This homemade chicken shawarma dinner for two is the easiest weeknight meal. This one tastes like the chicken you get from the Halal cart in NYC. Using a simple spice mix, this chicken goes from tame to fame in just 20 minutes in the oven. Combined with some chicken-fat roasted onions + fresh veggies - and maybe some homemade hummus + pita. Here's your next easy, quick dinner for two.
the inspiration behind this chicken shawarma dinner for two
I loooooooooooooooooove Halal food and the Halal trucks in NYC. Grubstreet did a great story on how Halal became so iconic in NYC.
"The carts and vendors are varied, but the dish they prepare is the same: chicken or lamb, turmeric-hued rice, maybe some shreds of iceberg lettuce and a few slices of tomato, all covered in a mix of rich white sauce and spicy red sauce. The combination — variously and casually referred to as “halal food,” “chicken and rice,” or just plain “street meat” — is now a staple of the city. It's as central to New York’s food scene as hot dogs or pretzels ever were, even though it didn’t exist in its current form until 1990."
This is no way an original recipe from the Halal carts. Rather, it's an ode to the flavor combinations of umami, well-seasoned homemade chicken shawarma with crispy vegetables.
how to make chicken shawarma at home
While you can totally DIY the spice, I used this specific Chicken Shawarma seasoning from Sahadi's. I've also included the proportions in the recipe card below for making your own.
And really just seasoned the chicken thighs + onions with this and a splash of olive oil. Let it sit for about 30 minutes before roasting at 425F for about 20 minutes.
Serve with fresh lettuce, Persian cucumbers, the roasted onions, and tomato - enjoy!!
📖 Recipe
Chicken shawarma dinner for two
Ingredients
- 3 chicken thighs - boneless and skinless
- 2 tablespoons Shawarma seasoning - either store bought or DIY, below
Shawarma spice blend
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom or cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salad fixings
- 1 onion sliced thinly
- 4 cups lettuce
- 1 tomato
- 2 Persian cucumbers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F
- Season the chicken and onions with shawarma seasoning, let it marinate for 30 minutes
- Roast for 20 minutes
- Serve with chopped up lettuce, tomato, cucumber
Notes
Nutrition
