Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma
This juicy, flavor-loaded chicken shawarma is oven-roasted in a loaf pan for maximum tenderness and bold spice. Perfect for pita wraps, salads, grain bowls, or eating straight from the cutting board. The leftovers are just as good (if not better) the next day.
Servings 6
Calories 312kcal
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1.1 kg)
The Marinade
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (45 ml)
- 4 tablespoons plain yogurt (60 g)
- ½ large Juice of lemon (30 ml) about 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme 3 g
- 1½ tablespoons garlic powder 13 g
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 6 g
- ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric 2 g
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin 2 g
- ½ teaspoon fine salt 3 g
- ½ tablespoon Aleppo pepper 3 g
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 g
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 g
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom 0.5 g
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg 0.25 g
- Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the chicken - Pat dry 2½ lbs (1.1 kg) of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and trim off any excess fat. Place in a large bowl.
- Make the marinade - In a separate bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients until smooth and well combined.
- Coat the chicken - Pour the marinade over the chicken and mix thoroughly to ensure every piece is well coated. Massage with gloved hands works well.
- Marinate - Cover and refrigerate for at least 2–6 hours, preferably overnight for deeper flavor. If you’re short on time, you can bake it right away—it will still taste amazing.
- Bring to room temp - Before baking, let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Pack and roast - Tightly pack the marinated chicken into a standard loaf pan (8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 (22 x 11 x 6 cm). Pack each chicken thigh into the loaf pan like a loaf of bread. Roast for 45–55 minutes, or until golden and fully cooked (internal temp: 165°F / 74°C).
- Drain the juices - Remove from oven and tilt the pan to pour excess juices into a bowl—save this flavor bomb to spoon over the sliced chicken or stir into rice.
- Slice and serve - Flip the chicken loaf out onto a cutting board. Slice thinly against the grain.
- Store - Keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for 4–5 days. Great for meal prep or second-day sandwiches.
Notes
