Oh my sweet Lord, you ain't had a Shawarma like this before! The Halifax Chicken Shawarma is what I call this and is because it's made with the Halifax Donair Spice. While there are many kinds of chicken shawarmas, there's only one kind of Halifax Shawarma. No need for stacking and cooking on a doner either. Because we aren't going to slice the chicken thin and stack them to cook. Instead, we use bone-in or boneless chicken quarters (juicier meat, especially for Shawarmas) and remove the skin. The chicken will go into a Shawarma marinade overnight to be cooked in the oven the next day. The meat is then stripped off the bone for bone-in meat or chopped for boneless meat. Then crisped before serving with flatbread and a choice of veggies & shawarma sauce/s!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 3 lb Chicken Quarters - skin removed, slightly over is fine
- 4 Pita Bread - Or Samoon Bread, or other flat breads
- As Desired Tzatziki
- As Desired Shredded Lettuce - Iceberg
- 1 Med Onion - Diced
- 1 Large Tomato - Diced
- 1 portion White Shawarma Sauce
Shawarma Marinade
- 1/2 C Light Tasting EVOO - can use sunflower oil or other neutral oils
- 1/4 C 18% Cream & Water - each, can use 1/2 cup of milk
- 2 Tbl Lemon Juice
- 2 tsp Sea Salt, Paprika, Black Pepper, Oregano, Onion Powder, and Garlic Powder - each
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper - or more for desired heat
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Clean the chicken quarters from any internal organs and trim. Remove and save the chicken skin for other recipes. Optionally, score the chicken and chop to separate the leg from the thigh. If going for boneless chopped chicken, debone the chicken.
- Shawarma Marinade: Add the shawarma marinade ingredients into a marinating bowl or into the same pan you will cook the chicken in and mix well. Add the chicken to toss, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Prepare any sauces and condiments to refrigerate overnight as well.
- Slow Cook: Take the marinated chicken out of the fridge to rest on the counter while preheating the oven to 300°F to 325°F with the rack in the middle position. Cover the roasting pan and place it into the oven for 1 hour.
- Strip or chop the meat: After 1 hour, increase the heat to 400°F and remove the chicken from the oven. Flip the chicken pieces over and leave uncovered for a few minutes. When cooled enough to handle, strip the meat off the bone right there in the pan using forks. If using boneless meat, then coarsely chop and go straight to crisping, no wait time.
- Crisping: When all the chicken is stripped off the bone or chopped, place the tray back into the oven to crisp to your liking, uncovered. About another 30 minutes. Toss the meat around a few times with tongs for even browning.
- Shawarma Bread: Just as the chicken meat is about done, steam or toast the samoon bread or pita bread and transfer them to a plate. Slice one end of the samoon bread and open it up to reveal the pocket, or open up the steamed pita bread along the edge about 40% to create a pocket.
- Shawarma Assembly: Tzatziki on the flapLettuceDiced OnionsDiced TomatoesShawarma MeatWhite Shawarma SauceOptionally hot sauce if a spicier kick is desired. Serve right away. If using Pita Bread, tuck the flap in tight and roll to serve right away. If serving later, wrap in tinfoil or waxed paper.
Notes
Standard Donair Spice: Use the below for every 1 lb of boneless meat.
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/8 tsp or more of Cayenne for the desired level of heat.