counterpart. You can talk to the maker: The individuals who produce shawarmas are devoted and welcoming.
Can you Lose Weight by Eating Shawarma?
The Chicken Shawarma is a great option if you want to reduce weight by consuming fewer carbs and getting in shape. If you omit the bread and just eat it with some salad and cucumber dressing, it is a healthy snack. Shawarma may be a quick and convenient meal or snack, but it is by no means a healthy option. The strips of marinated meat that are removed from the revolving cone of meat already have fat running through them, and they almost certainly received additional fat during cooking.
Are There Any Shawarma Health Benefits?
To cut carbs and improve your health, chicken shawarma is a wonderful choice. if you omit the bread and just eat it with a couple of cucumber dressings and salads. By eating meat, you can satisfy your hunger without packing extra pounds. It is a good source of fiber in addition to protein, vitamin A, and vitamin C. For your health, chicken shawarma provides calcium, magnesium, iron, and sodium.
Conclusion
Among other flavors, shawarma is seasoned with cumin, turmeric, and paprika. It is made by stacking thinly sliced meat, typically lamb, beef, or chicken, on a spinning skewer or cone. In order to make it juicier, it is periodically fried with extra beef fat. Hours are spent slowly rotating the shawarma stack while it cooks in front of a heat source that repeatedly sears the top layer. As a doner kebab, shawarma made its debut in Turkey in the 19th century. Later, it was transported to Greece, where it had an impact on the well-known gyro, which is often made with pork or chicken. Shawarma became well-known in the West after Lebanese immigrants brought it to Mexico.
The chicken thighs should be thinly cut and marinated overnight if you make shawarma at home. You’ll need a sizable nonstick pan or a barbecue hotplate with about one tablespoon of oil to prepare the chicken shawarma. Place the chicken in the pan once the oil is heated and cook it until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. It can be served over a bed of lettuce or with a salad.
