Garlicky Shawarma Wraps with Lemon-Tahini Sauce

“Shawarma,” an Arabic term, refers to a method of cooking meat on a spit—often a vertical one—and shaving ultra-thin slices to build sandwiches, typically wraps and pitas.

In Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, shawarma is typically prepared with lamb, goat, beef, or poultry and served with a variety of sauces and vegetable toppings such as hummus or other tahini-based condiments, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and eggplant. (“Shawarma” is also the name of the sandwiches created in this method.)

Most home cooks, like me, don’t have a vertical spit on hand to prepare authentic shawarma. For this recipe, I seared thin strips of chicken breast on a stovetop griddle. You also can use a grill pan or outdoor grill—the key is to cook the chicken quickly in very little oil so that it doesn’t fry.

Thinly Sliced Chicken Breast

Garlic is a typical flavor in shawarma dishes, and I used it liberally in this recipe—in both the marinade and the sauce. The sauce is an important component in the dish, boldly flavored with a few, simple ingredients. Rich, creamy tahini and lots of bright, tart lemon juice combine for a delicious finish for the garlicky chicken and fresh vegetables.

Note: The tahini will seize quickly into a thick paste when blended with the lemon juice. That’s why the water is necessary to give it a thinner, pourable consistency that still has creamy, velvety texture.  

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Lemon-Tahini Sauce

• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup sesame tahini
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• sea salt
• 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Lemon-Tahini Sauce Ingredients 

For the Shawarma Wraps

• 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 round flatbreads or pocketless pitas, about 7 1/2 inches in diameter, warmed (warming them makes them more pliable for folding)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 cup thin, half-moon tomato slices
• 1 cup thin, half-moon cucumber slices
• steamed basmati rice, for serving (optional)

Garlic and Spice Mixture for the Marinade

Vegetables for the Wraps

Preparation

For the Lemon-Tahini Sauce

1. Place the first 6 ingredients (through cumin) in a food processor and process until thin but creamy. Pour into a bowl and season with salt. Stir in the parsley.

Lemon-Tahini Sauce with Parsley Ready to Stir In

Lemon-Tahini Sauce

For the Shawarma Wraps

1. Place the garlic and next four ingredients (through coriander) in a large bowl. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of oil and add the chicken. Toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

Marinade for Chicken

Marinated Chicken

1. Heat a large cast-iron griddle over medium-high heat and brush with oil. Remove the chicken strips from the bowl (with marinade clinging to it) and season with salt and pepper. Sear the chicken until tender and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

Chicken Beginning to Sear

Seared Chicken

1. Lay 4 sheets of aluminum foil (about 12 X 10-inch sheets) on a work surface and place a piece of flatbread on each with 3 to 4 inches of the bread extending over the top of the foil.

Warmed Flatbread Ready for Filling

1. Spread a generous amount of lemon-tahini sauce across the middle of each flatbread and divide the chicken strips on top. Divide the lettuce, tomato, and cucumber on top of the chicken and drizzle each generously with more sauce.

Sauce and Chicken on the Flatbread

Flatbread and Filling Ready to Wrap

1. Fold the sides of the bread over the filing and fold the bottom part of the foil over the shawarma. Pull up the sides of the foil and wrap the sandwich tightly, leaving the top third open.

Foil-Wrapped Shawarma

To serve, place the foil-wrapped shawarma on each of 4 plates and serve steamed Basmatic rice alongside, if desired.