Chicken Shawarma with Israeli Salad

I've been branching out in the kitchen with different recipes these days.  From fragrant curries, to slow cooker soups, grilled meats, unique homemade pizzas, and more.  It has been fun to try new things and change up my weekly menu instead of sticking to the "usual" dishes.  I have found that with a little prep the day or night before - I can actually look forward to coming home from work and making dinner because I know the meal is already half-prepped and all I have to do is bake it, or scoop it out of the crock pot.  

With this meal, you can mix all the ingredients up the night before, marinate the chicken - and then simply grill/bake it the next day.  You can even make the salad ahead if you want to, but I found it easy enough to chop up while the chicken was in the oven and that way everything is fresh and ready at the same time. 

Have you been trying any new recipes lately?  Feel free to share!  

Chicken Shawarma with Israeli Salad

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken thighs (Boneless, skinless or bone in, skin on - which is what I used)

2 T ground cumin
2 T ground coriander
6 cloves minced garlic cloves
2 tsp kosher salt
6 T olive oil
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp allspice

Instructions:
Place all in a bowl and mix. Make a paste. Rub chicken on all sides with the marinade and let sit 20 minutes (or up to 24 hours refrigerated).

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Heat a cast iron skillet on high heat and grill chicken on each side for 3-5 minutes until skin is browned.  Finish the chicken in the preheated oven until cooked through – about 35 minutes, checking and flipping after 15 minutes.  Broil on high for 5 minutes to make the skin crispy if desired.  Make sure the chicken reaches a safe temperature of 165 F before serving. 

Enjoy the chicken over Israeli salad, or with rice and veggies.

Israeli Salad 

Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes
1 cucumber (seeds removed or use an English cucumber)
1/2 medium red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
½ C herbs (I used a blend of fresh basil, mint & cilantro)
Zest of one lemon
Lemon juice (about ½ a lemon)
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Chop the first 6 ingredients into a very small fine dice. Place in a large bowl and toss with the lemon zest, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper. Serve with Grilled Chicken Shawarma.

Recipes Adapted from Feasting at Home