Chicken Shawarma with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
Chicken Shawarma with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
For the Chicken Shawarma
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for drizzling
For the Roasted Garlic
- 2 garlic heads, whole, cut horizontally in half
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Tzatziki Sauce
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
- all roasted garlic cloves, from roasted garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
For Serving
- 4 flatbreads or pita bread
- 1 cup lettuce, shredded
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, combine the thinly sliced chicken thighs, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, tomato paste, cumin, black pepper, salt, turmeric, paprika, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly until the chicken is well coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably 4 hours, to allow the flavors to meld. If short on time, marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
⏱️ 10 min
- 2
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 400
- 3
Prepare the roasted garlic: Place the two halved garlic heads on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Wrap the garlic tightly in the foil to form a sealed packet.
⏱️ 5 min
- 4
Transfer the marinated chicken to a large baking dish, spreading it in a single layer. Drizzle the chicken with an additional 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the foil-wrapped garlic packet in the same baking dish alongside the chicken.
⏱️ 5 min
- 5
Roast in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and slightly browned, and the garlic is very tender. Stir the chicken halfway through cooking for even browning.
⏱️ 35 min•🌡️ 400
- 6
While the chicken and garlic are roasting, prepare the tzatziki sauce. Squeeze the grated cucumber thoroughly to remove as much excess water as possible. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup Greek yogurt, the squeezed grated cucumber, chopped fresh dill, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well. Once the roasted garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft cloves out of their skins and mash them with a fork. Stir the mashed roasted garlic into the tzatziki sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
⏱️ 10 min
- 7
Once the chicken is cooked, remove the baking dish from the oven. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.
⏱️ 5 min
- 8
To assemble the shawarma, warm the flatbreads or pita bread. Spread a generous amount of tzatziki sauce on each flatbread. Top with the cooked chicken shawarma, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and thinly sliced red onion. Fold or roll up the flatbreads and serve immediately.
⏱️ 5 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Chicken Shawarma with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
For the Chicken Shawarma
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for drizzling
For the Roasted Garlic
- 2 garlic heads, whole, cut horizontally in half
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Tzatziki Sauce
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
- all roasted garlic cloves, from roasted garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
For Serving
- 4 flatbreads or pita bread
- 1 cup lettuce, shredded
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, combine the thinly sliced chicken thighs, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, tomato paste, cumin, black pepper, salt, turmeric, paprika, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly until the chicken is well coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably 4 hours, to allow the flavors to meld. If short on time, marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
⏱️ 10 min - 2
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 400 - 3
Prepare the roasted garlic: Place the two halved garlic heads on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Wrap the garlic tightly in the foil to form a sealed packet.
⏱️ 5 min - 4
Transfer the marinated chicken to a large baking dish, spreading it in a single layer. Drizzle the chicken with an additional 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the foil-wrapped garlic packet in the same baking dish alongside the chicken.
⏱️ 5 min - 5
Roast in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and slightly browned, and the garlic is very tender. Stir the chicken halfway through cooking for even browning.
⏱️ 35 min•🌡️ 400 - 6
While the chicken and garlic are roasting, prepare the tzatziki sauce. Squeeze the grated cucumber thoroughly to remove as much excess water as possible. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup Greek yogurt, the squeezed grated cucumber, chopped fresh dill, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well. Once the roasted garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft cloves out of their skins and mash them with a fork. Stir the mashed roasted garlic into the tzatziki sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
⏱️ 10 min - 7
Once the chicken is cooked, remove the baking dish from the oven. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.
⏱️ 5 min - 8
To assemble the shawarma, warm the flatbreads or pita bread. Spread a generous amount of tzatziki sauce on each flatbread. Top with the cooked chicken shawarma, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and thinly sliced red onion. Fold or roll up the flatbreads and serve immediately.
⏱️ 5 min