Syrian Chicken Shawarma Recipe

And it’s all about the toum or “thumiye” meaning the delicious Middle Eastern garlic sauce! Of course, the meat as well but a true Syrian shawarma has to have a good garlic sauce.

Find below a traditional Syrian shawarma recipe that you can easily make at home. The traditional Syrian shawarma marinade recipe often includes slices of sheep and/or beef fat, which enhance the flavor and make the meat juicier.

However, you can still make delicious shawarma without it. Enjoy!

For the Meat Marinade:

• 1 lb chicken breast or thighs
• 1 small chopped onion
• 2-3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• juice from half a lemon
• 3 teaspoons salt
• ¼ cup yogurt
• 1 tablespoon red bell peppers paste you could swap for tomatoes paste if you don’t have
• 2 tablespoon shawarma spice mix
• a few tablespoons water to help it blend

Ingredients for the Toum (Shawarma Garlic Sauce)

• 1/3 cup chickpeas water (aquafaba)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• a few tablespoons olive oil

For the Assembly:

• meat
• garlic sauce
• a few slices pickled cucumber
• French fries

For the Chicken:

• Place the chicken on a chopping board and using a cleaver slightly beat it to create a uniform surface. Proceed the same if you are using thighs. Don’t beat it too thin.
• In a jug place all the other ingredients and using a hand blender mix all until smooth.
• Place the chicken in a bowl and pour the sauce over massaging it into the meat. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours however overnight is better.
• Once out of the fridge layer the meat in a casserole adding thin slices of beef or sheep fat in between each layer. This step is important for adding lots of flavor and moisture to the meat. However if you are unable to find beef or sheep fat then simply skip it.
• Place the casserole in the freezer for about 1-2 hours. When out of the freezer slice into squares and place the meat on skewers.
• Bake in a preheat oven at 200 Celsius/ 390 Fahrenheit for about 30 mins or even better put them on a grill. Then slice the meat from the skewers.

For the Toum (Garlic Sauce):

• In a jug add all the ingredients except olive oil. Using a hand blender mix all until foamy. Then start adding the olive oil just as you would when making mayo slowly until you get the mayo like texture. The next step is optional as I like to add a couple tablespoons of Greek yogurt.

For the Assembly:

• On an Arabic bread add some garlic sauce, a few slices of pickles, some fries and meat. Wrap the shawarma and place it on a hot skillet to seal it and give crusty sides.
• Cut in half, top with extra sauce and the traditional way is to give it a sprinkle of pomegranate syrup.