Classic chicken shawarma

Name: Classic chicken shawarma
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 900 g Boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 120 ml Full-fat plain yoghurt; 45 ml Olive oil; 30 ml Lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 15 ml White vinegar; 6 Garlic cloves, grated; 2 tsp Ground cumin; 2 tsp Sweet paprika; 1 tsp Ground coriander; 1 tsp Ground allspice; 0.5 tsp Ground cinnamon; 0.25 tsp Ground cardamom; 1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper; 0.5 tsp Cayenne pepper; 1.5 tsp Fine sea salt; 1 Yellow onion, halved (for the skewer base); 80 g Lamb or beef fat trimmings, optional; 4 Large flatbreads or pita; 120 ml Garlic toum, to serve; 150 g Pickled turnips and cucumber pickles, to serve; 2 Tomato, thinly sliced; 20 g Flat-leaf parsley, chopped

The benchmark chicken shawarma: yoghurt-and-spice marinated thigh meat stacked, roasted and shaved thin, then wrapped hot with toum, pickles and tomato. This is the version we cook most weeks — it works on a home rotisserie, in a hot oven on a skewer stack, or in a cast iron pan when you are short on time.

75 min totalmediumeasy

Instructions

1
Trim the thighs of loose fat and any gristle, but leave a thin fat cap on — that fat is what bastes the stack as it cooks. Pat the meat completely dry; a wet surface steams instead of browning.
2
In a large bowl whisk the yoghurt, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and grated garlic until smooth. Add the cumin, paprika, coriander, allspice, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, cayenne and salt, and whisk again until the marinade is a uniform rust colour with no dry pockets of spice.
3
Add the chicken and turn each piece so it is coated on both sides. Press a sheet of cling film directly onto the surface, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally 12 to 24. The acid and salt work slowly; overnight is where the flavour depth comes from.
4
Take the chicken out 30 minutes before cooking so it loses its fridge chill — cold meat overcooks on the outside before the centre is done.
5
For a rotisserie or skewer stack: thread the thighs flat onto the spit one at a time, alternating direction so the stack stays even and dense, and slipping in a piece of lamb fat every third layer. Cap the top with the halved onion to hold everything in place.
6
Roast at 200°C with the spit turning, or in a hot oven with the stack stood upright in a roasting tin, for 40-50 minutes, until the outside is deep mahogany and the centre reaches 74°C on an instant-read thermometer.
7
Shave the outer 5-8 mm of the cooked stack with a long, sharp knife using a smooth downward pull. Return the stack to the heat for 5-8 minutes to re-crisp, then shave again. Repeat until the stack is finished.
8
Pan method (no rotisserie): heat a heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high until it just smokes. Cook the thighs in batches, 5-6 minutes per side, pressing them flat with a weight for full contact. Do not crowd the pan — crowded chicken releases liquid and boils.
9
Rest the cooked meat for 5 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain into ribbons. Toss the slices back through the pan juices for 30 seconds so every piece is glossy.
10
Warm the flatbreads on a dry pan until pliable. Spread a thick line of toum down the centre, add the hot chicken, then pickles, tomato and parsley.
11
Roll tight, folding one end closed, then press the wrap seam-side down on the hot pan for a minute per side to seal and toast it. Cut on the diagonal and serve immediately.

Notes

Thighs only — breast dries out on a stack. If you can get a little lamb fat from a butcher, layer it into the stack: it is the single biggest upgrade for home shawarma. Leftover meat keeps 3 days refrigerated and reheats best in a dry hot pan, never the microwave. The marinade doubles and freezes well with raw chicken in the bag.

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