This one started on my TikTok FYP and ended up in my weekly rotation. Crispy chicken shawarma has been everywhere lately and I finally understand why. It looks like a restaurant meal and comes together on a weeknight. That combination is rare and I am not taking it for granted.
What makes this version different from a regular shawarma is two things. First, the yogurt marinade that keeps the chicken tender while the outside gets genuinely crispy. Second, the red sauce that most people skip because they don’t know it exists. Don’t skip it.
What you need
For the chicken:
- 2 lbs halal chicken thighs
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp hot pepper paste (or tomato paste for less heat)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- Salt to taste
For the red sauce:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 cup water
- Salt to taste
To serve:
- Large pita or flatbread
- Toum (Lebanese garlic sauce, store-bought is completely fine)
- Pickles, thinly sliced
- Pomegranate molasses for drizzling
How to make it
Blend the garlic, yogurt, hot pepper paste, lemon juice, olive oil, and all spices into a marinade. Coat your chicken thighs thoroughly and let them sit for at least 30 minutes. Overnight in the fridge is where it gets really good and is honestly the easiest meal prep you can do on a Sunday.
When ready to cook, heat your cast iron on high. You want real heat here, the kind that makes the chicken sizzle the second it touches the pan. Cook 6 to 7 minutes per side until charred on the outside and cooked through. Let it rest for 5 minutes then slice thin.
While the chicken rests, simmer your red sauce ingredients together in a small pan for about 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
Warm your pita. Spread a generous layer of toum. Add your sliced chicken. Top with pickles, a spoon of red sauce, and finish with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
That last drizzle is the thing. It adds this sweet, slightly tart note that makes the whole wrap taste like something you paid $18 for. Do not skip it.
Where to find toum in the US
Most Middle Eastern grocery stores carry toum in the refrigerated section. Trader Joe’s sometimes stocks it seasonally. You can also find it on Amazon if you can’t locate it locally. Once you have a jar in your fridge you will put it on everything.
