Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma recipe delivers tender, flavorful chicken breasts infused with authentic Middle Eastern spices. The chicken is first slow-cooked to perfection, then pan-fried with a fragrant spice blend for a crispy, delicious finish. Served with a creamy lemon tahini sauce, this dish makes for a perfect family dinner or an impressive meal to share with guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Spice Mix
- 2 lbs chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground sumac
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Generous pinch ground cloves
- 1/4 cup olive oil (divided, you may need a little less)
Lemon Tahini Sauce
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water (or as much as needed for desired consistency)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Generous pinch fine sea salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Slow cook the chicken: Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker bowl and add 1/2 cup water. Cook on high for 2 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked through, juices run clear, and fat has rendered out.
- Slice the chicken: Remove chicken from the slow cooker and slice each breast against the grain into thin strips.
- Prepare the spice mix: In a large bowl, combine cumin, sumac, chili powder, sweet paprika, granulated garlic, sea salt, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- Preheat the pan: Over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet just large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer.
- Spice the chicken: Add sliced chicken to the hot skillet and evenly sprinkle the prepared spice mix over the chicken pieces.
- Fry the chicken to crisp: Allow the chicken to cook undisturbed to develop a crisp exterior on one side.
- Flip and coat: Drizzle 1 tablespoon more olive oil over the chicken, flip the pieces gently, and stir to coat in the spices. If chicken sticks, add remaining tablespoon oil and continue stirring gently.
- Remove when crisped: Once the chicken is crisped to your liking, immediately remove it from the pan to prevent overcooking.
- Prepare lemon tahini sauce: In a blender, combine tahini, lemon juice, water, minced garlic, and sea salt. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Serve: Serve the crispy chicken hot with lemon tahini sauce on the side or drizzled over, along with your choice of accompaniments such as pita bread or salad.
Notes
- To prevent the chicken from drying out during pan frying, make sure to keep the heat medium-high and avoid moving the chicken too much while crisping.
- Serving suggestions: Serve shawarma with warm pita bread, fresh cucumber and tomato salad, pickled vegetables, or a drizzle of extra lemon tahini sauce.
- For a meal variation, consider adding chopped fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro as a garnish.
- The lemon tahini sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
