Chicken Shawarma

There are combo-shops that sell döner kebabs and pizza on every other corner in Prague’s city center, and the luscious smells—a unique combination of hot fat (from the kebab) and oregano (from the pizza)—that waft through the serving windows make my mouth water every time.

I was pouting a little bit the other day, wanting to just stuff a pita-bread wrapped kebab in my face, when I remembered: There’s an awesome Chicken Shawarma recipe in Well Fed Weeknights. We’re having it for dinner tonight.

Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish, similar to döner kebabs (Turkey) and gyros (Greece). In all of these “it’s almost a meat salad if you do it right”-dishes, a variety of proteins including lamb, chicken, beef, veal, and turkey (solo or in combination with each other) are mixed with spices then packed tightly on a vertical skewer that’s slowly rotated and roasted all day. When it’s time to eat, the meat is shaved off the spit in thin slices, piled on pita bread or in a bowl, and topped with fresh veggies, hummus, tahini, pickled veggies, hot sauce, and the spicy-mango condiment known as amba. (If you have Well Fed 2, you can make my amba recipe!)

Bonus etymology lesson: Shawarma is an Arabic version of the Turkish word çevirme, which means “turning.” The words döner and gyros also refer to turning.

Yes, the whole turning thing seems pretty important to authentic shawarma.

Luckly, we’re not making authentic shawarma. (I don’t want to speak for you, but I, personally, do not own a three-foot tall rotisserie spit attached to a coal or wood fire.) So rather than aim for “authentic,” my goal was “delicious,” “easy to make at home,” and “paleo/whole30 compliant.”

My shawarma recipe is based on chicken breast, but you could certainly use the same spice blend on lamb or beef, if you prefer. To me, it’s the toppings that really make the fun: shredded raw veggies, creamy tahini sauce, maybe a spritz of lemon juice, or a few pickles… you really can’t go wrong if you include contrasting colors and textures.

Chicken Shawarma (Paleo, Whole30)

From Well Fed Weeknights | Total time 35–40 minutes | Serves 2-4 | Whole30 Compliant

Tastes Great With…

In Well Fed Weeknights, I recommend you serve the Shawarma on top of a baked potato. But you it also tastes great on any of these, too:
Cauliflower Rice—plain or fancy
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Classic Diner-Style Home Fries

You also would not be wrong if you added some Grain-Free Tabbouleh, Baba Ghanoush, or Lebanese Onion & Parsley Salad to the bowl. You could also add some chopped pickles for extra salty zing—or even a little gut-friendly sauerkraut.