Shawarma-Spiced Grilled Chicken With Tahini-Yogurt Sauce
Updated April 2, 2024
- Total Time
- About 4¼ hours
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour, plus 3 hours' chilling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- ½teaspoon ground coriander
- ½teaspoon ground ginger
- ½teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Salt and pepper
- 1½cups plain yogurt
- ¼cup minced yellow onion
- 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the grill
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 3pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (or a combination)
- ½lemon, for serving
- Fresh parsley or mint leaves (optional), for serving
- 1cup plain yogurt
- 2tablespoons tahini
- 1tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½garlic clove, finely grated or minced
- Salt
For the Chicken
For the Tahini-yogurt Sauce
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
438 calories; 19 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 56 grams protein; 840 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Make the marinade: In a large bowl, combine the paprika, cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, allspice and cinnamon with 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the yogurt, onion, olive oil and garlic; mix well, then set aside.
- Step 2
Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel. If using breasts, cut the breasts in half crosswise, so you have one thicker, rounded piece and one thinner, triangular piece. Working in batches, place the chicken pieces on a large cutting board and cover them with a sheet of parchment paper. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound the chicken until each piece is about the same thickness as the others, between ½-inch and ¾-inch-thick. (Be careful not to pound so hard that you tear the chicken.)
- Step 3
Add the chicken to the marinade and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Step 4
Meanwhile, make the tahini-yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice and garlic; season to taste with salt. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
- Step 5
Before grilling, let the chicken come to room temperature for 30 minutes. If using a charcoal or gas grill, clean the grates and brush them with oil. Set the grill to medium-high or heat a grill pan slicked with olive oil on the stovetop over medium-high.
- Step 6
Lift the chicken from the marinade (no need to brush off excess marinade) and grill until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes on each side, covering the grill halfway through, if necessary, to retain the heat.
- Step 7
Transfer the chicken to a plate, sprinkle generously with salt and squeeze the lemon half over the pieces. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or mint (if using) and serve the tahini-yogurt sauce on the side.
Private Notes
Comments
Another grill-less cook, here. With summer approaching, kindly remember to provide alternate cooking methods in grilling recipes. A majority of NYT readers, many of whom are apartment dwellers, do not have access to outdoor cooking.
Suevee I agree, shawarma spice mix would be easier, more space-efficient and cheaper. However, perhaps you could consider 'beginner friendly' to mean an introduction to the basic spices of so many non-European cuisines? If you buy these, you have most of the spices you will need for Mexican, Thai, Middle Eastern and Indian cuisines!
@Gus Brown just use another recipe. If not, it’s simple: and cook it on a cast iron or in the oven. Grilling is just a cooking method, use the rest of the recipe or marinade. This is a grilling recipe. How can somebody want to make a grilled recipe without grilling? Its like asking for an alternative to shrimp in a shrimp based dish. No need to make a bitter comment about a nice recipe. Many like to go outside in the summer and grill. This recipe is for them. There are thousands of other recipes year round.
Can I sub Greek Yogurt for plain yogurt?
Cooked this for kosher-style guests. Used mayo instead of yogurt and the result was outstanding. We probably missed out on more tender meat but I would definitely make this again with the same substitution.
We loved this recipe, grilled it and served with salad. I didn't have tahini sauce so just made the yogurt dressing without it and it was still delicious. We marinated for about 8 hours. Super tender! Great for a hot summer evening. Definite keeper.