Chicken Shawarma Salad
Who needs takeout when you can make a Chicken Shawarma Salad at home?!
I think shawarma is one of those staple foods that you can find in just about any city. I’m pretty sure that Ottawa is the shawarma capital of Canada, not only are there shawarma locations all over our city, but it seems to be everyone’s favourite late night food. If you’ve never had shawarma before, it is a term used to describe meat cooked on a spit that is shaved off and served on a plate or as a wrap. It is often paired with things such as tabouleh, tomatoes, cucumber, pickled turnips, hummus and garlic sauce, or any combination of those. Because I’m a foodie, but I also like to keep it healthy, I’m more of a shawarma salad type of gal than the classic wrap, so I figured it would be fun to create a healthier version of this classic street food.
This chicken shawarma salad recipe is simple to make, all you need is a ton of spices and a little patience. The longer you can leave the chicken to marinade the better it will taste in the long run and the more it will take on the flavour. I searched my grocery store far and wide for pickled turnips and I couldn’t find any, but if you can I would certainly recommend adding them as well. Although the salad ingredients might seem simple, it is the garlic dressing that really helps to bring this chicken shawarma salad to life while keeping it healthy at the same time.
Chicken Shawarma Salad
Who needs takeout when you can make your own chicken shawarma at home? The chicken in this recipe is great cooked on the grill or in a pan, and works equally well with chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Salads
- Cuisine: Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
Ingredients
Chicken Shawarma:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Salad:
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- ½ cucumber, diced
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup parsley, minced
Garlic Dressing:
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ lemon, juiced
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Combine the spices, minced garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and black pepper in a large bag or bowl. The mixture will create a thick paste that you can use to marinate the chicken.
- Using your hands, add the chicken breasts to the marinate, ensuring each piece is well coated in the spice mixture. Leave the chicken to marinade overnight or for at least 1 hour.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or grill on medium heat. Place chicken on the skillet or grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until nicely charred and internal temperature has reached 165°F.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the dressing. Add the ingredients to a small bowl or jar and whisk until well combined, using water to thin until desired consistency is reached. You want a creamy dressing, but not too thick.
- Remove chicken from the skillet or grill and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing to ensure the juices are not lost.
- While the chicken is resting, prepare the salad. Add lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and parsley to a bowl to a toss to combine.
- Once the chicken has rested, slice into thin strips, about ¼” thick.
- To serve, split salad on to two plates, top with sliced chicken and drizzle with garlic dressing.
- Enjoy!
