Chicken Shawarma Wraps with Pickles and Garlic Sauce

Name: Chicken Shawarma Wraps with Pickles and Garlic Sauce
Prep time: 43 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 18 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 2 lb (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and patted dry; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; ½ cup (120 g) plain whole-milk yogurt; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, finely grated or minced; 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cumin; 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground coriander; 2 teaspoons (5 g) sweet paprika; 1 teaspoon (3 g) ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground allspice; ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) ground cardamom; 1 teaspoon (2 g) freshly ground black pepper; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) cayenne pepper (optional); 2 teaspoons (8 g) kosher salt; 6 rounds (420 g) thin flatbread (lavash or thin pita), 8–9 inches (20–23 cm) across, at room temperature, soft and pliable; ¾ cup (180 g) toum (Lebanese garlic sauce), at room temperature; 1 cup (150 g) pickled cucumbers (dill pickles or Lebanese pickles), drained, patted dry, and sliced into thin rounds or sticks; 2 medium (300 g) medium ripe tomatoes, cored, halved, and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) half-moons; 1 cup (30 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed, washed, dried, and roughly chopped; ½ small (60 g) small red onion, very thinly sliced (optional); 1 teaspoon (3 g) sumac, mixed with the onion (optional); 1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil (such as canola) for the griddle

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Yogurt-and-spice marinated chicken thighs are roasted until deeply browned at the edges, sliced, and rolled in thin flatbread with toum, crunchy pickles, tomato, and parsley. A quick toast on the griddle seals each wrap and crisps the outside.

Prep: 43 min
Cook: 35 min
Wait: 1 hr 5 min
Total: 2 hr 23 min
Makes: 6 wraps

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the chicken
2 lb (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and patted dry
3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup (120 g) plain whole-milk yogurt
3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, freshly squeezed
4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cumin
2 teaspoons (4 g) ground coriander
2 teaspoons (5 g) sweet paprika
1 teaspoon (3 g) ground turmeric
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground allspice
½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) ground cardamom
1 teaspoon (2 g) freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) cayenne pepper (optional)
2 teaspoons (8 g) kosher salt
For the wraps
6 rounds (420 g) thin flatbread (lavash or thin pita), 8–9 inches (20–23 cm) across, at room temperature, soft and pliable
¾ cup (180 g) toum (Lebanese garlic sauce), at room temperature
1 cup (150 g) pickled cucumbers (dill pickles or Lebanese pickles), drained, patted dry, and sliced into thin rounds or sticks
2 medium (300 g) medium ripe tomatoes, cored, halved, and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) half-moons
1 cup (30 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed, washed, dried, and roughly chopped
½ small (60 g) small red onion, very thinly sliced (optional)
1 teaspoon (3 g) sumac, mixed with the onion (optional)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil (such as canola) for the griddle

Equipment (7)

Large mixing bowl
Rimmed half-sheet baking pan, about 18×13 inches (46×33 cm)
Aluminum foil
Instant-read thermometer
Large griddle, cast-iron skillet, or nonstick pan, at least 10 inches (25 cm)
Sharp chef's knife and cutting board
Metal spatula or tongs

Steps

Before you start

Marinating takes at least 1 hour, and up to 12 hours in the fridge gives deeper flavor. Plan ahead.
Start preheating the oven about 15 minutes before the marinating time is up.
Use thin, pliable flatbread (lavash, thin pita, or saj). Thick pocket pita cracks when rolled.
Toum is a strong, fluffy Lebanese garlic sauce. Use store-bought or homemade, and bring it to room temperature so it spreads easily.

