Shawarma-Inspired Skillet Chicken

Shawarma-Inspired Skillet Chicken is a quick dish (You will need only about 20 minutes or so) that is packed with texture and flavour, and it tastes exactly like famous street food.

Hello everyone! Happy Monday if it’s appropriate to say so. I hope you enjoyed the weekend, and you’re ready to tackle another week. Today, I will keep it short and sweet (No kidding this time.)

Chef Paul Lillakas

Besides, who needs too many words when you see something utterly scrumptious? That’s the case today! So please take your seat, grab a big spoon, and enjoy this Shawarma-Inspired Skillet Chicken.

This recipe was developed by the Chef Paul Lillakas – if you don’t follow this guy on his Instagram, you should definitely start! When I saw the recipe for Shawarma-Inspired Skillet Chicken (I am keeping the original name), I immediately bookmarked it and knew I would be making it soon. Because it looked crazy delicious! Now, I am sharing this recipe with you because I honestly believe it should go viral. Indeed, it seems that more and more people are trying it.

What’s Shawarma?

You probably know that original shawarma is a dish consisting of meat cut into thin slices, stacked in a cone-like shape, and roasted on a slowly-turning rotisserie. It never would have occurred to me you could make a simplified version right in you kitchen with only one pan needed. Crazy, right? But it works!

I was 100 % sure this dish would be tasty. However, I was still a tiny bit skeptical about the flavours. Would it taste like or at least resemble shawarma?

Shawarma-Inspired Skillet Chicken

When you just start cooking, the result is not obvious. After about 5 minutes of cooking, all the flavours start coming together, and you really feel the distinctive shawarma aromas. The best part happens after about 15-18 minutes when most of the liquid has evaporated, and all this caramelization starts. It’s totally up to you how long to continue browning the chicken. Two minutes would be sufficient for enough caramelization and still juicy meat. I wanted a drier version, so I cooked slightly longer, about 5 extra minutes.

The blend of spices is spot on. I didn’t change anything in the recipe except for adding a bit of smoked paprika and chipotle. Some extra smoky kick won’t hurt, right?

Does this Chicken Shawarma Taste Like Shawarma?

The result? Absolutely fabulous! With warm pita (or any other flatbread) and tahini sauce, it’s a perfect weekend meal.

And yes, it tastes like shawarma. As good as any restaurant-style. Wrong! It’s much better. Because you can customize it to your preferences.

So let me thank Chef Paul Lillakas once again for the recipe I will be making quite often. I hope you like this Shawarma-Inspired Skillet Chicken, and you will give it a try soon! Daisy approved.

Need more one-skillet chicken ideas?

Apricot Pine Nuts Chicken Skillet

Creamy Chicken Breasts with Prunes

Cheers.

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Shawarma-Inspired Skillet Chicken

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Main, One-skillet Dish, PoultryDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Shawarma-Inspired Skillet Chicken. Recipe by by the Chef Paul Lillakas.

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Ingredients

• Shawarma-Inspired Skillet Chicken:

• 12 boneless chicken thigs, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

• 2 tbsp. olive or canola oil

• 2 tbsp. white vinegar

• 2 tbsp. brown sugar

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tbsp. ground coriander

• 2 tbsp. ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp. chili flakes

• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

• a god pinch of chipotle powder

• Tahini Sauce:

• 1/2 cup warm water

• 1/3 cup tahini

• 1/3 cup yogurt

• 1 tbsp. mayonnaise

• 3 tbsp. lemon juice

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• For Serving:

• Pita or other flatbread, warm

• Iceberg lettuce (shredded), tomatoes, cucumbers (sliced) or other vegetables

Directions

• In a large bowl combine the soy sauce, vinegar, oil, brown sugar, garlic, coriander, cumin, chili flakes, smoked paprika, chipotle, and salt. Mix until the sugar dissolves. Add the sliced chicken and mix.
• Transfer the chicken (with all liquid) into a large non-stick over medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until no liquid remains, about 15-18 minutes. That’s when caramelization starts. Keep cooking until well-caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes or slightly longer, as desired.
• Meantime, in a small-medium bowl combine the tahini and water until smooth. Stir in the yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and whisk until well-combined. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
• Serve Shawarma-Inspired Skillet Chicken with warm flatbread, vegetables, and tahini sauce. Enjoy!