Lebanese cuisine is extremely diverse and no one can remain indifferent, smelling the bouquet of aromas of its appetizers, breads and sweets. Even the street food, which elsewhere cannot boast of special taste qualities, awakens the gastronomic curiosity of the traveler with its mixtures of exotic flavors and seduces him immediately. Convinced to visit Lebanon and explore its culinary meanders? Yes, my next holidays are only on New Years and even then you don’t plan to leave the country. And now you’re only thinking about mouth-watering Levantine delicacies, right? Me too ! So, the second best option after gourmet tourism is to cook your own meals inspired by your dream destination! Today we are testing the Lebanese recipe for shawarma with homemade chicken!
The best recipe for chicken shawarma, pita bread with white sauce
In Middle and Middle Eastern cuisine, shawarma is a type of spicy grilled meat kebab. You can have a plate of meat and vegetables with gravy or pita bread stuffed with these toppings. As a kind of sandwich, the second option is easier to consume as “street food”. And it’s not at all difficult to imitate them at home, provided you know the basics. Pita bread with white sauce, here is the best recipe for Lebanese Chicken Chowrma to make at home…
Pie – ingredients and preparation
The flatbreads for our chicken shawarma recipe are very easy and relatively quick to prepare. However, if you’re expecting guests in less than an hour or just want a quick recipe for the evening, you can skip the wrap recipe below and opt for pre-made flatbreads, which can be found even at most convenience stores. This is what I do on Friday nights when I want something tasty and fast at the same time. If, on the other hand, you want to prepare everything yourself, here is the list of ingredients for shawarma pita bread:
200g of flour
1 tsp dry baker’s yeast
1 pinch of sugar
100 ml of water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water and let stand for ten minutes. Put the flour and salt in a bowl and mix. Add the dissolved yeast and knead into a ball. Oil the resulting dough, cover with cling film and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. Divide into 4 balls, flatten each on the counter and roll out with a rolling pin. Preheat a large pan and dry cook for 4-5 minutes, flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side.
The recipe for chicken shawarma in stages
As you can imagine, the real stars of this chicken shawarma recipe are the wonderful oriental spices! Here is the list of all the ingredients needed to make it:
500g boneless skinless chicken breast, finely chopped
500 g boneless and skinless chicken thighs
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
6 minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon red pepper
¾ teaspoon cardamom
¾ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
¼ tsp cinnamon
In a salad bowl, put the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and spices (cardamom, red pepper, cumin, ground red pepper and cinnamon) and whisk to make the marinade. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and toss well to coat the meat evenly with the marinade. Cover with cling film (or place in a zip lock bag) and refrigerate to marinate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
cooking Lebanese chicken
Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Place the chicken on a tray covered with baking paper and bake for about 15 minutes, turning it halfway through cooking. If necessary, use the grill function of the oven. Remove the chicken from the oven and cut into thin slices with a sharp knife. Heat a pan and briefly sauté the chicken pieces and some of their juices over high heat to brown them.
Chowrma toppings and sauce
Whether it’s a spicy brunch with the family or an oriental-themed evening with friends, your chicken shawarma recipe would be incomplete without the right side dishes. Top toppings include lettuce and other salad greens, fresh tomatoes, onions and pickles. Finally, the highlight of this little culinary show is the white sauce of yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, black pepper, salt and a pinch of cumin. That’s right!
