Best Chicken Shawarma

Shawarma is Israel’s favorite street food along with falafel.  This version has all the classic shawarma flavor but is easy to make at home.  Serve with Israeli salad and mujadera or Israeli rice and beans. 

In Israel, you can find a shawarma shop just about anywhere you go.  In Jerusalem, you cannot walk a block in the center of town or the market without passing one.

Shawarma was originally made of lamb but today in Israel, it's usually made from chicken or turkey, though lamb shawarma and even goat shawarma are available.

In fact, the turkey version is so common that Israelis eat more turkey per capita than any other country in the world. 

Due to Thanksgiving, America comes in second.  However, the average Israeli eats about more than double the amount of turkey than the average American.

While in Israel shawarma is considered street food and you’d be hard pressed to find a sit down restaurant serving it, in the States things are different.  

Israeli restaurants serve shawarma often as a platter rather than in a pita or wrapped in a lafa.  It also is often not made using a shawarma rotisserie but in a pan or on a griddle.

This version is particularly easy to make at home because you have all the equipment you need and the chicken is cut before cooking. 

It’s what you’d find labeled as “baby chicken shawarma” on a menu at an Israeli restaurant in New York.  

Don’t worry, no chicks were harmed in the making of any shawarma. 

The misnomer comes from the word “pargit” which someone mistranslated as a baby chicken when it’s really a pullet. 

However, since all fully grown chickens on the market today are pullets, pargiot has come to mean boneless skinless chicken thigh.

Why I only use shawarma seasoning

Simply said, shawarma seasoning makes for better shawarma.

Any recipe that suggests the spices individually cannot give amounts small enough for a proper blend with subtle flavors.

That's why I only buy or make my own seasoning.

You can buy shawarma seasoning in almost any Jewish supermarket. Or, you can make your own using my recipe using easy-to-find ingredients.

My seasoning is exactly the same as those you'd find in Israeli supermarkets.

Oh, and stay away from marinades. No actual shawarma uses a marinade, only seasoning.

How to eat Shawarma

The two classic ways to eat shawarma are in a laffa or a pita. 

A laffa is a Levantine flat bread similar to naan but much bigger and is not as common to find in the Western Word as pita is.

In a Pita

Street food styled shawarma is never eaten alone. 

A basic version is with humus (hummus) spread on the bread, shawarma, Israeli salad, topped with fries, and techina (tahini). 

Other optional additions are onions or sliced pickles to name a couple.

I don't like tomatoes, so unless they have cucumbers separate from the tomatoes (which some places have taken to doing), I often have sliced pickles instead.

On a Plate

In the States a common way to serve shawarma is as a shawarma platter.  This is a plate with shawarma and either Israeli white rice and fries or Israeli salad on the side.

My Mom and I always made a special request for Israeli rice and beans though which they always accommodated.

I really like this way when serving it to guests or for Shabbos dinner instead of casually in a pita, as I would during the week.

HOW TO STORE CHICKEN

Place cooled chicken in an airtight container or wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap.  Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

HOW TO FREEZE CHICKEN

Freeze leftovers within 3-4 days.  Place cooled chicken in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag. 

Freeze for up to 4-6 months.  After that, it is still safe to eat, but the quality begins to degrade.

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