Alongside falafel, shawarma is the most popular Israeli street food there is! Little pieces of juicy meat or chicken inside a warm pitta with Israeli salads and dips. Now you can make it at home!
Wherever you go in Israel, like falafel, you will most likely encounter a shawarma stall! Behind the server is a huge tower of juicy meat slowly turning on a vertical spit alongside a dizzying array of salads, dips, and spreads ready to be served inside a fresh, warm pitta bread or a wrap called laffa.You can often find different varieties of shawarma, some made with veal, others with beef and chicken or turkey. When you place your order, the server will either slit open the pitta, creating a pocket or lay flat the laffa. You then choose your spreads, like hummus, tahini, Israeli salad, pickles, and all the other yummy options, and they shave off a generous quantity of meat from the shawarma and place it on top. Then it's time for the sauces! Drizzly tahini and mango pickle amba are the classics, and it's then all wrapped up and ready to eat! Don't forget your napkins because it will drip as soon as you take a bite!
Shawarma is a popular street food in Israel and across the entire Middle East. Although it began as a common, cheap street food, today, you will find upscale bars and restaurants selling premium and fancy versions of shawarma. Vegetarians and vegans can now enjoy it as the culinary visionaries have created shawarma made of cauliflower and other options that are just as delicious as the meat options! And with our recipe, you can have some delicious chicken shawarma on the table without spending hours slow-roasting a ton of meat!
Homemade Israeli-style chicken shawarma
Shawarma Marinade:
1 tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Tumeric
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
3/4 tbsp Ground Coriander
1/2 tbsp Paprika/chili powder or flakes
1/2 tbsp Bahrat/Cinnamon/Cardamon/Garam Masala
1.5 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 medium onion, sliced (optional)
2.5 chicken breasts or 8 chicken thighs
1 tbsp Tumeric
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
3/4 tbsp Ground Coriander
1/2 tbsp Paprika/chili powder or flakes
1/2 tbsp Bahrat/Cinnamon/Cardamon/Garam Masala
1.5 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 medium onion, sliced (optional)
2.5 chicken breasts or 8 chicken thighs
Serve with a variety of spreads and salads:
• Hummus
• Tahini
• Israeli salad - finely chop and mix cucumber, tomato, red onion and parsley and drizzle with olive oil, salt and lemon juice
• Warm pitta/laffa/taco wraps
• Tahini
• Israeli salad - finely chop and mix cucumber, tomato, red onion and parsley and drizzle with olive oil, salt and lemon juice
• Warm pitta/laffa/taco wraps
Recipe:
1: Mix all the shawarma marinade ingredients in a bowl
2: Ensure the chicken is dry, then season well with salt and some pepper. Cut the chicken into small pieces or strips and then transfer to a large bowl.
3: Pour the shawarma marinade on top and mix in, ensuring that all the chicken is evenly coated, and if using, add in the onion.
4: Cover the bowl and transfer to the fridge. The longer you let it marinate the deeper the flavours will be, but if you really can't wait, then 30 minutes is fine!
5: Preheat your oven to 425F/220C. Spread the chicken and onions evenly across a baking sheet and roast/grill for around half an hour. Your aim is for the chicken to brown and crisp up a bit.
6: In the meantime, it's time to start preparing the rest of the meal. If using pitta pockets, you can either slice them in half or cut off the top third of the pitta. For taco wraps or laffa bread, lay them flat. Now you can spread hummus and other dips on the pita, add in a tablespoon of salad, and then wait for the shawarma to finish cooking.
7: Once ready, fill up your pitta/laffa/taco wraps with shawarma and more hummus and salad, and drizzle plenty of tahini on top. Then your shawarma is ready to eat! Serve on the side with french fries and more tahini to add after each bite!
There are many ways to experience a connection with Israel, and food is one of them!
Whether it's shwarma, falafel, or a plate of warm hummus, you can replicate many of the most popular Israeli dishes in your home kitchen with only a few ingredients. But there is one essential ingredient that you must include for any Israeli recipe to be successful: love!
The foods and flavors of the Holy Land are going global! From Philadelphia to New York, and Paris to London, Israeli chefs have opened restaurants that have become a hit as people discover the incredible cuisine of the Holy Land! To make your Israeli recipes even more authentic (and time-saving!), we have a variety of unique spice blends and mixtures made right here! From salt seasonings containing salt taken from the Dead Sea to a shawarma spice mix and a shakshuka spice blend, you'll soon be cooking the most delicious Israeli dishes in no time!
Connect to the Holy Land with products 100% MADE IN ISRAEL!
We are all about providing subscribers with a 100% authentic experience of the Holy Land. And we do so by only sharing products made 100% in Israel! No knockoffs or bulk imports from a factory on the other side of the world! These are genuine products made by the most talented and dedicated artisans of the Holy Land, people whom we have personally met and seen firsthand how much love and care they put into each item. From beautiful ceramics to a pomegranate-infused serum and pure olive oil to stunning original paintings of King David, many of the items we share have been handmade and crafted by the pioneers and are the result of hours of dedication and work!
Many of our products come from small communities across the Biblical Heartlands of Judea and Samaria, the Golan and Galilee, regions where many of our biblical forefathers and foremothers once tread.
Whether it's baked goods from Beit El, where Jacob had his vision of God, boutique chocolate from Mount Hebron, next to the Tomb of our Patriarchs, or roasted coffee from the Elah Valley, where King David fought his battle as a young boy and defeated the might giant Goliath, these products are your direct connection to the Holy Land and the Bible!
