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Chicken Shawarma With Yogurt Sauce
5 from 54 votes

Chicken Shawarma With Yogurt Sauce

Chicken Shawarma with Yogurt Sauce uses marinated boneless chicken thighs cooked on a skillet to develop a golden crust and tender interior. The marinade blends lemon juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, turmeric, and oil, providing a balanced savory and aromatic flavor. Served in pita bread with fresh toppings and a tangy garlic yogurt sauce, it offers layered textures and bright flavors.

Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 411 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

Marinade
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 cloves garlic pressed
  • 1 teaspoon cumin ground
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
  • 4 chicken thigh boneless, skinless
Pita & Toppings
  • 1 red onion cut into wedges, small
  • ¼ cup chicken broth or water
  • 4 pita bread loaves
  • 4-5 leaves romaine lettuce shredded
  • 1 cucumber chopped
  • 1 tomato chopped, large
Yogurt Sauce
  • 5 Greek yogurt 6 ounces (⅔ cup), plain
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic pressed
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

Marinate Meat
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a small bowl, combine marinade ingredients. Place chicken in a plastic bag and pour marinade over the top. Shake to coat and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
Make Yogurt Sauce
  1. In a small bowl (or the disposable yogurt cup), combine all yogurt sauce ingredients and stir until well-mixed.
Cook Meat
  1. Preheat your oven to the warm setting (or lowest setting).
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add chicken thighs (dispose of the marinade) and cook for 2 to 4 minutes until first side is seared and darkly golden. Flip and cook for an additional 2 to 4 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the thighs reads 165°F. Turn down the heat if at any time the chicken seems to be burning.
  3. Transfer chicken to a plate and place a piece of foil over the thighs to keep them warm. Set aside.
  4. Over medium high-heat, deglaze your pan with a little chicken broth or water (about a quarter cup), scraping the burned and blackened pieces off the bottom while the liquid simmers.
  5. Add onions to your pan.
  6. Place your pita bread into the warm oven to heat while your onions cook.
  7. Cook onions until your they reach your desired level of doneness (for me, about 4 minutes for fairly soft onions). Remove from heat.
Assemble
  1. Slice thighs into strips and serve over warmed pita bread. Top with cooked onions, romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, and yogurt sauce.

Notes

  • Plan for 5 to 6 ounces of yogurt per serving to balance the sauce richness.
  • Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes to tenderize and develop flavor.
  • Use plain Greek yogurt for the sauce to achieve proper texture and tang.

Nutrition Information

Calories 411kcal (21%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 411

% Daily Value*

Calories 411kcal 21%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.