Oh man…how I love shawarma…There’s the burst of lemony goodness and so many flavors from the spices and oh the toppings…mmm toppings. It’s like a pita pocket of heavenly goodness. This is super quick and easy and works great as a meal prep! Just coat them in the marinade and pop them into the freezer and whenever you need protein or a quick meal all you have to do is pull it out and pop it into the oven. I usually like to cut them into bite sized pieces before marinating so I don’t have to cut it afterwards. (Lazy to the extreme) That and I feel like the delicious marinade gets to more surface area and coats every single bite. Oh! and don’t forget the onions, once they’re coated in the marinade they get cooked down to these caramelized golden brown yumminess that pairs perfectly inside the pita pockets.

I adapted this recipe from JoCooks.com….and she’s one of my favorite food bloggers. Her recipes are always  on point and super yummy. Totally check out her website, you’ll find everything and anything on there!

Ingredients:

• 2 lb chicken breast boneless and skinless (I prefer cutting them into thin bite sized pieces but you can leave them whole and then slice after)
• 2 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika works fine)
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• ⅛ tsp ground coriander (optional)
• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• Juice from 2 lemons
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 cups sliced onions
• Pita pockets

Optional toppings: Hummus, olives, jalapeño, lettuce, banana peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, tzatziki sauce or whatever you heart desires. 🙂

Directions:

1. In a large bowl add 2 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp turmeric, 2 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, ⅛ tsp ground coriander (optional), ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper (optional), 4 cloves garlic minced, juice from 2 lemons, ½ cup olive oil and whisk well.
2. Add the chicken and toss making sure the chicken is well coated in the marinade. (if you leave them whole then I suggest poking it with a fork a couple times on both sides so the marinade can seep through and flavor the inside) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, but preferably overnight. The longer the meat marinates the more flavor you’ll have.
3. Add sliced onion to bowl with chicken and toss well so that the onion is fully coated in the marinade.
4. In a large pot add a tbsp of oil, add the chicken and onions into the pot and cook until the chicken is browned and cooked on the inside. It shouldn’t take too long since the chicken was sliced thinly.
5. Optional: You can add a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce if you want. (Just add 1 tbsp cornstarch to 1 tbsp water in a small bowl to make slurry and then add to the pot and mix until thickened.
6. Place inside a warmed pita pocket and add desired toppings or eat as is!

Original recipe adapted from: http://www.jocooks.com/healthy-eating/oven-roasted-chicken-shawarma/