Smoked Chicken Shawarma
My family was craving for some chicken shawarma lately and instead of ordering take out, I decided that it was time I try to make it myself. It took a few tries to get the spices right but I think I have one that I’m quite happy with. I was honestly a bit surprised that I had all the different spices in my pantry already but it’s just that I have never tried to combine them in this way. Revelation.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a rotisserie spit to cook the meat but I found that smoking them and then finishing over high heat and then in a pan does give it a similar effect to the restaurant. For us, the tahini sauce is a must and I always have to have fattoush salad to help cut the heaviness of the meal. I hope you give this a try. It’s a lot easier than you think.
Smoked Chicken Shawarma
Recipe details
- 4-6 Servings
- Prep time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 1 Hours Total time: 1 hr 15 min
Comments
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Oh, my gosh!!! Okay, I had to do a couple of things differently because, though I secretly covet the Big Green Egg or any smoker, I don't own one. So, I used a charcoal grill with coals on one half for direct/indirect heat... But I put a pan with soaked wood chips and covered with foil in with the chicken (chicken on indirect side), to mimic "smoking. Finished over direct heat. When I brought inside, rested, and sliced, I crisped it up a bit in a cast iron skillet. I was THERE! I mean, legit: in the best little street market getting shawarma off a spit. Your spice proportions are awesome!!! And that charcoal smoke really did make all the difference, from a stove-top shawarma!!! And I love a good fattoush, or a tabouleh, some warm pita, and Lebanese rice with shawarma!!!
Since you were kind enough to share this recipe, I'll share a hack I learned years ago for The. Best. Fluffliest. Hummus! With canned garbanzos/chickpeas!!! As you pulse your chickpeas/tahini/garlic/lemon in a food processor, drop ice cubes, one by one, into the running food processor. Let process for at least 5 minutes. You got me, on the science behind it, cuz I would think that after the ice melts, it would "deflate," or something, but it DOESN'T!!! Some folks like to peel the chickpeas, but I think the 5 minutes in the food processor blitzes them enough; it is SO creamy!!! For 2 cans of chickpeas, 4-6 ice cubes does the trick. But you gotta try it - it is SO easy!!! I got shown that hack from a dear friend 25 years ago, and I dated a Greek guy who said I made better hummus than his mother! lol And then he swore me to secrecy about that!!! ;)
Thanks again for the wonderful recipe!!! I'll have to check out your site - always up for culinary adventures!!! :)
PS to Kelly (sorry, I couldn't "reply" to your comment!): Nope, you don't melt the cubes. While my food processor is running (I use an old Cuisinart), I drop the frozen ice cubes in one at a time, maybe every 30 seconds, during the 5 or so minutes of processing time. You'll see immediately - after the first one, the color will lighten up and it will seem to grow in volume a bit. Super-creamy, super-fluffy. Idk why it works, but it works!! lol ~csodeen@charter.net