Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 377 kcal
Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma requires very little hands-on time and delivers a delicious punch of bold flavor. Serve in a pita or flatbread or as part of a rice bowl, with hummus, garlic or tahini sauce, hot sauce, pickled baby cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes. Recipe can be made on the stovetop also!
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Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Shawarma
- ¼ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder or 3-inch piece of cinnamon stick
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves powdered
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup yogurt
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (1 kg) cut into 2 inch strips
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoon olive oil (for stovetop version, or for optional browning of Instant Pot version)
- Chopped parsley for garnish
- pita to serve
- Toppings: lettuce, tomatoes
- Optional toppings: cucumbers, sliced onions, hummus, feta cheese, pickled cucumbers, french fries or sweet potato fries
Garlic Sauce / White Sauce
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt or whole milk yogurt
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- ⅛ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon garlic minced
- ½ jalapeno pepper chopped finely (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine coriander, cumin, paprika, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice, yogurt, and garlic.
- Add chicken to the marinade and stir. Refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight if you have the time.
Instant Pot Instructions for Shawarma
- Transfer chicken to Instant Pot inner pot.
- Add bay leaves and stir to combine. Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally. If you're in a hurry, do a 10 minute natural pressure release (NPR) i.e. allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, and release remaining pressure using quick release (QR). [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Stir chicken and sauce.
- Transfer chicken to a serving dish using a slotted spoon, draining well.
- Optional but recommended: Heat olive oil in a large frying pan or cast iron skillet. Saute the chicken till lightly browned, adding some of the reserved sauce to deglaze and keep the chicken moist.
Stovetop Instructions for Shawarma
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add olive oil. Saute chicken for about 10 minutes, or until chicken browns.
- Transfer chicken to a serving dish.
Garlic Sauce / White Sauce
- Combine all ingredients for garlic sauce / white sauce in a medium bowl.
- Whisk together until smooth and set aside.
Chicken Shawarma Assembly
- If necessary, lightly heat the pita to make it pliable
- Spread garlic sauce/white sauce on the pita
- Add lettuce and tomatoes
- Add your choice of optional toppings
- Add chicken on top
- Garnish with chopped parsley
Notes
- This recipe was tested with a 6 quart Instant Pot.
- Instead of using lettuce and tomatoes, try substituting this Mediterranean Salad.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 pita sandwich | Calories: 377 kcal | Carbohydrates: 39 g | Protein: 37 g | Fat: 8 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 128 mg | Sodium: 441 mg | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 2 g
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