CHICKEN SHAWARMA WITH HARISSA AIOLI
Jason Glover
6
30 minutes
16 minutes
650
This homemade chicken shawarma is all about the spices! It's a long list but so worth it! Add some heat to it with a simple harissa aioli and serve with fluffy, saffron rice and simple yet flavorful lemon dressed greens.

Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lbs boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp shawarma spice blend
- 2 tbsp homemade spice blend (recipe below)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Spice Blend
- Fennel seeds
- Whole black peppercorns
- Coriander seeds
- Cinnamon sticks
- Za'atar
- Cardamom pods
- Whole cloves
- Urfa Biber chili
- Sumac
- Ground cardamom
Saffron Rice
- 1 ½ cups basmati rice
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 3 saffron threads
- Black caraway seeds
Harissa Aioli
- ¼ cup veganaise
- 1 tbsp harissa paste (adjust to taste)
- harissa paste
- (adjust to taste)
Lemon Dressed Greens
- Mixed greens
- Lemon wedges
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Maldon sea salt
Garnishes
- Pickled turnips
- Microgreens
Tools
- Mortar and pestle
- Small bowl
- Medium bowl
- Grill
- Saucepan
- Instant read thermometer
Directions
- Add equal parts of all of the spices to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind until well combined and finely ground.
- Combine the chicken thighs, olive oil, shawarma blend, and spice mixture in a large bowl and mix until the chicken is well coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for about 24 hours to really let the flavors develop.
- Combine the rice, water, onion, and saffron threads in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover and let stand for 12 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork and set aside until ready to serve.
- Preheat your grill to med-high heat and lightly oil the grates.
- Place your marinated chicken, skin side down, on the preheated grill and cook for 5-8 minutes per side, until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached.
- Remove from the grill and let rest.
- In a small bow, whisk together the veganaise and harissa paste. Taste and adjust to desired spice level. Set aside.
- To prepare the greens, fill a medium bowl with mixed greens and dress with a few squeezes of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of maldon salt. Toss until the greens are well coated.
- To assemble, start with a few spoonfuls of rice on a plate. Sprinkle the rice with a bit of black caraway seeds.
- Add a chicken thigh and some of the lemon dressed greens to the plate as well as a couple of pickled turnips and a few microgreens.
- Top the chicken with a dollop of the harissa aioli and serve this beautiful, restaurant-quality dish!