Here is a recipe for the classic street-side flavor bomb, usually cooked on a rotisserie, that you can make at home. It’s fantastic topped with tzatziki sauce and served on naan bread. Sous vide cooking chicken breast is my favorite way to cook chicken shawarma because it’s incredibly easy and consistently yields tender, juicy results. You can also use the same seasoning as a marinade and grill or bake chicken thighs. Tzatziki is a refreshing combination of cucumber, Greek yogurt, and spices that works as a great dip or a topping for dishes like shawarma.
Why it works
Chicken breast is a high protein meat that’s low in saturated fat, and really hard to cook well. Sous vide makes cooking juicy chicken breast simple. Sous vide chicken thighs are too mushy for me, so if you want to make shawarma with chicken thighs, I recommend making a marinade and baking, or grilling them.
Nutrition
Combined these make a high protein 38 g!, low carb 7 g main course that’s low in saturated fat, and loaded with selenium and B vitamins.
Chicken Shawarma
Estimated nutrition for a serving sous vide chicken breast.
| Nutrient | Amount | % RDA* |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | ~155 kcal | 8% |
| Protein | ~29 g | 58% |
| Total Fat | ~3.5 g | 4% |
| • Saturated fat | ~1.0 g | 5% |
| • Monounsaturated fat | ~1.4 g | — |
| • Polyunsaturated fat | ~0.7 g | — |
| Carbohydrates | ~2 g | <1% |
| • Fiber | ~0.7 g | 3% |
| • Sugars** | ~0.2 g | — |
| Sodium | ~380 mg | 16% |
| Potassium | ~420 mg | 9% |
| Iron | ~0.9 mg | 5% |
| Zinc | ~0.8 mg | 7% |
| Phosphorus | ~220 mg | 18% |
| Selenium | ~24 mcg | 44% |
| Vitamin B6 | ~0.6 mg | 35% |
| Vitamin B12 | ~0.3 mcg | 12% |
| Niacin (B3) | ~11 mg | 70% |
Tzatziki
| Nutrient | Amount | % RDA / DV |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | ~118 kcal | — |
| Protein | ~9.3 g | ~19% |
| Total Carbohydrates | ~5 g | ~2% |
| • Fiber | ~0.6–0.8 g | ~2–3% |
| • Sugars | ~2.5–3 g | — |
| Total Fat | ~8.2 g | ~11% |
| • Monounsaturated fat | ~6 g | — |
| • Polyunsaturated fat | ~0.8 g | — |
| • Saturated fat | ~1.1–1.3 g | ~6% |
| Calcium | ~140–160 mg | ~11–12% |
| Sodium | ~275–300 mg | ~12–13% |
| Potassium | ~125–175 mg | ~3–4% |
| Vitamin C | ~2–4 mg | ~3–5% |
| Vitamin K | ~8–12 mcg | ~7–10% |
| Vitamin B12 | ~0.25–0.4 mcg | ~10–15% |
Chicken Shawarma – Sous Vide, Baked or Grilled
Equipment
- 1 immersion circulator recommended
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless chicken boneless skinless breast or thighs
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper reduce to 1/2 tsp to make it not spicy
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder 1 clove fresh for marinade
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin for marinade
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice for marinade
Instructions
Mix Seasonings
- Combine 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground cardamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and Black pepper in a small bowl.You can use 1 clove chopped fresh garlic if you will marinade.
To sous vide chicken breast
- Pre-heat sous vide to 142℉
- Pat chicken dry, then sprinkle liberally with seasoning mix.
- Vacuum seal, or ziplock chicken and use the water dispersion method to remove air from the bag.
- Sous vide at 142℉ for 1½-4 hours.
- Optionally, dry and sear on high heat, or brown with a torch.
To bake, or grill chicken thighs
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon lemon juice to seasoning mix.
- Marinade the chicken for 3 – 16 hours.
- Remove and discard marinade.
- Grill or bake to 165℉.
Serve
- Serve with Tzatziki, on Naan.
Notes
Tzatziki
Equipment
- 1 box grater
Ingredients
- 2 cup grated cucumber
- 1 ½ cup plain Greek yogurt low fat
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 medium clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Wash and grate 2 cup grated cucumber.
- Place cucumber in muslin cloth, cheese cloth, or kitchen towel.Add ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Allow liquid to drain for 15 minutes.
- Squeeze water from cucumber
- Add the yogurt, olive oil, herbs, lemon juice, and garlic, and stir to blend. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Season to taste.
- I prefer tzatziki chilled, preferably overnight, but you can eat it immediately. Leftover tzatziki keeps well, chilled, for about 4 days.