Chicken Shawarma Salad Tahini (Printable version)

Tender spiced chicken served over tomato, cucumber, and onion salad with creamy tahini dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
05 - 1 teaspoon ground coriander
06 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - Juice of 1 lemon

→ Salad

12 - 3 medium tomatoes, diced
13 - 1 large cucumber, diced
14 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
15 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
16 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
17 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
18 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Tahini Dressing

19 - 1/3 cup tahini
20 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
21 - 2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
22 - 1 clove garlic, finely minced
23 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

# How to Make It:

01 - In a bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, salt, and lemon juice. Add chicken thighs and toss to coat evenly. Marinate for at least 15 minutes or refrigerate up to 8 hours.
02 - Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes per side until fully cooked and nicely charred. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice into strips.
03 - In a large bowl, combine diced tomatoes, cucumber, sliced red onion, and chopped parsley. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently and set aside.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, water, minced garlic, and salt until smooth. Add additional water as needed to achieve a pourable consistency.
05 - Divide the salad among serving plates. Top each with sliced chicken and drizzle generously with tahini dressing.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • All the warm spices and charred edges of shawarma, but lighter and faster to pull together on a weeknight.
  • The tahini dressing is so good you'll want to drizzle it on everything, from roasted vegetables to leftover rice.
  • It holds up beautifully in the fridge, so you can meal prep it and actually look forward to lunch the next day.
02 -
  • Don't skip resting the chicken after cooking, cutting it too soon lets all the juices run out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
  • The tahini dressing will seize up and look broken when you first add the lemon juice, but keep whisking and adding water and it will smooth out beautifully.
  • If your skillet isn't hot enough, the chicken will steam instead of sear and you'll miss out on those crispy, flavorful edges.
03 -
  • Marinate the chicken the night before and let it sit in the fridge, the flavors will deepen and the chicken will be even more tender.
  • If your tahini dressing is too thick, add water one tablespoon at a time until it's the consistency of heavy cream.
  • Taste the salad before serving and adjust the lemon, salt, and pepper, a little extra brightness or seasoning can make all the difference.
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