Chicken Shawarma Pitas with Garlic Sauce

I needed a new dinner added to the rotation desperately. I was looking for something flavorful, easy to prepare ahead of time and would work for meal prep or leftovers. The answer? Chicken shawarma.

Chicken shawarma is a middle eastern street food featuring thinly sliced, spiced and marinated chicken. Traditionally roasted slowly over hours and served shaved and in a cone, this at-home version is perfect for wraps, salads or served over rice.

The garlic sauce is so easy to throw together and the earthy sesame flavor from the tahini perfectly marries with the garlic and brightness of the lemon. The trick to both the chicken and the garlic sauce is to make both a few hours ahead if possible. The longer the flavors marinate, the better it all tastes.

For an easy dinner, I grabbed pitas from the grocery store (Costco has some great ones) and sliced up the veggies I had on hand. We used red bell pepper, cucumbers, jarred pepperoncini peppers, thinly sliced red onions and lettuce but you could also add sliced tomatoes, pickles, smashed avocado, or baby spinach leaves. Whatever you have or sounds good is probably going to be delicious!

After a long day of school, work, practices, chores and everything else that pops up in daily life; this easy and tasty meal was exactly what we were all in the mood for. The chicken was tender, juicy and so flavorful. The garlic sauce is creamy, bright and perfectly garlicky and best of all, this delicious sauce enticed my kids to stuff their pitas with a few extra vegetables. This is definitely a weeknight meal being added into the rotation.

Chicken Shawarma Pitas with Garlic Sauce

Chicken Shawarma

  • 2.5 to 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 2 cloves minced garlic

  • Juice of half a lemon

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

  • 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Garlic Sauce

  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt

  • 1/4 cup tahini

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • Juice of a lemon

  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley

  • Pinch of kosher salt

  • Splash of water

Chicken Shawarma Pitas

  • Grilled and sliced chicken shawarma

  • 4-6 pitas

  • Washed and sliced veggies of choice such as lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, bell peppers, avocado, pepperoncini peppers

  • Garlic sauce

In a large bowl combine the olive oil, greek yogurt, spices, garlic and lemon juice. Whisk to combine then add the chicken to the bowl, stirring until the chicken is evenly coated. Sprinkle liberally with the salt and pepper, giving the mixture one more mix. Cover with plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate for one hour on the counter or at least two hours in the refrigerator. The longer the chicken marinates (it can marinate for up to 24 hours), the better the flavor.

Next, make the garlic sauce. In a jar with a lid, combine the greek yogurt, tahini, minced garlic, lemon juice, dried parsley and salt. Whisk to combine, then add a splash of water if the sauce is quite thick. You want the garlic sauce to be the consistency of a thick dressing (think ranch dressing). Taste and adjust the flavors if necessary with a bit more lemon juice or salt if needed. Put the lid on the jar and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour, allowing the flavors to meld and mellow a bit. Before serving, give the jar a good shake if the sauce has separated a bit.

When you’re ready to cook your chicken, preheat grill to about 400 degrees or medium-high heat. Grill the chicken thighs for about 6 to 8 minutes on each side before transferring the meat away from the hottest part of the grill and allowing the meat to continue cooking until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads an internal temperature of 175 degrees. Cook time is going to vary a little bit depending on how hot the grill is and how thick the pieces of chicken are. (Typically chicken is cooked to 165 degrees, but chicken thighs need a higher internal temperature for maximum juiciness and tenderness).

Once the chicken is done cooking, transfer to a clean plate and allow it to rest for five minutes before slicing thinly.

To make the pitas, warm the pita bread in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel for about 30 seconds. Cut or tear the pita to make a pocket. Fill the pita with toppings of choice such as sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, lettuce, thinly sliced red onion, sliced red bell peppers, pepperoncini peppers and a generous drizzle of the garlic sauce. Enjoy!

Dinner, Eat Your Veggies, Quick and Easy, RecipeAndrea McCoychicken thighs, chicken breast, tahini, garlic, lemon, olive oil, cucumber, bell pepper, pita bread, shawarma, cumin, corinader, greek yogurt, avocado, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, pepperoncini peppers