Chicken & turkey· GF · DF

Chicken Shawarma

Name: Chicken Shawarma
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 700g chicken thigh fillets; 2 (300g) onions, sliced; 2 (320g) red peppers, sliced short; 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes; 30g tomato purée; 4 cloves (20g) garlic; 30ml (1 lemon) lemon juice; 12g cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon; 1g chilli flakes; 15g fresh parsley; 15ml rapeseed oil; 1 cube chicken stock cube; 200ml water, to make up the stock

Shredded chicken thighs with cumin, coriander, paprika and cinnamon, cooked down with peppers and onion. Made for wraps.

makes 22 blocks, about 40p each

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BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/recipes/chicken-shawarma/

Illustration of a bowl of Chicken Shawarma

Time: 1 hr10 min prep · 50 min cook
Makes: 22 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 40p
Calories per blockCalories: 65 kcal
Spice: 2 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

blocks

700gchicken thigh fillets
2 (300g)onions, sliced
2 (320g)red peppers, sliced short
1 × 400g tinchopped tomatoes
30gtomato purée
4 cloves (20g)garlic
30ml (1 lemon)lemon juice
12gcumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon
1gchilli flakes
15gfresh parsley
15mlrapeseed oil
1 cubechicken stock cube
200mlwater, to make up the stock

Allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the ingredients as listed. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Serve it

Warm flatbreads with garlic yoghurt and salad · Over rice with pickled red cabbage · Loaded fries with chilli sauce

Method

Step 1: Toss the chicken with half the spices and half the lemon juice and leave for 10 minutes while you slice the veg.
Step 2: Heat the oil in a large casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken on both sides; lift out. (8 min)
Step 3: Lower the heat to medium and soften the onions and peppers for 8 minutes. Add the garlic, purée, chilli and remaining spices for 1 minute.
Step 4: Add the tomatoes and stock, return the chicken, cover and simmer gently until tender. (30 min)
Step 5: Shred the chicken in the pan and simmer uncovered until thick. (10 min) Stir in the rest of the lemon juice and the parsley, season, cool and freeze.

Hotter: add 1 tsp chilli flakes or serve with Lebanese chilli sauce.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	65	6.9g	3.8g	2.5g	0.9g	0.26g
Per 3 blocks	195	20.7g	11.4g	7.5g	2.7g	0.78g

Cook’s notes

Stir a spoon of garlic yoghurt through at serving; don't freeze it in.
Thighs stay juicy; breast works but cook it for 20 minutes.
Pickled chillies make a great topping.

Serve it

Warm flatbreads with garlic yoghurt and salad · Over rice with pickled red cabbage · Loaded fries with chilli sauce.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 195 kcal and 20.7g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Chicken Shawarma questions

Why brown the chicken before it simmers?

Browning gives the chicken a deeper, roasted flavour that stands in for the char of a spit, and the browned bits on the base of the pan flavour the sauce. If your casserole is small, brown it in two batches so it colours rather than steams.

Can I make it with lamb?

Diced lamb shoulder suits these spices well. Brown it the same way, then simmer it covered for about an hour, adding a splash more water if it gets dry, before shredding.

How thick should it be before freezing?

Simmer it uncovered until the sauce clings to the shredded chicken rather than pooling in the pan. A drier mix keeps wraps from going soggy.