Description
This Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Yoghurt Sauce recipe offers a deliciously marinated and pan-cooked chicken served with crispy fries, fresh tomatoes, onions, and a zesty garlic yoghurt sauce wrapped in soft Lebanese flatbreads or pita. It’s an easy, flavorful, and family-friendly dish perfect for weeknight dinners, combining Middle Eastern spices with fresh ingredients for a satisfying and customizable meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Fries and Vegetables
- 400 g (14 oz) frozen French fries
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh mint leaves (optional)
Bread
- 4 Lebanese flatbreads (or pita breads, wraps, or naan breads)
- ½ tsp sumac (optional)
Garlic Yoghurt Sauce
- 1 cup (250 g) Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsp toum or Middle Eastern garlic dip/sauce (or substitute with ½ tsp freshly minced garlic and ½ tsp salt)
Chicken Marinade
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breast)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated puree)
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp freshly minced garlic
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
Instructions
- Cook the fries and prepare vegetables: Preheat your oven or air fryer and cook the frozen French fries following the packet instructions until golden and crispy. At the same time, wash and slice the tomatoes and red onion, and roughly chop fresh mint leaves if using.
- Make the garlic yoghurt sauce: In a small bowl, mix Greek yoghurt with toum or Middle Eastern garlic dip. If garlic dip is unavailable, combine Greek yoghurt with freshly minced garlic and salt. Set this sauce aside for serving.
- Marinate the chicken: Place the boneless chicken thighs in a large bowl. Add tomato paste, Greek yoghurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, ground cumin, cardamom, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, sea salt flakes, freshly cracked black pepper, and olive oil. Toss thoroughly with tongs to coat every piece of chicken well. You may cook immediately or marinate covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours to enhance flavor.
- Cook the chicken: Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 5–6 minutes on each side until fully cooked through and slightly charred. In the last 3 minutes, add ¼ cup (60 ml) of water to deglaze and loosen the crispy bits from the pan. Remove the chicken and let it rest before slicing into thin strips. Drizzle with pan juices.
- Assemble the wraps: Lay your chosen flatbread or pita on a plate. Spread a generous amount of the garlic yoghurt sauce in the center. Add sliced chicken, crispy fries, tomato slices, red onion, shredded mint (if using), and a sprinkle of sumac (if desired). Fold the bread sides up to form a taco-like shape.
- Serve: Serve immediately with extra garlic yoghurt sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
- This recipe is a quick and satisfying weeknight dinner option with customizable toppings to suit your family’s taste.
- Chicken thighs are preferred for juiciness and flavor but chicken breasts can also be used as a leaner alternative.
- If you prefer, cooking the chicken on a barbecue grill is a great option and adds authentic smoky flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 wrap
- Calories: 819
- Sugar: 23.3 g
- Sodium: 1461.8 mg
- Fat: 37.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 30.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 93.8 g
- Fiber: 10.6 g
- Protein: 40.9 g
- Cholesterol: 127.9 mg
