This chicken shawarma sandwich is easy to make and full of fresh, bright flavors.
A delicious chicken shawarma sandwich makes a fabulours lunch or could even be served as a main meal. It’s made up of flavorful seasoned chicken and fresh, sliced vegetables, topped with sauce and all wrapped up in a soft, fluffy pita bread.
Middle Eastern in origin, shawarma has become popular all over the world. This is partly because of its wonderful flavors, but also because it is so convenient – it is the perfect meal when you’re on the go. It is also very quick to put together – making it a healthy fast food!
The important thing to remember when making shawarma is that whilst the cooking time is relatively short, the chicken needs a long time to marinate – at least 8 hours in fact.
So it’s important to plan ahead when you know you want to make this chicken shawarma sandwich and ideally place the chicken in its marinade the night before, so you can leave it overnight in the fridge for all those fabulous flavors to infuse.
What to serve with this chickenh shawarma sandwich
With its mixture of meat, vegetables and bread, shawarma is a meal all by itself!
If you want to serve it as a main meal, however, you might want a side dish to accompany it!
These herb and garlic oven fries taste amazing, or – for something a little different – you could even try these parsnip fries.
A chicken shawarma sandwich also tastes great with hummus – this roasted garlic hummus is especially good.
You can also try serving it with baked falafel or a fresh salad. This lemon quinoa salad pairs up perfectly with shawarma!
Variations
This recipe uses a simple garlic, tahini and yogurt sauce, which is traditional for this dish. But you can change things up if you prefer and use any of your favorite sauces.
Don’t have any pita bread to hand but still want to try your hand at shawarma? Flour tortillas make a great alternative in which to wrap all the tasty ingredients! You could also try this soft flatbread recipe.
Chicken Shawarma Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 cup Plain Yogurt
- 1/4 cup Vinegar
- 2 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 Cardamom Pod
- 1 teaspoon Allspice
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 1/2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs thinly cut (use breast if you prefer)
- 1 cup Sesame Tahini
- 2 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
- 2 tablespoons Plain Yogurt
- 1 medium Onion thinly sliced
- 1 medium whole Fresh Tomato thinly sliced
- 1 Cucumber thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Sumac
- 1/2 cup Fresh Parsley finely chopped
- Sandwich Pickle Slice optional
- 8 small Pita Bread
Instructions
- Mix the yogurt, vinegar, crushed garlic, pepper, salt, cardamom, allspice, and juice of 1 lemon together in a large bowl.
- Add the chicken, making sure it is well covered with the marinade. If it seems a bit dry, add enough olive oil to reach the right consistency.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or preferably overnight.
- After the chicken has marinated, place it into a large saucepan and cook it for 20 minutes until done. If it becomes dry, add a little water.
- Once the chicken is cooked, you can either leave it as it is or shred it.
- Whilst the chicken is cooking, mix together the tahini, crushed garlic, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons yogurt in a small bowl, then set aside.
- In a larger bowl, add the onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Sprinkle with sumac, then add the parsley and optional pickle slices, mixing well. Set aside.
- Cover 1/4 of each pita bread with the chicken. Top with the vegetables and cover with sauce.
- Roll like a burrito or cut the pita open to form a pocket and fill it.