After many years of resistance, I am finally warming up to using the oven, all for this dish that my friend Paula introduced me to. It’s a great dinner protein, but also a great snack if you cut up the chicken into bite size pieces. I love pairing this dish with a side of apple cider vinegar marinated cucumbers and tomatoes (recipe coming soon) and rice.

Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma

Ingredients:

Chicken Thighs – 2 lbs, boneless, skinless
Red Onion – 1 large, quartered
Cilantro or Parsley – 2 tablespoon, chopped

Chicken Marinade:

Lemon – 1 large, juiced
Garlic – 6 cloves, minced
Cumin – 2 teaspoon, ground
Paprika – 2 teaspoon
Turmeric – half teaspoon
Cinnamon – pinch, ground
Red Pepper Flakes – to taste
Olive Oil – half cup
Kosher Salt – 1 teaspoon
Black Pepper – 2 teaspoon

Directions:

1. Prepare marinade for chicken: combine lemon juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl, whisk to combine. (Add lemon juice to the bowl first so you can pick out the seeds.) Add chicken, toss well to coat. Cover and store in fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
2. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425F. Toss the quartered onion with chicken marinade once, then spread the chicken and onion evenly on baking pan.
3. Bake about 30-40 minutes*. Remove from oven, allow to set for 2 minutes. If you like more sear, coat a large pan with olive oil and brown the chicken pieces. Note that if you plan on searing the chicken, bake for only 30 minutes.
4. Garnish with parsley or cilantro and it’s ready to serve! Pairs well with rice, pita, tomatoes, cucumbers, white sauce, hot sauce, olives or eggplant.

*I usually make about 1.5 lb of chicken using the same marinate, bake for 30 min and finish by searing on a pan.