Shawarma Style Beef Sandwich
Shawarma Style Beef Sandwich
Ingredients
For the Beef Mixture
- 3 pounds ground beef, 80/20 Halal
- 2 red onions, peeled, chopped, and ground
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt, for crushing garlic
- 2 tablespoons salt, for seasoning meat
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 2 teaspoons dried cilantro
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 fresh lemon, juiced, as needed
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, as needed
- 2 tablespoons pepper paste
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
For Baking and Serving
- 1 cup tomatoes, whole or halved, for roasting
- 1 cup mini sweet peppers, red and yellow, for roasting
- 4 pita bread, for serving
- 1 serving French fries, prepared, for serving
- 1 cup pickles, for serving
- 1 cup lettuce, chopped, for simple green salad
- 1 tomato, sliced, for simple green salad
- 1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped, for simple green salad
- 1/2 cup white sauce, tahini-based, for serving
Instructions
- 1
Peel and chop the red onions. Grind them using a meat grinder or food processor. After grinding, place the onions in a strainer or colander and squeeze out all excess water. Set aside the squeezed onions.
⏱️ 15 min
- 2
Crush the garlic cloves with 1 teaspoon of salt using a mortar and pestle until it forms a paste-like consistency.
⏱️ 5 min
- 3
In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), combine the ground beef, the squeezed ground onions, and the crushed garlic and salt mixture.
⏱️ 5 min
- 4
Add the remaining spices: 2 tablespoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of black pepper, 3 tablespoons of paprika, 1 teaspoon of ginger, 2 teaspoons of dried cilantro, 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom. Drizzle fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) and 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses over the mixture. Add 2 tablespoons of pepper paste and 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt.
⏱️ 5 min
- 5
Thoroughly mix all ingredients until well combined. If using a stand mixer, use a paddle attachment and mix for a couple of minutes until the mixture is cohesive.
⏱️ 5 min
- 6
Cover the meat mixture and refrigerate for a couple of hours to allow the flavors to meld and the mixture to firm up.
⏱️ 120 min
- 7
Preheat your oven to 360°F.
⏱️ 10 min•🌡️ 360
- 8
Cut several sheets of wax paper to a suitable size for rolling. Take a handful of the chilled meat mixture and place it between two sheets of wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the meat out as thinly and evenly as possible.
⏱️ 20 min
- 9
Carefully peel off the top layer of wax paper from the rolled meat. Then, starting from one end, roll up the thin meat sheet with the remaining wax paper (the bottom sheet) still attached. Repeat this process for the entire meat mixture, creating several meat rolls wrapped in wax paper.
⏱️ 10 min
- 10
Place the wax paper-wrapped meat rolls on a baking sheet. Arrange the whole or halved tomatoes and mini sweet peppers on the same baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes.
⏱️ 20 min•🌡️ 360
- 11
Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Carefully take out the meat rolls and drain any accumulated fat from the baking sheet. Return the meat rolls (still wrapped in wax paper) to the baking sheet and place them back in the oven. Continue baking until the wax paper turns slightly brown, indicating further cooking and crisping of the meat, approximately 10-15 minutes.
⏱️ 15 min•🌡️ 360
- 12
Once cooked, unroll the meat from the wax paper, revealing thin, cooked strips that resemble traditional shawarma meat. Arrange the cooked meat on a serving plate, garnished with the roasted tomatoes and peppers. Serve with warm pita bread, prepared French fries, pickles, a simple green salad (made with chopped lettuce, sliced tomato, and fresh herbs), and a white sauce (such as a tahini-based sauce). To assemble a sandwich, place meat, salad, sauce, and French fries onto pita bread and roll it up.
⏱️ 10 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Shawarma Style Beef Sandwich
Ingredients
For the Beef Mixture
- 3 pounds ground beef, 80/20 Halal
- 2 red onions, peeled, chopped, and ground
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt, for crushing garlic
- 2 tablespoons salt, for seasoning meat
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 2 teaspoons dried cilantro
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 fresh lemon, juiced, as needed
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, as needed
- 2 tablespoons pepper paste
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
For Baking and Serving
- 1 cup tomatoes, whole or halved, for roasting
- 1 cup mini sweet peppers, red and yellow, for roasting
- 4 pita bread, for serving
- 1 serving French fries, prepared, for serving
- 1 cup pickles, for serving
- 1 cup lettuce, chopped, for simple green salad
- 1 tomato, sliced, for simple green salad
- 1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped, for simple green salad
- 1/2 cup white sauce, tahini-based, for serving
Instructions
- 1
Peel and chop the red onions. Grind them using a meat grinder or food processor. After grinding, place the onions in a strainer or colander and squeeze out all excess water. Set aside the squeezed onions.
⏱️ 15 min - 2
Crush the garlic cloves with 1 teaspoon of salt using a mortar and pestle until it forms a paste-like consistency.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), combine the ground beef, the squeezed ground onions, and the crushed garlic and salt mixture.
⏱️ 5 min - 4
Add the remaining spices: 2 tablespoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of black pepper, 3 tablespoons of paprika, 1 teaspoon of ginger, 2 teaspoons of dried cilantro, 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom. Drizzle fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) and 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses over the mixture. Add 2 tablespoons of pepper paste and 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt.
⏱️ 5 min - 5
Thoroughly mix all ingredients until well combined. If using a stand mixer, use a paddle attachment and mix for a couple of minutes until the mixture is cohesive.
⏱️ 5 min - 6
Cover the meat mixture and refrigerate for a couple of hours to allow the flavors to meld and the mixture to firm up.
⏱️ 120 min - 7
Preheat your oven to 360°F.
⏱️ 10 min•🌡️ 360 - 8
Cut several sheets of wax paper to a suitable size for rolling. Take a handful of the chilled meat mixture and place it between two sheets of wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the meat out as thinly and evenly as possible.
⏱️ 20 min - 9
Carefully peel off the top layer of wax paper from the rolled meat. Then, starting from one end, roll up the thin meat sheet with the remaining wax paper (the bottom sheet) still attached. Repeat this process for the entire meat mixture, creating several meat rolls wrapped in wax paper.
⏱️ 10 min - 10
Place the wax paper-wrapped meat rolls on a baking sheet. Arrange the whole or halved tomatoes and mini sweet peppers on the same baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes.
⏱️ 20 min•🌡️ 360 - 11
Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Carefully take out the meat rolls and drain any accumulated fat from the baking sheet. Return the meat rolls (still wrapped in wax paper) to the baking sheet and place them back in the oven. Continue baking until the wax paper turns slightly brown, indicating further cooking and crisping of the meat, approximately 10-15 minutes.
⏱️ 15 min•🌡️ 360 - 12
Once cooked, unroll the meat from the wax paper, revealing thin, cooked strips that resemble traditional shawarma meat. Arrange the cooked meat on a serving plate, garnished with the roasted tomatoes and peppers. Serve with warm pita bread, prepared French fries, pickles, a simple green salad (made with chopped lettuce, sliced tomato, and fresh herbs), and a white sauce (such as a tahini-based sauce). To assemble a sandwich, place meat, salad, sauce, and French fries onto pita bread and roll it up.
⏱️ 10 min