Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma
An easy marinade made with Moroccan spices and lemon juice gives this sheet pan chicken all the bold, fresh, fragrant flavors of the best chicken shawarma in only 30 minutes (plus time to marinate). Serve it family style with pita bread, hummus, fresh vegetables, and yogurt dipping sauce for a meal our whole family loves.
Servings: 4
Cost: $7.50
Equipment
- sheet pan
Ingredients
- 6 teaspoon Moroccan Seasoning (store-bought or use this homemade verison of Moroccan Seasoning / Ras-el-Hanout)
- 1/4 cup Cooking Oil
- 4 cloves Garlic, chopped
- Juice from 2 Lemons
- 1 1/2 pounds Chicken Thighs, boneless and skinless
- 1 Red Onion, halved and sliced into thick strips
- 1 Tablespoon Parsley, curly or flat-leaf, chopped (optional)
For Serving:
- Pita or Naan (see note)
- Cucumbers and Tomatoes (see note)
- Tzatziki (see note)
- Hummus
- Carrot Sticks
Instructions
- Combine seasoning, cooking oil, garlic, and lemon juice in a large bowl or plastic bag.
- Add chicken and toss to coat.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. (Note: If you’d like to prepare the marinade even further ahead, you can refrigerate the chicken in marinade for up to 3 days, but only add the lemon juice in the last 8 hours. Lemon juice will make the chicken tough and rubbery if left to marinate for more than 8 hours.)
- When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with foil (not necessary, but makes clean-up much easier).
- Add onion to chicken and marinade and toss everything together.
- Pour chicken, marinade, and onion out onto prepared sheet pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Transfer chicken to oven and roast until chicken is golden brown on the edges and cooked through (use an instant read thermometer to make sure it registers an internal temperature of 165°F), 30 to 40 minutes.
- Transfer chicken and onions to a cutting board, leaving the sheet pan with all of the cooking liquids nearby. Roughly chop chicken and onions together and add them back to the sheet pan. Toss chicken back in cooking liquids.
- Scatter parsley (if using) over top of chicken.
- Warm pita / naan in the oven.
- Serve with pita / naan, cucumber and tomato salad, tzatziki, hummus, and carrot sticks.
Notes
Moroccan Seasoning - If the Moroccan seasoning you use doesn't include salt and pepper, add 1/2 tsp of salt and about 1/4 tsp black pepper to the seasoning mix.
Warm Pita or Naan in the oven just before serving. We almost always use naan (usually Stonefire brand) because I prefer the soft texture.
For tomato and cucumber salad - chop cucumbers and tomatoes and toss them with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and some salt and pepper.
Tzatziki (Cucumber Yogurt Dip). To make it - grate about ¼ cup of cucumber onto a paper towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible; mix it with 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 diced clove of garlic, and 1 tsp of lemon juice. Season with some salt.
You can freeze the chicken with the marinade in a freezer-safe plastic bag for up to 6 months. For best results, freeze it without the lemon juice (just add that in the last 12 hours of defrosting time). Defrost in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours before continuing with the recipe as written.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup chicken | Calories: 252kcal | Protein: 33g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 417mg | Vitamin A: 41IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg