Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma

Name: Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cuisine: turkish
Ingredients: 2 lemons, juiced; 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil; 6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 2 teaspoons paprika; 1/2 teaspoon turmeric; A pinch ground cinnamon; Crushed red pepper, to taste; 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 1 large red onion, peeled and quartered; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

By Sam Sifton

Updated Jan. 23, 2024

Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma — Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist; Hadas Smirnoff. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgepeth.

Total Time: 45 minutes, plus marinating
Rating: 5(24,279)
Comments: Read comments

Here is a recipe for an oven-roasted version of the flavorful street-side classic usually cooked on a rotisserie. It is perfect for an evening with family and friends. Serve with pita and tahini, chopped cucumbers and tomatoes, some olives, chopped parsley, some feta, fried eggplant, hummus swirled with harissa, rice or rice pilaf. You can make the white sauce that traditionally accompanies it by cutting plain yogurt with mayonnaise and lemon juice, and flecking it with garlic. For a red to offset it, simmer ketchup with crushed red pepper and a hit of red-wine vinegar until it goes syrupy and thick, or just use your favorite hot sauce instead.

Featured in: Chicken Shawarma Deluxe, No Rotisserie Required

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

2lemons, juiced
½cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
6cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
1teaspoon kosher salt
2teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2teaspoons ground cumin
2teaspoons paprika
½teaspoon turmeric
A pinch ground cinnamon
Crushed red pepper, to taste
2pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1large red onion, peeled and quartered
2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

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Step 1
Prepare a marinade for the chicken. Combine the lemon juice, ½ cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and crushed red pepper in a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Add the chicken and toss well to coat. Cover and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
Step 2
When ready to cook, heat oven to 425 degrees. Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to grease a rimmed sheet pan. Add the quartered onion to the chicken and marinade, and toss once to combine. Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade, and place on the pan, spreading everything evenly across it.
Step 3
Put the chicken in the oven and roast until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to rest 2 minutes, then slice into bits. (To make the chicken even more crisp, set a large pan over high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then the sliced chicken, and sauté until everything curls tight in the heat.)
Step 4
Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, pita, white sauce, hot sauce, olives, fried eggplant, feta, rice — really anything you desire.

Ratings

5 out of 5

24,279 user ratings

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Comments

me!7 years ago

• White sauce = plain yogurt, scant 1/4 c. mayo, 1/2 lemon juiced + lemon zest, basil/parsley/zatar/sumac/minced garlic. Chill for 4-5 hours.
• Marinade meat overnight & cooked with peppers & onions. F
inish with broil for 2-3 minutes
• Serve with tortillas instead of pita + sliced cucumbers & tomatoes + feta. (Hummus is overkill side)
• Serve with chickpeas salad (olives, tomatoes, red onion, parsley/basil)

Sam Sifton7 years ago

Trim eggplant and cut it into long slices. Salt the slices and let them sit for 20 minutes or so, then pat them dry. Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towel and place a wire rack on top. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/2 cup oil until a drop of water flicked into pan sizzles. Working in batches, fry eggplant until just tender, 20 to 30 seconds per side. Transfer fried eggplant to rack to drain. Nice with shawarma!

Christine Staples7 years ago

I've lost track of how many times I've made this amazing dish since I first cut it out; there's some in the fridge right now. I have made the following additions: more onion - it's so good. More chicken - it goes so fast: 3 pounds. Two pounds of carrots, which I toss in the marinade and roast with the extra red onion. An astonishing recipe!

Alister1 week ago

Amazing recipe. I've made it as written oven 10 times. Recently I decided to riff on it: I made the marinade as written but subbed wings for thighs. I baked the wings on a rack over marinated onions and bell pepper. Once the wings were done I blended the veg, sauce, and drippings into a sauce and tossed it with the wings. Would highly recommend, it was delicious.

Obie2 weeks ago

Unclear what to do with the cooked onions - do they get chopped with the chicken before serving? Or discarded?

Lisa2 weeks ago

Less oil 1/4 or 1/8 cup

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