Shawarma-Spiced Grilled Chicken With Tahini-Yogurt Sauce

By Lidey Heuck

Updated April 1, 2024

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
About 4¼ hours
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour, plus 3 hours' chilling
Rating
5(1,555)
Comments
Read comments

This beginner-friendly chicken recipe from Lidey Heuck’s cookbook, “Cooking in Real Life” (S&S/Simon Element, 2024), is inspired by spices often used in shawarma, and uses several easy tricks to ensure juicy meat with a nice char. The chicken breasts are pounded slightly, just until they are an even thickness throughout, so they cook quickly and uniformly. (You can skip this step if you’re using thighs.) The yogurt in the marinade does double duty: It tenderizes the chicken and adds a layer of protection between the chicken and the hot grill. The chicken is served with a sprinkle of fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon juice and a quick, creamy tahini-yogurt sauce that pairs nicely with the warm spices. Should you have any leftover chicken, it would be delicious packed into a wrap with cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and extra tahini-yogurt sauce.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

FOR THE CHICKEN

  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander

  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger

  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • Salt and pepper

  • 1 ½ cups plain yogurt

  • ¼ cup minced yellow onion

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the grill

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (or a combination)

  • ½ lemon, for serving

  • Fresh parsley or mint leaves (optional), for serving

FOR THE TAHINI-YOGURT SAUCE

  • 1 cup plain yogurt

  • 2 tablespoons tahini

  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • ½ garlic clove, finely grated or minced

  • Salt

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

9 grams carbs; 179 milligrams cholesterol; 438 calories; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 19 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 840 milligrams sodium; 56 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the marinade: In a large bowl, combine the paprika, cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, allspice and cinnamon with 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the yogurt, onion, olive oil and garlic; mix well, then set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel. If using breasts, cut the breasts in half crosswise, so you have one thicker, rounded piece and one thinner, triangular piece. Working in batches, place the chicken pieces on a large cutting board and cover them with a sheet of parchment paper. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound the chicken until each piece is about the same thickness as the others, between ½-inch and ¾-inch-thick. (Be careful not to pound so hard that you tear the chicken.)

  3. Step 3

    Add the chicken to the marinade and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, make the tahini-yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice and garlic; season to taste with salt. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.

  5. Step 5

    Before grilling, let the chicken come to room temperature for 30 minutes. If using a charcoal or gas grill, clean the grates and brush them with oil. Set the grill to medium-high or heat a grill pan slicked with olive oil on the stovetop over medium-high.

  6. Step 6

    Lift the chicken from the marinade (no need to brush off excess marinade) and grill until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes on each side, covering the grill halfway through, if necessary, to retain the heat.

  7. Step 7

    Transfer the chicken to a plate, sprinkle generously with salt and squeeze the lemon half over the pieces. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or mint (if using) and serve the tahini-yogurt sauce on the side.

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5 out of 5
1,555 user ratings
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Comments

Cheryl

Suevee I agree, shawarma spice mix would be easier, more space-efficient and cheaper. However, perhaps you could consider 'beginner friendly' to mean an introduction to the basic spices of so many non-European cuisines? If you buy these, you have most of the spices you will need for Mexican, Thai, Middle Eastern and Indian cuisines!

EB

Yes, I have a recipe where you cook the chicken in the oven at 425 for 35-40 minutes for bone-in breasts and 45-50 for bone-in things. Adjust down a little for boneless, I would say.

Suevee

Beginner-friendly, indeed! What beginner cook wants to buy all those spices they may never use again? Save $15 or $20 and buy a bottle of Shawarma seasoning at your grocery or middle-eastern specialty store.

N Smith

Had this at a friend's house last night. Most definitely going into my own cookery. Delicious! The friend didn't comment on any difficulties or changes that he'd made.

Robert Robinson

Wait until it hits the grill! I was grilling the chicken tonight and a lawn care professional (downwind, in the neighbor's yard) stopped his riding mower and gave me a thumbs up...olfactory alchemy, indeed. For those who balk at buying the spices, there was not a single new spice that I had to buy. BTW, this is so good that you will be making this recipe again!

MoHi

Ok! I made this, on the charcoal Webber, but for the marinade I upped all the spices (sometimes .5-1 TBLS each). I tasted the marinade until it was at the level I wanted. I also added half a juiced lemon to the marinade. For the sauce, made a day in advance and left in the fridge: I added chopped parsley and granulated garlic, smoked paprika and Worcestershire sauce (I know! But trust) and a bit of lemon juice. The chicken was in the marinade for a day and a half, grilled over hot coals and turned over 3 minutes or so. Got really nice char, and stayed juicy! IT WAS AMAZINGLY GOOD!!! Great recipe to build on for advanced cooks! Make this

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