Chicken Shawarma

Langkah-langkah

1. Naan. If you are really dedicated, make Homemade Naan before you start. There is nothing better than fresh Naan with legit shawarma.

2. Make the marinade: To a food processor or blender, add 1/3 cup olive oil, zest from 2 lemons (I love to use my microplane grater for this) juice from 2 lemons, 6 cloves garlic, 1 small onion (roughly chopped first), and 1 tablespoon tomato paste (I love the tubes of tomato paste so I don't have to open a whole can).

3. Add all the spices to the blender as well: 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon cardamom, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon cumin. Whew! Blend or process the onion and spice mixture until it's smooth.

4. Marinate. Add 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs to a bowl and pour the marinade over the top. Rub it in a little bit, and let the chicken marinate for 15-30 minutes, or up to 48 hours.

5. Make the pickled red onions. Do this now so they have a few minutes to pickle and tone down. Slice the red onion and add to a small bowl. Cover with 1/2 cup red wine vinegar. Add more if necessary, to make sure the onions are mostly covered. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir together. Set aside, but come back to stir every 5 minutes or so, dunking the onions in the vinegar, until you are ready to serve.

6. Make the white sauce. In a small bowl, add 3/4 cup full fat yogurt and 1/4 cup mayonnaise. Smash and mince 1 large clove of garlic and add it to the bowl. Juice half a lemon and add it in. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch of chili powder, if you're feelin spicy. Add some fresh dill if you've got it. Combine thoroughly. Taste it and see if you want more of anything.

7. Prep the veggies. Slice the tomatoes and lay out on a plate or bowl for serving. Use a veggie peeler to peel alternating stripes on the outside of your cucumber, if you want. Slice the cucumber into rounds, and add to a serving bowl. Clean and dry your lettuce, then shred it into bite size pieces. Add to a serving bowl.

8. Preheat your grill to high heat. (See notes for oven OR air fryer instructions.) Oil the grill grates so your chicken doesn't stick. I usually dip a crumpled paper towel in a bit of vegetable oil and rub it on, using tongs, see photos.

9. Grill the chicken. Let the marinade drip off the chicken a bit as you lift it out of the bowl. Add the chicken to the grill with plenty of space around each one. Close the lid and cook for 4-5 minutes, depending on how big the thighs are. Open the lid and carefully flip the chicken. Cook for another 5-6 minutes. The chicken is done when an instant read thermometer reads 155° F. The chicken might reach temperature before you get any nice grill marks, so sometimes I leave it on a little longer to get blackened marks. Don't let the internal temperature go much above 160°. The chicken will continue to rise in temperature even after you take it off the grill.

10. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest 5-10 minutes so the juices have a chance to reabsorb.

11. Slice the chicken against the grain.

12. Assemble the Shawarma. Slather a naan bread with a generous amount of white sauce. Top with sliced chicken, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and pickled onions. If you know what's good for you, dollop some extra white sauce on top (this is why I always double the sauce!!). Wrap up and devour while moaning.

13. Storage: Keep everything separate. Store the white sauce covered in it's own container, refrigerated. Store the chicken covered in the fridge. Store the veggies in the crisper. Store the pickled onions covered in the fridge including the liquid. They will keep for 1-2 weeks before going weird on you.

14. Freezing: You can freeze extra chicken for a later meal, in a sealed ziplock. Naan freezes excellently. The white sauce should not be frozen, but will keep in the fridge for a good long while, at least 2-3 weeks, although we always dip and salad it away before then.