Chicken Shawarma
Spiced chicken thigh roasted until the edges char, then shaved thin. A home-oven version of the vertical spit, built on a yoghurt and seven-spice marinade.
- Time
- 40 mins + marinating
- Serves
- 5
- Steps
- 7
- Ingredients
- 10
Method
- 01
Mix the yoghurt, lemon juice, garlic, all the spices and the olive oil into a marinade.
- 02
Toss the chicken thighs through it and marinate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- 03
Heat the oven to 220C. Stack the thighs tightly in a loaf tin or pile them on a tray so they roast as one mass rather than separate pieces - that is what keeps the inside juicy while the outside chars.
- 04
Roast 35 to 40 minutes until deeply browned at the edges.
- 05
Rest 10 minutes, then shave thin slices off with a sharp knife.
- 06
Spread the slices on a hot tray and return them to the oven for 5 minutes to crisp the edges.
- 07
Pile into warm flatbread with tomato, onion and tahini sauce.
Cooking Tips
- Thighs only. Breast dries out long before the outside takes any colour.
- The second blast in the oven after slicing is what gives you the crisp edges a spit produces.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Seven-spice (baharat) can replace the individual spices, about 2 tbsp.
- Garlic sauce (toum) instead of tahini, if you want it sharper.
What to Serve With It
- Serve in flatbread, or over rice with salad and pickles as a plate.
Storage and Reheating
- Keeps 3 days. Re-crisp in a hot dry pan rather than a microwave.
- The marinated raw chicken freezes well for 2 months.
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