Pita Shawarma
Pita shawarma is stuffed full of tender, juicy, marinated, spiced chicken and fresh veggies with a simple, tangy yogurt tzatziki
Servings: 4
Equipment
- large skillet
- ziplock top bag
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 3 large chicken breasts *about 1 lb of chicken
- ¼ cup lemon juice 1 lemon
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp paprika
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Pita Toppings
- 4 pitas
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cucumber *see notes. Reserve some for taziki sauce.
- ½ cup creamy homemade hummus
- 2 cup romaine, shredded
- ¼ cup red onion, sliced
Tzatziki Sauce
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- ¼ cup cucumber, grated
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 3 Tbsp dill, chopped *fresh
- ¼ cup lemon juice 1 lemon
Instructions
- Cut the breasts in half (if they are large in size). In a large ziplock style bag add the chicken breasts. Combine the lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, cayenne, oregano and red pepper flakes. Seal the bag and massage the chicken well. Place it on a plate and put in the refrigerator for at least an hour. You can leave it to marinate for up to 12-15 hours.
- Once the chicken is done marinating and you are ready to cook, heat a large cast iron on the stove. Keep it on medium heat. Add the halved chicken breasts and let them cook for about 6-7 minutes on each side. *add a lid or grease guard to keep your stove from becoming a mess.*
- Once they are cooked all the way through (165º). Place them to the side to rest for a few minutes.
- While they rest, make the tzatziki sauce. Add yogurt, lemon juice, salt, pepper, grated cucumber, chopped dill to a small bowl. Whisk it together well and set aside. Shred the romaine lettuce, chop the tomatoes, cucumbers and red onions for pita toppings.
- Slice the chicken against the grain into thin strips and transfer back into the skillet and sauté for 1-2 minutes to reheat if needed.
- Smear pitas with hummus, place the chicken in the middle of a pita and top with the assorted toppings. Drizzle tzatziki generously over the chicken. Fold the pita up and wrap with parchment to hold it together if needed. These will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
*I use english cucumber because the skin is thinner.
*chicken thighs will also work.
*you can sub sour cream for the yogurt if needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pita shawarma | Calories: 624kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 1087mg | Potassium: 1075mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 421IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 3mg