Chicken Shawarma Latkes
I love you a latke- Chicken Shawarma Latkes to be exact! Shawarma spiced latkes topped with chicken shawarma, Israeli salad, tahini sauce and schug!
Sometimes people (okay my mom) ask what my favorite recipe is the blog is. I can’t pick favorites (with food that is, with people no problem) but I will say the recipe we make the most is Chicken Shawarma Lettuce Wraps! Usually, we do it over lettuce in salad form, but the components remain the same. It’s good in a pita too of course. Or these shawarma stuffed peppers!
Anyway, it’s probably my husband’s most requested dish I make him! So when it came time to come up with some unique latkes recipes this year I thought to myself, self, what about combining your favorite healthy dinner with your favorite version of fried potatoes (not including French fries). And chicken shawarma latkes were born! You could get really creative with the toppings here, but I used homemade schug (a spicy Israeli condiment), tahini sauce (my love) and Israeli salad for freshness. Ooh and eggplant because who doesn’t love eggplant? The cool and spicy and fresh and fried is all just too good together. Maybe add these toppings to your latkes bar party?!
Make all the tasty items first and then fry up your latkes. Then put together and nosh.
Look how crispy that chicken is! Yesss. Okay these latkes look like a lot of steps. I hear you. But you can totally make most of the things ahead of time. The schug and tahini sauce are great made ahead. And the chicken shawarma can be refried and made extra crispy before serving.
Even the latkes can be made ahead of time with my top 10 latkes tips!
Then when everyone comes over, you will have the latkes all ready and you can just sit back and eat and enjoy. You can easily double this for a crowd, or just for yourself. I usually double the chicken anyway because it’s so good and makes good leftovers.
Hello, my pretty latke! Fried eggplant optional (not optional).
Chicken Shawarma Latkes
Ingredients
- For the schug:
- 4 jalapenos trimmed
- 2 cups cilantro leaves
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- For the chicken:
- 1 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 1/2 tbsp. olive oil plus more for frying
- Juice from 1/2 lemon divided
- 3/4 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/4 tbsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. allspice
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. sumac
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. cardamom
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
- For the tahini cream sauce:
- 2 tablespoons tahini paste
- ¼ cup mayonnaise Greek yogurt works too if you aren’t keeping it parve
- Juice from ½ lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Water to thin
- For the Israeli salad:
- 1 large English cucumber seeded and diced
- 2 plum tomatoes seeded and diced
- ½ small red onion small diced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Juice from ½ lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon za’atar
- For the latkes:
- 2.5 cups about 1 pound russet potatoes, washed and peeled
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or matzo meal
- 1/2 tablespoon potato starch optional
- 3/4 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/4 tbsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. allspice
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. sumac
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. cardamom
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
- ½ cup canola oil
- Optional: za’atar and grilled or fried eggplant
Instructions
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Let’s make the schug. You can make it up to a week in advance! Use it like hot sauce on everything. In a food processor, combine jalapenos, cilantro, garlic, cumin, and cardamom. Add lemon juice and olive oil until you have a texture you like, I like it chunky. Season with salt to taste.
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Now, it’s chicken time. Combine all the chicken spices together in a small bowl.
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Place diced chicken in a large bowl and toss with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and juice from 1/4 lemon. Add in shawarma seasonings and toss to combine and coat. You can use it right away or marinate for up to 1 day for even more shawarma flavor.
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To make the creamy tahini sauce, mix together all ingredients in a medium bowl (or a mini food processor) and add enough water to get a thick but runny texture. Feel free to double this and use extra on veggies, salmon, etc.
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To make the Israeli salad, combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl except the za’atar. Sprinkle on za’atar right before serving. This is best the day it’s made. Don’t make this one ahead!
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Now, the latkes! Start by shredding your potatoes with a grater (or a food processor if you must) into a bowl of ice water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove potatoes, squeezing out the moisture into the water. Dry potatoes very well with towels. Let sit 10 minutes for starch to accumulate on the bottom. Carefully drain water, reserving the white starch on the bottom. This part is optional, but helps make crispier latkes with soft insides. You can also add potato starch.
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Place potatoes in a large bowl, dry again very well. Then add in the egg, flour and all the shawarma spice and reserved starch and combine.
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Set up a cooling rack over paper towels.
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Meanwhile, heat up canola oil in a large saute pan. A dab of schmaltz never hurt either my Bubbe always says. Scoop heaping spoonfuls of the potato mixture and flatten slightly and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and fry the other side. Sprinkle with more salt and drain on a rack over paper towels.
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Okay, back to the chicken. When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken in batches- do not crowd the pan, you want to be able to get the chicken nice and crispy. If you want to cook it ahead of time, you can always cook the chicken up to a day ahead, cool and refrigerate, and then extra crispy it up in more oil before serving! The chicken doesn’t dry out because the thighs have enough fat. Yay for fat!
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Drizzle cooked chicken with remaining lemon juice and serve immediately with latkes and all the toppings. Enjoy!
