Chicken Shawarma

Chicken Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish with meat or chicken served on a pita with a garlicy yogurt sauce.

If you have plain yogurt but not Greek yogurt, that’s okay. The difference between the two is that Greek yogurt is more concentrated and has less liquid than its traditional counterpart. To get the correct consistency, place a little more of the traditional plain yogurt than the recipe calls for in a piece of cheesecloth or on a paper towel. The cheesecloth or paper towel will absorb/remove some of the liquid.  Scrap the thicker yogurt off/out of the cheesecloth or paper towel and add to bowl.

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This recipe for Chicken Shawarma calls for Tahini in the chicken marinade. Tahini is a ground sesame seed butter. It has a mild taste. If you don’t have it, you can omit it from the recipe, puree whole sesame seeds, or substitute a drizzle of  Toasted Sesame Oil to your taste. I would highly recommend the tahini though. You can use it for this recipe, in salad dressings, or to make hummus.

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Chicken Shawarma

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Ingredients

• Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

• Fresh lemon juice, about 1/2 a lemon
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken tenderloins

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• Fresh lemon juice, about 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 garlic clove, minced

Other ingredients:

• Pita bread
• Mixed greens lettuce
• tomato slices

Instructions

2. To prepare the chicken marinade, combine all ingredients, except chicken in a bowl or plastic bag. Add the chicken and allow to marinate 30 minutes to overnight in the refrigerator.
3. To prepare the garlic sauce, combine all ingredients using a whisk. Refrigerate until ready to use.
4. To cook the chicken, cook in a skillet or indoor grill top over medium heat. You will cook 4-6 minutes per side or until browned and cooked through.
5. Heat pita bread in the microwave for 30 seconds. If the bread is a little dry, you can heat it up inside a damp paper towel.
6. To serve, place one pita on a plate and top with salad and sliced tomato. Add chicken strips and top with garlic sauce.

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