Print

Flavorful Lebanese Chicken Shawarma Wraps Recipe with Easy Garlic Toum Sauce

lebanese chicken shawarma wraps - featured image
Print Recipe

Juicy, marinated chicken thighs with smoky, tangy spices wrapped in pita with fresh veggies and a creamy, authentic garlic toum sauce. Ready in about 45 minutes, perfect for quick weeknight meals or casual gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled (for toum sauce)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (for toum sauce)
  • 1 cup neutral oil (sunflower or canola) for toum sauce
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (for toum sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons ice water (for toum sauce)
  • 6 large pita breads or flatbreads
  • 1 cup shredded lettuce (iceberg or romaine)
  • 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • Pickled turnips or cucumbers (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine minced garlic, ground cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Whisk together until well blended.
  2. Add the chicken thighs to the marinade, ensuring each piece is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight for deeper flavor.
  3. Make the garlic toum sauce by pulsing garlic cloves and salt in a food processor until finely minced. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the neutral oil in a thin stream to emulsify.
  4. Alternate adding lemon juice and ice water during the oil addition to keep the sauce light and fluffy. Adjust thickness with a teaspoon of water if needed.
  5. Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil to prevent sticking.
  6. Cook the marinated chicken thighs for 5-6 minutes per side until nicely charred and cooked through (internal temperature 165°F / 74°C).
  7. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes on a cutting board, then slice thinly against the grain.
  8. Warm pita breads lightly in a dry pan or oven to make them pliable.
  9. Layer each pita with shredded lettuce, tomato slices, red onion, and parsley. Add a generous amount of sliced chicken over the veggies.
  10. Drizzle or spread garlic toum sauce over the chicken and veggies. Add pickled turnips or cucumbers if desired.
  11. Fold the pita around the filling tightly and wrap in parchment paper or foil if needed. Serve immediately.

Notes

Marinate chicken at least 30 minutes or overnight for best flavor. Add oil slowly when making toum to prevent sauce from breaking. Use neutral oil for toum to avoid bitterness. Avoid overcrowding pan when cooking chicken to get a good char. Warm pita before assembling to keep it pliable. Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat wrapped in foil.

Nutrition

Keywords: Lebanese chicken shawarma, garlic toum sauce, chicken wraps, Middle Eastern chicken, easy shawarma recipe, quick chicken wraps, homemade toum, pita wraps

Find it online: https://fizzlefork.com/flavorful-lebanese-chicken-shawarma-wraps-recipe-with-easy-garlic-toum-sauce/