When I found this recipe, it really stood out to me because it’s different from most recipes I typically cook. It’s full of different spices that make a flavorful middle eastern marinade for the chicken. The salad is full of fresh veggies and fresh lemon that keep it light and simple, which make it the perfect complement to the chicken. Feel free to eat just the chicken and salad for a nice light dinner, or beef it up with rice and veggies alongside, or even warm whole wheat pita bread and fresh hummus. Enjoy!

chicken-shawarma

chicken-shawarma

chicken-shawarma

chicken-shawarma

Chicken Shawarma with Israeli Salad

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Chicken

2 to 2 ¼ pounds chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons ground coriander

8 cloves minced garlic

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

6 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoon allspice

Salad

2 extra-large tomatoes

1 English cucumber

1/2 medium red onion

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

½ cup herbs (italian parsley, mint or cilantro, or a mix)

Zest of one lemon

Lemon juice (start with ½ a lemon, more to taste)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Salad

Chop the first 6 ingredients into a very small fine dice. The smaller, the better. Place in a large bowl and toss with the lemon zest, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper.

Chicken

Place all spices including the oil in a bowl and mix, or pulse in a food processor. Make a paste. Rub chicken on all sides with the marinade and let sit 20 minutes (or up to 24 hours refrigerated).

Grill chicken on a pre-heated BBQ, on medium-high heat, closing the lid to the BBQ, until all sides have nice grill marks, about 8-10 minutes each side. Alternatively, the chicken can be grilled on a grill pan. Finish chicken in a 350 F oven until cooked all the way through, about 10 minutes.

Enjoy the chicken over Israeli salad, or with rice and veggies. You can also serve the chicken and salad with warm whole wheat pita bread and fresh hummus.

Recipe inspired by Feasting at Home.