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sheetpan-shawarma

I think most people would agree when I say that shawarma deserves a place in the top 5 sandwiches of all time. Crispy, juicy chicken, spiced to perfection thrown into the sandwich with the WORKS. It's tough to beat. One little problem, though–it can be SO HARD to recreate that slow-roasted-on-the-pit texture that makes shawarma so good. I doubt any of you have a pit at home lying around, so I recipe tested and perfected this recipe for you (and for me too of course). I see many people are searing it whole then slicing it, but that's just gives us a "shawarma spiced" chicken–still delicious, but not quite shawarma. Others will slice it then either cook it over a high heat or broil it in the oven, but I find that it comes out dry that way. The superior method I've found is to bake it 70% of the way in the oven before resting, slicing, and throwing it back in to broil until crispy. Doing this has gotten me closest result to the traditional stuff. The best part is how EASY it is–even giant batches to feed large groups doesn't really take much extra effort since it's all done in the oven. Shawarma can be eaten with anything you like. I look for toppings/sides that are light, crisp, and acidic. Here I made it with a sumac slaw that has some cabbage, red onion, parsley, and serranos because I like spice. My favorite sauce to eat with shawarma is a quick tahini. Go with whatever makes you happy.

Ingredients