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White platter with grilled chicken shawarma, cucumbers, tomatoes and cabbage slaw.

Easy Chicken Shawarma

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken + Marinade:

  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced, or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt, I use coarse, kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, I use coarsely ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, use more if you want more heat
  • 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, (or chicken thighs)

Yogurt Sauce:

  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced, or a hefty pinch of garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Quick Cabbage Slaw:

  • 5-6 cups thinly sliced red cabbage, 1 small head of cabbage or 1/2 head of large cabbage
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, I use coarse, kosher salt
  • Pinch of black pepper

For Serving:

  • Flatbread or pita bread (see note)
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Diced cucumbers

Instructions 

  • For the chicken, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, garlic, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Place the chicken in a shallow dish or in a gallon-size ziploc bag. Add the marinade and rub over the chicken to make sure each piece is coated. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
  • For the yogurt sauce, whisk together all the ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use (can be made up to several days in advance).
  • For the cabbage, place the cabbage and parsley in a large bowl. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice (or vinegar), salt and pepper. Pour over the cabbage and toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve (can be made several hours in advance). Season to taste with additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
  • Preheat an outdoor grill (see recipe note for cooking in an oven) to medium- or medium-high. Grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees at the thickest part of the chicken. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes or so before slicing.
  • Serve the chicken with the flatbread, yogurt sauce, cabbage slaw, diced tomatoes and cucumbers.

Notes

Nutrition Facts: the nutrition facts for this recipe were calculated based on the chicken, cabbage, and yogurt sauce (but do not include the "for serving" ingredients as those are added based on personal preference). 
Chicken: this chicken could easily be cooked inside in a skillet on the stove or using an oven broiler (preheat to high, making sure an oven rack is 4-5 inches away from the heating element - place the chicken on a foil-lined, greased baking sheet and broil, watching closely, for several minutes per side until cooked through). 
Flatbread: here is my favorite homemade flatbread.