Chicken Shawarma on a Countertop Rotisserie Grill
I was first introduced to Shawarma on a trip to Amsterdam in my early 20s, I loved them and had a great deal of difficulty finding anything similar back in the US. NYC has some great Shawarma stands however there’s still something a little more exciting to the taste buds when you bite into you first Shawarma in Europe. Maybe it’s because you’re closer to the Shawarma’s origin? Maybe it’s because you’re in Europe? Whatever the case, here’s a close enough recipe you can make right at home.
Note: My amazing wife gave me a vertical rotisserie, aka Shawarma machine, for Christmas years back. This recipe is based on using that grill. However, you can this same marinade and sauces and then use an outdoor grill rotisserie attachment, make kabobs, or cook this in the oven/strove stop. The idea is well marinated, thin, crisp slices of meat.
Chicken Shawarma on a Countertop Rotisserie Grill with White Sauce, Harissa Sauce and tomato cucumber relish
Prep time: 15 min, 24-hour marinade | Cook time: 2 hrs | Total Time: 26 hrs, 15 min | Servings: 12
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast and thighs
1 cup of olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 lemons, juiced
2.5 tsp salt
2 tsp allspice
2 tsp dried oregano
4 tsp cumin
3 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp black pepper
1.5 tsp turmeric
0.5 tsp cinnamon
0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
Toppings
Tomato cucumber relish, recipe below
White Sauce, recipe below
Harissa Sauce, recipe below
Red cabbage, thinly sliced
Onion, thinly sliced
Pickles
Pita bread
Equipment
Countertop Rotisserie Grill. We use this one.
Carving Knife
Large Mixing Bowl
Directions
1. The shawarma preparation starts 24 hours in advance of cooking! You want to first cut the meat to whatever size will be suitable for your cooking method. Since we are using a vertical rotisserie, I’m going to cut the pieces so they lay thin and flat on the base of the rotisserie spit as I start to layer the meat using gravity to make my “shawarma cone”. I will also cut them just long enough that one end can skewered on the spit and the other end reaches the edge of the rotisserie base. As you cut the chicken, you can put them directly in a bowl that will fit it all plus the marinade (a big bowl).
2. Now that the meat is cut and the bowl is full of delightful little slivers of chicken, let’s get to marinating! This is the easy part, place every ingredient in the bowl and thoroughly mix by hand. Reminder – disposable food prep gloves are a great investment for food prep like this, so you aren’t left smelling like a shawarma stand for the next few days.
3. Cover the meat and place it in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours in advance of cooking.
4. The next day is the most exciting, your meat is ready and you my friend are ready for a delightful shawarma! Once again, the next part depends on your cooking methods, since I am using a vertical rotisserie I’m going to start layering the meat around the spit creating a shawarma cone. I then put the cone on the shawarma machine, cap the top with a lemon or onion (this is more for show) and turn on the machine. It usually takes about 1.5 hours until the exterior of the cone starts to get crisp and you can cut off meat as it spins. You can also let it cook all the way through for ~3 hours. Just keep testing your meat with a digital thermometer. Whatever method you use it’s going to be delicious!
5. Once you have a pile of incredible shawarma meat you can go all sorts of directions. I like to make a garlic white sauce and harissa sauce, thinly slice cabbage and onion in the food processor, dice up tomatoes and cucumbers, grab some pickles and stuff all of that along with the meat in a pita. Beth likes to make saffron basmati rice and top it with all the aforementioned fixin’s. Whatever your style, own it.
Shawarma Toppings
Delightful Tomato and Cucumber Relish
Some Shawarma stands have tomato and cucumber as a separate garnish however if you really want to take your Shawarma to the next level this tomato and cucumber relish is a must.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp of your favorite vinegar (we use apple cider vinegar or white/red wine vinegar)
1 tsp dried oregano
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, diced (English cucumbers hold their form better)
1 minced garlic clove
½ lemon, juiced
½ tsp salt (more to taste)
½ tsp ground black pepper
Directions
Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix it up! This gets better with time if you can make in advance and let it meld in the fridge.
Shawarma White Sauce
This creamy garlic white sauce covering Shawarmas all across the globe is something I have researched over and over trying to find the perfect recipe. This one is close...
Ingredients
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp fresh dill or 1 tsp dried dill
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
Directions
Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix or better yet blend them in the food processor. It gets better with time so I recommend making it a day before. Spoon on top of shawarma and love it!
Shawarma Hot Sauce, aka Harissa!
This hot sauce is a staple at Shawarma stands and will go good with just about anything, we love it when cooking Indian and Chinese food as well. Let’s get to it!
Ingredients
2 whole red bell peppers
10 Fresno chili peppers
10 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1.5 tsp salt
Directions
1. Place all whole peppers and 5 cloves of smashed garlic on a baking sheet and put in a 400 degree oven and set a timer for 15 minutes.
2. At 15 minutes, remove the garlic and flip the peppers and roast them for an additional 15 minutes
3. After 30 minutes in the oven the peppers should be soft and have a nice roast on their skin, pull the peppers from the oven. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with foil so they can steam for 10 minutes, this will make it easier to pull the skin from them.
4. Stem and seed all peppers, it’s ok if they are some seeds left however keep in mind the Fresno pepper seeds are hot and spicey!
5. Place the stemmed and seeded peppers, the 5 roasted garlic cloves, the 5 fresh garlic cloves and all other ingredients in a food processor.
6. When you have a smooth paste you have Harissa! Place the Harissa in a bowl and pour a little olive oil on top.
7. Spoon a bit on your Shawarma and ENJOY!
