Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce | Air Fryer or Skillet | Lite Cravings Recipes (2024)

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A quick, weeknight take on the classic Lebanese dish, Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce is a packed full of flavor and easy to make!

Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce | Air Fryer or Skillet | Lite Cravings Recipes (1)

It’s no secret around here that I’m a sucker for a good chicken marinade. And I’m pretty much obsessed with sauces. Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce is a reader favorite, Skinny Alfredo Sauce has gone viral on Pinterest, and Citrus Marinated Chicken (El Pollo Loco Copycat) has been a meal-prep staple for me for years.

The flavors in this dish are out of this world, making it my new favorite. Smoky, tangy, slightly spicy, with a sharp kick of garlic flavor. Heavenly!

What is Chicken Shawarma?

Shawarma is a traditional Middle-Eastern street food, typically prepared on a spit and roasted for hours. The vendors will thinly shaved the meat off of the spit and serve with pilaf, pita, and some sort of garlicky sauce.

I wanted to both lighten up and speed up the process. I use chicken breasts, marinated for hours to lock in flavor. Then, I either BBQ or air for for perfectly charred and tender chicken.

Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce | Air Fryer or Skillet | Lite Cravings Recipes (2)

Plan ahead for a quick meal

Both the marinade and the garlic sauce get better and better as they sit in your refrigerator. For that reason, this makes for an ideal meal prep!

You could get away with making the sauce and marinating the chicken as close as 2 hours before you want to cook up the chicken. The flavors won’t be quite as deep, but it will still come out great.

This is combo really is best when both the chicken and sauce marinate overnight. I like to put it all together on a Sunday evening for a super quick dinner on Monday night. It takes just under 15 minutes to cook up the chicken. While that’s going, I’ll chop my veggies. Dinner is done! And then I have leftovers for lunches the rest of the week.

Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce | Air Fryer or Skillet | Lite Cravings Recipes (3)

Serving Suggestions

  • Chicken and Rice Plate: One of my favorite restaurants is local Lebanese café. I always order their chicken shawarma plate. So to recreate that at home, I pair this chicken with my Simple Rice Pilaf and a side salad of parsley, tomatoes, and cucumber, tossed with a little balsamic vinegar. Simple and delicious!
  • Pita Wraps: The chicken and sauce combo is great for a wrap. Just add some lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers–whatever veggies you like! This is a great way to use up leftover veggies.
Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce | Air Fryer or Skillet | Lite Cravings Recipes (4)
  • Chicken Shawarma Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing: Or just skip the pita and turn that beautiful garlic sauce into a dressing! Add a bit more almond milk to thin out the sauce a bit, then drizzle over the chicken and your favorite salad ingredients. Avocado would be fabulous with that spiced chicken!

By the way, if you end up liking this recipe, you MUST try my Halal Cart Chicken Bowls!

I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe! It makes my day when you share your pics on Instagram and tag me (@litecravings). Don’t forget to use #litecravingsrecipes to make sure I see it. If I don’t get a chance to scroll through my tags quickly enough, I won’t see your post. I always make a point to look through the hashtags, though, so I’ll see it there!

Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce | Air Fryer or Skillet | Lite Cravings Recipes (5)

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5 from 1 vote

Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce

A quick, weeknight take on the classic Lebanese dish, Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce is a packed full of flavor and easy to make!

Prep Time2 hours hrs

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Calories: 277kcal

Author: Geri

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN MARINADE

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (buy cutlets to skip a step)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 3 tablespoons fat free chicken stock
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ground pepper to taste

FOR THE GARLIC SAUCE

  • 2/3 cup nonfat, plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3-4 tablespoons almond milk or skim milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS FOR SERVING

  • pita, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, iceberg lettuce

Instructions

PREP THE CHICKEN

  • Cut chicken breasts in half length-wise (or buy chicken cutlets). Mix all marinade ingredients together in a large bowl and add chicken.

  • Coat chicken completely with marinade. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

PREP THE GARLIC SAUCE

  • In a small bowl, mix all sauce ingredients together. Add more or less milk to reach your desired consistency. Refrigerate for at least an hour. It will get better the longer it sits and will last in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.

COOK THE CHICKEN

  • Remove chicken from marinade. Discard the marinade and pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

  • FOR THE GRILL or SKILLET: Preheat grill or skillet to medium-high. Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes per side. Rest chicken, covered with tin foil, for 5 minutes before serving.

