We made this New York Times Cooking recipe for Chicken Shawarma to take to a pot luck party, and it was a big hit. Everyone raved about the white sauce that accompanies it. Sam Sifton recommends “cutting plain yogurt with mayonnaise and lemon juice, and flecking it with garlic.” I used a ratio of 2/3 yogurt to 1/3 mayo — about 2 cups total — and zested a lemon then added the juice, and squeezed two cloves of garlic through a press. Fabulous on anything, really. I put a dollop on my scrambled eggs the next morning and it was to die for.
I’ve doubled the recipe, because you will want leftovers.
Chicken Shawarma
3 lemons, zested and juiced
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
8-10 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Red pepper flakes, to taste
4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 large red onions, sliced into thick rings
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
Prepare a marinade for the chicken. Combine the lemon juice, 1 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and red pepper flakes in a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Add the chicken and toss well to coat. Cover and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
When ready to cook, heat oven to 425 degrees. Use the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to grease two rimmed sheet pans. Add the quartered onion to the chicken and marinade, and toss once to combine. Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade, and place on the pan, spreading everything evenly across it.
Put the chicken in the oven and roast until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes, swapping and turning the sheet pans about halfway through.
Remove from the oven, allow to rest 2 minutes, then slice into bits. Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, pita, white sauce, hot sauce, olives, fried eggplant, feta, rice — really anything you desire.
