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Family Favorite Dinner: Chicken Shawarma

By Barbara Evangelista, Publisher July 15, 2021

I love to make spicy recipes with unique flavors, and chicken shawarma is one of my family's favorites.  The mix of garlicky, spicy meat with tzatziki sauce and a cool Greek salad is so good!

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, trimmed (look for bone bits)
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • t tbsp smoked or regular paprika
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice, or 1 lemon, squeezed
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

Optional additions:

  • Tzatziki sauce (available in dairy section)
  • Hummus
  • Greek salad: Lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, kalamata olives
  • Pita bread
  • Prepared white rice


Directions:

  1. Mix all spices and herbs, lemon juice and olive oil in a gallon size Ziploc bag.  Close the bag and squeeze it to make sure ingredients are combined.
  2. Add chicken thighs, close the Ziploc bag (squeezing out extra air) and roll/massage the bag until all chicken pieces are well-coated in marinade.
  3. Refrigerate the chicken in bag for 12 to 24 hours.
  4. Place chicken thighs on a foil-lined pan sprayed with oil spray and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees, or grill on an outdoor grill for 15-20 minutes.
  5. Slice chicken and serve with rice, hummus, Greek salad, tzatziki sauce and pita bread.