Ingredients
- Chicken Shawarma
- Salad
Instructions
Chicken Shawarma: Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss together chicken, red onion, oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, za’atar seasoning, coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and cinnamon; let stand for 10 minutes. Arrange on parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown all over and internal temperature reaches 165˚F. Let stand for 5 minutes; slice thinly.
Salad: Meanwhile, prepare couscous according to package directions.
Whisk together olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, garlic, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper; set aside. Whisk together tahini paste, 2 tbsp water, remaining lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper until smooth; set aside.
Pat halloumi slices dry with paper towel. Brush with canola oil and season with remaining salt and pepper. Heat nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook halloumi for 1 to 2 minutes per side or until golden brown.
Toss together couscous, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, mint, parsley and lemon vinaigrette. Top with sliced chicken and halloumi slices. Drizzle with tahini sauce and serve with hummus.
What is Shawarma Exactly?
Traditionally, chicken or beef shawarma is first marinated and slow-roasted to perfection on a vertical spit until it is sliced off and eaten with tahini and loads of fresh toppings. It can be served inside of pita bread, on flatbread or over couscous like our specialty RiceSelect® Pearl Couscous with Turmeric. Couscous helps to absorb all of the extra sauce and hummus offering flavor in every bite. There are plenty of ways to cook couscous, if you are struggling for inspiration take a look at some of these Israeli Couscous Cooking Directions.
In order to make this incredible dish at home, we’ve created a flavorful blend of spices to marinate juicy chicken thighs and roast to perfection. For best results, we suggest using boneless chicken thighs to make slicing into thin strips easier.
Shawarma Spice Blend
Using pantry staples, you can make your own spice blend and save it for later to add with red onion, oil, fresh garlic and lemon juice when ready. Our spice blend is a mix between Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors: cumin, za’atar seasoning, coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and cinnamon. What really steals the show here is the za’atar seasoning, which is common in many other Middle Eastern dishes. You can find it at any grocery store in the spice section or in the International aisle.
If you'd like to try a few more tastes of the Mediterranean, try this Italian Risotto made with Medium Grain Rice Arborio, a Shrimp Salad recipe or a delicious Lemon Chicken and Orzo Soup Recipe. You might also want to try out one of our Orzo Rice recipes, for more information and some recipes you can check out our What is Orzo page.
Other Middle Eastern Inspired Meals
Serve up a bit of spontaneous brilliance with a homemade feast of chicken shawarma with a turmeric couscous salad including halloumi, grape tomatoes, cucumber, hummus and fresh herbs. If you’re serving a crowd, pair with a Roasted Seven Vegetable Couscous recipe drizzled with a tahini za’atar dressing or a Royal Blend® Rice Pilaf Recipe.
