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Shawarma Lettuce Wraps

Chicken Shawarma Lettuce Wraps

Amy Kritzer
A gluten free twist on the best Middle Eastern sandwich!
5 from 14 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine Israeli
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • For the chicken:
  • 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil plus more for frying
  • Juice from 1 lemon divided
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp. paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. allspice
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. sumac
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp. cardamom
  • 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper

  • For the Israeli salad:
  • 1 large English cucumber seeded and diced
  • 2 plum tomatoes seeded and diced
  • 1/2 small red onion small diced
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon za'atar

  • For the tahini cream sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons tahini paste
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise Greek yogurt works too if you aren't keeping it parve
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Water to thin

  • Other stuff:
  • 2 medium Chinese eggplant sliced into 1/4 inch slices, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted on a parchment lined sheet pan at 400 until tender (optional, this is good warm or cold)
  • 1 head Bibb lettuce
  • Amba sauce optional

Instructions
 

  • First, combine all the chicken spices together in a small bowl.
  • Place chopped chicken in a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and juice from 1/2 lemon. Add in shawarma seasonings and toss to coat. You can use it right away or marinate for up to 1 day for even more flavor.
  • To make the Israeli salad, toss together 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.
  • To make the creamy tahini sauce, mix together all ingredients in a medium bowl and add enough water to get a thick but runny texture. Feel free to double this and use extra on veggies, salmon, etc.
  • When 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- careful not to 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. We actually prefer it this way!
  • Drizzle cooked chicken with remaining lemon juice and serve immediately in lettuce, with eggplant, Israeli salad, and tahini cream sauce.
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