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Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma Recipe
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4.8 from 11 reviews

A flavorful and tender Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma recipe that uses a blend of Middle Eastern spices and slow-cooked chicken breasts, finished with a crisp pan-fry for authentic texture. Optional lemon tahini sauce adds a creamy, tangy complement perfect for wraps, salads, or served with rice.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

  • 2 lbs chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
  • 1/2 cup water

For the Spice Mix

  • 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

Ingredients for Frying

  • 1/4 cup olive oil (divided; you may need a little less)

Ingredients for Tahini Sauce (optional)

  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons water (or as much as needed to reach desired consistency)
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • Generous pinch fine sea salt (to taste)

Instructions

  1. Slow Cook the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts in the bowl of your slow cooker and add 1/2 cup of water. Cook on high for 2 hours until the chicken is fully cooked, the juices run clear, and the fat has rendered out.
  2. Slice the Chicken: When cooked, remove the chicken and slice each breast thinly against the grain for tenderness.
  3. Prepare the Spice Mix: In a large bowl, combine ground cumin, ground sumac, chili powder, sweet paprika, granulated garlic, fine sea salt, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix well and set aside.
  4. Heat the Pan: Preheat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy bottomed skillet just large enough to hold all the sliced chicken in a single layer. This will help avoid drying out the chicken.
  5. Season and Fry the Chicken: Add the sliced chicken to the pan. Sprinkle the spice mix evenly over the chicken. Let it fry undisturbed until the bottom develops a crisp texture.
  6. Flip and Coat: Pour 1 tablespoon more olive oil over the chicken and gently flip and stir to coat evenly with spices. If the chicken sticks on flipping, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and stir gently.
  7. Finish Cooking: Remove the chicken from the pan as soon as it reaches your desired level of crispness to prevent drying out.
  8. Prepare the Tahini Sauce (Optional): Combine tahini, lemon juice, water, minced garlic, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust water as needed for consistency.
  9. Serve: Serve the crispy shawarma chicken immediately, optionally drizzled with the lemon tahini sauce. This dish pairs wonderfully with pita bread, rice, or fresh salads.

Notes

  • You can prepare the slow cooker chicken a day or several days ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • To serve, pan-fry the pre-cooked chicken with the spice mix and olive oil just before eating to reheat and develop the crispy texture.
  • For extra flavor, serve in pita with fresh vegetables, pickles, and tahini sauce.
  • Adjust the chili powder for heat preference.
  • If you do not have sumac, you may substitute with a squeeze of lemon juice when serving for tanginess.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://flavorspath.com/slow-cooker-chicken-shawarma-recipe/