How to make homemade turkey shawarma and chicken shawarma recipe

בס"ד

I made shawarma at home in the past, but it never seemed as good as the ones sold in the shawarma stands.
I knew the popular cut to use in making shawarma is skinless, boneless turkey thighs. And every recipe I tried didn't yield the outcome I was so looking for.
This time I decided to work according to chefs' Avi Biton secret, and the shawarma came out fantastic!

Every time I go to the supermarket, I see that specific chicken cut meant for shawarma, and I skip it since I don't know how to make great shawarma with it.
When I wanted to get it, I only found one pack, and it looked odd. So I took the next best thing I could find - red meat turkey.

I asked the butcher what cut is the red meat exactly, and he said, "boneless skinless turkey legs (drumsticks)."
I remembered my sister said that people use it in shawarma too, so I decided to purchase it along with a pack of boneless skinless chicken thighs (also known as pargiyot in Israel).

Avi Biton's secret was to massage the cuts with shawarma spice and oil and bake in the oven. Then, you let the bakes cuts cool completely, chop and fry in a pan with olive oil and lamb fat.

I decided to try this concept, and the shawarma was so delicious and juicy. I only managed to take photos from the leftovers, since how can you make shawarma and not eat it fresh from the pan?! :-)
Basically, chicken thighs are juicer than the legs, so you can definitely make this recipe using the turkey thighs.

Homemade turkey and chicken shawarma/recipe: con delight
ingredients:
1 pack of boneless skinless chicken thighs or legs (1 kilo/2.2 pound)
1 package of boneless skinless chicken thighs (pargiot) (About 1.1 kilo/2.4 pounds)
Shawarma spice
Olive oil
3 onions, thinly sliced

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 180C/356F.
Rinse the chicken cuts and pat dry using a paper towel. Transfer to a baking pan with baking paper.
Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the cuts and sprinkle with the shawarma spice mix. Rub the olive oil and spice to the meat.
Bake for 25 minutes in the oven. Once done, take them out of the oven and let cool for at least 10-15 minutes.
You don't need to let them cool completely, just until you can cut them easily without getting a burn. I started recently cutting the slices using a food processor. I cut the slices into large chunks using a knife and process in the food processor. Careful not too much, so you won't get a paste.

Meanwhile, when the cuts are chilling, fry the onion in a pan with a bit of olive oil until golden. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
If the pan is dirty, clean it or use another pan for the cuts.
Once the cuts are chilled enough so you can cut them, slice into thin strips (cut to the size and thickness of your liking).
The chicken cuts (pargiot) are easily sliced with a serrated knife. However, turkey cuts are a different situation. They are more easily torn by hand, then sliced with a knife.
The turkey cut might have bones in it, so make sure to remove them so no one will get a pit or laffa (taboon bread) with a bone.

Preheat oil in a pan and add the chicken and turkey cuts. Season with the shawarma mix again as much as you like, mix and fry for 2-3- minutes. Add the onions and check for seasoning. Add salt if needed. We enjoyed this one without any added salt. Cook for an extra 1 minute, and that is it.
Serve alongside a salad and tahini or just like in the shawarma stalls inside a pita or a laffa with hummus, tahini, pickles, homemade French fries, tomato, and cucumber salad and lots of shawarma.
Enjoy!

*To add extra flavor, you can mince lamb fat and cook in the pan with the shawarma cuts. To keep this dish healthy and not add more calories than needed, it is recommended to skip the lamb fat as I did. It is just as delicious and great as without it.