  • FOR THE AIR FRYER: Preheat air fryer to 370F. Cook chicken cutlets for 5 minutes, then slip and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Rest chicken, covered with tin foil, for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

FOR THE CHICKEN:

Click here to determine your WW PersonalPoints for 3 ounces of cooked chicken (if you are logged in to your WW app, it should calculate for you automatically)*

WW Purple and Blue SmartPoints: 0 points (3-ounce cooked serving suggested)*

WW Green SmartPoints: 2 for 3 ounces of chicken

FOR THE GARLIC SAUCE:

Click here to determine your WW PersonalPoints for 2 Tb of this recipe (if you are logged in to your WW app, it should calculate for you automatically)

WW Purple, Blue, and Green SmartPoints: 0 for 2 tablespoons**

*I don’t count the olive oil because not enough soaks into the chicken to make a point difference; adjust if you aren’t comfortable with that calculation.

**The entire sauce recipe is 0 SP on Blue and Purple, or 3 SP on Green.

Nutritional information is for 3 ounces of cooked chicken and 2 tablespoons of sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 7g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g

Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce | Air Fryer or Skillet | Lite Cravings Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is shawarma garlic sauce made of? ›

Toum is a bold and creamy Middle Eastern garlic sauce made of garlic, oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt with just a little bit of water. You can make this in a snap with the a help of a food processor and one important technique.

What are the 3 most common foods put in the shawarma? ›

Shawarma is the Middle Eastern dish of shaved pieces of spit roasted chicken, beef, or lamb. The thin slices of meat (and fat) are layered in a cone-like shape on a vertical spit.

Is shawarma healthy or junk food? ›

Shawarma is a delicious and nutritious snack that can serve as a complete and satisfying meal. It contains all the nutrients you need for a healthy body. Its protein content can help you build muscle mass as it contains a good source of protein, while carbs and fat increase the energy level in the body.

What is shawarma called in English? ›

This döner kebab, or “rolled kebab,” was adopted in neighbouring countries: in Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan it came to be known in Arabic as shawarma, a loanword from the Turkish çevirme, or “turn,” and in Greece as gyro, with the same meaning.

What is the secret of shawarma? ›

Shawarma is all about the delicious sauces that accompany the meat – typically garlic yoghurt or tahini and hommus – and the secret ingredient: pickles. Pickled vegetables are what take shawarma to a whole new plane: pickled cucumbers, turnips, and even carrots or mangoes are common.

Which sauce is best for shawarma? ›

Tahini sauce: Undoubtedly the most popular option to top your shawarma is tahini sauce.

What's the difference between gyro and shawarma? ›

Gyro is savory with a hint of sweetness and garlic, while Shawarma has a smoky flavor with a hint of sweetness from the marinade. To add flavor and texture, both dishes can be topped with various sauces, pickles, and vegetables. The main difference between shawarma and gyro is the type of meat used.

What is the risk of shawarma? ›

“Shawarma is very high in sodium, which may make it bad for heart health. Foods that are high in sodium are not recommended for people with high blood pressure.” Further reports reveal that there is also the risk of food poisoning, “Eating unhygienic foods is one of the main causes of food poisoning in Nigeria.

What is healthier shawarma or burger? ›

Considering the fact that the meat used is not fried (unlike burger patty) and the stuffing has a lot of veggies and thick curd (not mayonnaise), shwarma should be healthy.

Can I use non stick pan for shawarma? ›

Heat a non stick pan with half tbsp oil. When the pan turns really hot, place the chicken pieces separately with out crowding. Turn them to all the sides for even cooking. Note that I grilled the 250 to 300 grams chicken in 2 batches.

What to do before using a frying pan? ›

Wash and dry it thoroughly first (remember not to use an abrasive scourer or cleaner), and make sure that the surface is well coated with fat or oil when you cook in it the first time. Never use a non-stick pan on full heat - overheating it will almost certainly damage the coating.

Do they fry shawarma? ›

You can also: Fry the shawarma pieces in a hot, lightly oiled frying pan (skillet) for 6-10 minutes, turning regularly until cooked through.

What makes shawarma taste like shawarma? ›

Shawarma is traditionally seasoned with spices like cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, and paprika to create a sweet-spiced, warm, and earthy flavor profile in the roasted meat.

What does garlic sauce contain? ›

A very simple garlic sauce can be made by adding crushed or minced garlic to strained yogurt, mayonnaise or sour cream. Lemon juice, salt, pepper and herbs such as dill can be used to impart additional flavour.

Why does shawarma taste so good? ›

Flavorful Seasonings: Shawarma is typically made with a combination of aromatic spices, including cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, and garlic, which create a rich and complex flavor profile. The seasonings are what give shawarma its distinct and delicious taste.

What is real shawarma made of? ›

How Shawarma is Made. Shawarma is marinated with various seasonings and spices such as cumin, turmeric, and paprika. It is made by stacking thinly sliced meat, typically lamb, beef, or chicken, on a large rotating skewer or cone. It is also sometimes cooked with extra fat from the meat to give it a juicer taste.

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