When I was young, I would come home from school, with my backpack still on my back, and head to the kitchen to see what was for lunch. At least once a week, my grandma would have a pan sizzling with shawarma. It’s those flavors that I was seeking to re-create when we were developing our own shawarma blend.

To this day, this dish remains in our rotation of meals. Once a week, we have it on our table and everyone is happy. We love big, bold flavors around here and chicken shawarma hits the mark time and time again. To change things up, I sometimes replace part of the Shawarma Spice with our Ras El Hanout or Hawaij Spice. In the summertime, we fire up the grill and keep the chicken thighs whole–it’s a great and easy way to feed a crowd.

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 thighs)

6 tablespoons neutral oil

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

4 tablespoons New York Shuk Shawarma Spice or ½ cup Shawarma BBQ Sauce

1 large yellow onion, peeled

Cut the chicken thighs into small pieces. Place the chicken in a large bowl, add 3 tablespoons of the oil and season with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Add the Shawarma Spice or Shawarma BBQ Sauce. Toss to coat evenly. Set aside.

Cut the onion in half lengthwise, then crosswise into thin half-moons. Place the onions in a large sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat without stirring until they start to brown, about 1 minute. Stir the onions so that more of them are exposed to the heat of the pan and cook without stirring to promote more browning, about 1 minute. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and season with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized but still slightly firm. Transfer the onions to a bowl; set aside. 

If needed, wipe out the pan with a kitchen towel to remove any bits of onion. Set the pan over medium-high heat and add the chicken in a single layer. Sear the chicken without stirring for about 1 minute, then stir and continue cooking until the chicken is just cooked through. Add the caramelized onions and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt. 

Transfer the chicken to a platter. Serve with onion-sumac salad (finely sliced red onion and chopped parsley seasoned with olive oil and Preserved Lemon Paste, and sumac) plus tahini swirled with harissa and fresh pita bread.