Since I can no longer eat pita bread or gyros meat (because it contains breadcrumbs), this is the best I can do for a Greek food fix. Luckily, this combination is fabulous.

Chicken Shawarma

I suspect you can also use boneless chicken breast for shawarma, but thighs make it much juicier and more flavorful.

Ingredients:

  • 2–2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 6 cloves fresh garlic, crushed, peeled, and minced
  • 1 tbsp. ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp. ground cardamom
  • 2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/2–1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp. turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. ground allspice

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients except chicken in gallon-sized zipper bag, mixing thoroughly.
  2. Add chicken, expel air, seal bag, and squish around with hands to completely coat each piece of chicken with marinade.
  3. Refrigerate overnight, up to 24 hours.
  4. Preheat grill to medium-high.
  5. Grill chicken for about 5 minutes, until well charred on first side.
  6. Flip chicken and continue cooking until internal temperature of 165°F is reached (approximately 3-5 minutes more).
  7. Remove chicken from grill, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
  8. Slice chicken thinly, and serve with yogurt sauce and Israeli salad.

Yoghurt Sauce

This is the perfect compliment to chicken shawarma, especially if you find the chicken too spicy for your tastes.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Greek yoghurt
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients, and refrigerate until needed.

Israeli Salad

This salad is pretty forgiving of ingredient proportions. Just dice the vegetables finely, and adjust things as needed, based on what you have on hand.

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium or 2 extra large tomatoes
  • 1 English cucumber (or 4 small Persian cucumbers, or 3 medium pickling cucumbers)
  • 1/2 medium red onion
  • 2 bell peppers (red, yellow, orange, or green)
  • 1 handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 1 handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 2–4 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Dice vegetables very fine.
  2. Place in bowl and toss with remaining ingredients.
  3. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until needed.