Shawarma with chicken, turnips and beets

Votes: 2

Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Complexity: easily
Servings: 8

The secret to delicious shawarma lies in the combination of juicy fried chicken, fresh vegetables, a touch of pickles, and sauces, all wrapped in a warm flatbread. While it's nearly impossible to cook chicken on a spit at home, it can be equally delicious grilled or even pan-fried. The key is the right marinade. Marinate chicken thighs in a rich blend of spices and lemon juice, fry, and wrap them in pita bread with fresh vegetables, herbs, tahini sauce, garlic-mayonnaise sauce, and turnip slices marinated with beets—an essential ingredient in traditional Middle Eastern shawarma.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Chicken

0.7 kg skinless and boneless chicken thighs
2 tbsp olive oil + extra for greasing the grill grate
Zest of 1 lemon and 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground coriander
0.5 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 finely grated garlic cloves

Filling

300 g turnips, peeled and cut into 1 cm thick strips.
1 small red beetroot, peeled and quartered
3/4 cup white distilled vinegar 5%
1 dried bay leaf
1 clove garlic, chopped + 2 finely grated cloves
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup yogurt
3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1/3 cup tahini
8 lavash flatbreads (without cavities)
2 plum tomatoes, diced
2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
0.5 cups parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Hot sauce (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Chicken:

Toss the chicken thighs with olive oil, lemon zest and juice, coriander, paprika, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, crushed red pepper flakes, grated garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and let sit at room temperature.
Filling:
Meanwhile, place the turnips and beets in a bowl or other container. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, bay leaf, chopped garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 1/4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Pour the marinade over the turnips and beets. Cool and refrigerate for 1 hour. The vegetables will be ready within 1 hour.

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 finely grated garlic clove, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
In another medium bowl, combine the tahini paste, the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the grated garlic clove, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/3 cup water. Set aside.
Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Lightly brush the grill grate with olive oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill until cooked through and well-charred, and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 160°F (76°C), 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and slice very thinly across the grain. Place in a bowl and toss with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Heat the tortillas on the grill for 10 seconds on each side.
Assemble the shawarma:

Prepare 8 sheets of aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spread 1 heaping tablespoon of garlic mayonnaise on a flatbread, then top with 1/3 cup of shredded chicken, a couple of marinated turnip sticks, 1 heaping tablespoon of tahini sauce, hot sauce (if using), diced tomato, shredded lettuce, and chopped parsley. Wrap the flatbread tightly around the filling. Wrap in foil to prevent the shawarma from falling apart. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.