Description
A delicious Middle Eastern street food made with marinated chicken thighs cooked to perfection and served in pita with garlic sauce and fresh vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (900g) boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup (60ml) full-fat plain yogurt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 6 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1½ teaspoons sweet or smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon sumac
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon avocado or vegetable oil
- ½ cup (120g) full-fat Greek yogurt (for sauce)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated (for sauce)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (for sauce)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (for sauce)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (for sauce)
- 4–6 pieces warm pita or Arabic flatbread
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage or iceberg lettuce
- 2 Roma tomatoes, finely diced
- ½ red onion, very thinly sliced, tossed with 1 teaspoon sumac and a pinch of salt
- Pickled cucumbers or turnips
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Make the marinade by combining yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, sumac, cayenne, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth and adjust seasoning.
- Marinate the chicken by adding the thighs to the marinade, coating them completely, and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- Make the garlic sauce by combining Greek yogurt, grated garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Stir until smooth and refrigerate.
- Bring marinated chicken to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.
- Cook the chicken in a hot cast iron skillet with avocado oil for 5–7 minutes per side until golden brown and charred.
- Rest the cooked chicken for 5 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain.
- Build the wrap by warming pita, spreading garlic sauce, and adding cabbage, tomato, onion, sliced chicken, pickled vegetables, and parsley. Roll tightly and serve immediately.
Notes
Overnight marination improves flavor. Avoid marinating for more than 24 hours to maintain texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 wrap
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 75mg