Favorite One Pan Chicken Shawarma

FOR MARINADE

• 2 lemons, whole (juiced)

• 1/2 cup olive oil (plus)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 2 teaspoons paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

• Ground cinnamon, pinch

• Red pepper flakes, to taste

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

• 1 large red onion (peeled and quartered)

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Step 1

Prepare the marinade for the chicken by whisking together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss well to coat. Cover and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. Even if you can’t wait, it is still worth it to make the marinade. Trust me, I have forgotten a number of times to make the marinade in advance, and it was still delicious.

Step 2

When ready to cook, heat oven to 425F degrees (220C). Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to grease a rimmed sheet pan. Sometimes, I use parchment paper at this point when I don’t want to deal with clean up. Add the quartered onion to the chicken and marinade, and toss once to combine. Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade, and place on the pan, spreading everything evenly across it.

Step 3

Put the chicken in the oven and roast until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to rest 2 minutes, then slice into strips. I usually jab the chicken thighs with a fork and then use scissors to cut them up.

Step 4

This step is optional. To make the chicken even more crisp, set a large pan over high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then the sliced chicken, and sauté until everything curls tight in the heat.

Step 5

Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, pita, harissa, olives, fried eggplant, feta, rice — really anything you desire. I often make rice and serve it over that with roasted cumin cauliflower.