1
Mix the marinade
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, cayenne (if using), and kosher salt until it forms a smooth, thick, evenly orange-gold paste.
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Ready when: No streaks of dry spice remain and the marinade looks uniform.
Tip: Grate the garlic on a microplane so it disperses evenly and doesn't leave raw chunks.
2
Marinate the chicken
- Add the dry chicken thighs to the bowl and turn them with your hands or tongs until every piece is thickly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 12 hours.
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Ready when: Chicken is fully coated with no bare patches.
Tip: Don't go past 12 hours; the acid can make the meat mushy.
3
Prep the fillings
- While the chicken marinates, slice the tomatoes, chop the parsley, and drain and slice the pickles, patting them dry with a paper towel.
- If using the onion, toss the slices with the sumac in a small bowl.
- Take the toum out of the fridge to lose its chill.
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Ready when: Pickles and tomatoes are patted dry, with no pooled liquid on the board.
Tip: Wet fillings make the flatbread soggy and tear during rolling, so blot them well.
4
Roast the chickenOven 450°F / 230°C
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a rack in the upper third.
- Line a rimmed half-sheet pan with foil.
- Lay the thighs flat in a single layer with space between them and scrape any marinade left in the bowl on top.
- Roast for 20–24 minutes, until the thickest thigh reads 175°F (80°C) on an instant-read thermometer and the edges are browned.
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Ready when: Thickest thigh reaches 175°F (80°C); juices run clear and the edges are deep golden brown.
Tip: Crowded thighs steam rather than brown, so use the whole pan and don't stack.
5
Broil for charOven 500°F / 260°C
- Switch the oven to broil on high (about 500°F/260°C) and broil the chicken 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) from the element for 2–3 minutes, watching closely, until the tops are spotted with dark brown, crisp-edged patches.
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Ready when: Surface has dark brown charred spots at the edges, but nothing is black.
Tip: The yogurt and sugar in the marinade scorch fast, so don't walk away from the oven.
6
Rest and slice
- Let the chicken rest on the pan for 5 minutes so the juices settle.
- Transfer to a cutting board and slice the thighs against the grain into thin strips about ¼ inch (6 mm) wide.
- Toss the strips in the pan juices to coat.
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Ready when: Slices hold together, are juicy, and have crisp browned edges.
7
Assemble the wraps
- Lay a flatbread on a clean surface.
- Spread about 2 tablespoons (30 g) of toum down the center, leaving a 2-inch (5 cm) border.
- Top with about one-sixth of the chicken, a few pickles, tomato slices, a pinch of parsley, and a few onion slices.
- Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, fold in both sides, and roll up tightly like a burrito.
- Repeat with the remaining flatbread.
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Ready when: Each wrap is snug, with the seam on the bottom and the filling not spilling out.
Tip: If the bread cracks, warm it for 10 seconds in the microwave under a damp towel to make it pliable.
8
Toast on the griddle
- Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat and brush lightly with the neutral oil.
- Place 2–3 wraps seam-side down and cook for 1½–2 minutes, until golden brown with crisp toasted spots.
- Turn and toast the other side for another 1½–2 minutes.
- Wipe the pan, add a little more oil, and repeat with the remaining wraps.
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Ready when: Wraps are golden brown with toasted spots on both sides and feel crisp when pressed.
Tip: Press down gently with a spatula for the first 30 seconds so the seam seals.
9
Cut and serve
- Cut each wrap in half on the diagonal and serve right away while the outside is crisp and the chicken is hot, with extra toum and pickles on the side.

Good to know

Tips

Dark-meat thighs stay juicy and brown well under the broiler; don't skip the broil, which gives the shawarma-style charred edges.
Slice the chicken thin and against the grain so each bite is tender and the wrap rolls neatly.
Dry the pickles and tomatoes well; surface moisture makes the bread soggy and the wrap tear.
Don't overfill; about ⅓ cup of filling per wrap rolls tightly and toasts evenly.

Make ahead

"Marinate the chicken up to 12 hours ahead. You can also roast and slice the chicken up to 2 days ahead, refrigerate it, and reheat it in a hot skillet for 3–4 minutes before assembling. Chop the parsley, tomatoes, and pickles up to 1 day ahead and store them separately."

Storage & reheating

"Cooked chicken keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days; assembled wraps are best eaten within 1 day (refrigerate up to 2 days) and will soften. Freeze the sliced cooked chicken (without the wraps) for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat the chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat until steaming hot, and re-toast wraps on a griddle over medium heat for 2–3 minutes per side. Don't leave wraps at room temperature for more than 2 hours."

Substitutions

toum (Lebanese garlic sauce) → Garlic yogurt sauce (½ cup/120 g yogurt, 1 grated garlic clove, 1 tbsp lemon juice, pinch of salt). Lighter and tangier than toum. Use the same amount.
boneless, skinless chicken thighs → Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cook to 165°F (74°C) and watch closely, about 15–18 minutes, as breast dries out more easily.
thin flatbread (lavash or thin pita), 8–9 inches (20–23 cm) across → Large flour tortillas. Warm them briefly for flexibility. Slightly thicker and chewier than lavash.
plain whole-milk yogurt → Dairy-free plain yogurt. Works fine; choose an unsweetened variety.