Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma

Amarante

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 7:04 am

These were good and easy - you can toss the chicken ahead of time and let marinate in the refrigerate and make the sauce ahead so that it comes together very quickly as you just pop in the oven

Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma

Excerpt From: Jennifer Segal. “Once Upon a Chef: Weeknight/Weekend: 70 Quick-Fix Weeknight Dinners + 30 Luscious Weekend Recipes: A Cookbook

Instead of making wraps, you can serve the chicken over rice or a salad. Though the ingredient list looks long, this is an easy weeknight dinner, and it’s an enthusiastic favorite among my recipe testers and family alike.

Serves 4 to 6

FOR THE CHICKEN

5 tablespoons (74 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Scant ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 garlic cloves, minced
2¼ pounds (1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
1 large yellow onion, sliced ½ inch (13 mm) thick

FOR THE SAUCE

¾ cup (180 g) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt (okay to substitute 2%) - sub non dairy yogurt
¼ cup (60 g) best-quality mayonnaise, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 small garlic clove, minced - can up garlic to taste
¼ teaspoon salt

FOR SERVING

6 pieces good-quality flatbread, such as naan or pita
1 small English/hothouse cucumber, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced
2 ripe plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

MAKE-AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS

The sauce can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated.

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

2. Make the chicken: In a large bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of the oil, 1¼ teaspoons of the salt, the cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon, and garlic. Add the chicken and toss to coat evenly. Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet.

3. To the same bowl (no need to rinse it out), add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and the onion; toss until the onion is thoroughly coated. Transfer the onion to the pre“pared baking sheet, arranging it around the chicken in a single layer.

4. Roast for about 35 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through and the onion is softened and starting to brown.

5. Make the sauce: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

6. Serve the chicken: When the chicken is done, leave the oven on and place the flatbread directly on the rack to warm for a few minutes.

7. Slice the chicken into 1-inch-thick (2.5 cm) strips and then toss it in the pan with the onion and juices. Transfer the chicken and onion, along with any juices, to a serving platter. Serve with the warm flatbread, the yogurt sauce, and the cucumber and tomatoes, and let everyone assemble individual wraps.

PRO TIP

Chicken thighs need to be trimmed before you cook them. Using scissors, simply cut off any gristle, large chunks of fat (small bits will mostly melt away in the oven), and excess skin. For those who don’t like dark meat, chicken tenders can be used, although they won’t be quite as rich and juicy. Note that tenders will cook about 10 minutes faster than thighs, so remove them from the oven after about 25 minutes while the onion finishes cooking.