Tandoori-Spiced Chicken Shawarma with Naan
Lalkila Kitchen · Chicken · Main dishes · International influenced · Contemporary cooking
This is a home-oven adaptation of Barney Desmazery’s tandoori-spiced shawarma, rather than a claim to reproduce every shawarma tradition. Yoghurt, coriander, ginger and warm spices coat chicken thighs before roasting. The recipe makes a generous stacked kebab for slicing into naan. Choose a roasting arrangement that fits your oven securely before you begin.
Ingredients
- 2 lemons, one juiced and one cut into wedges
- 150 g plain yoghurt
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, chopped
- 1–2 green chillies
- 1 small pack fresh coriander
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 16 skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 1 large baking potato, halved lengthways
- 6 naan breads
- 1 tsp salt
Method
- Blend lemon juice, yoghurt, garlic, ginger, chillies, coriander, spices and salt. Coat chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least four hours.
- Heat oven to 220°C, or 200°C fan. Thread chicken onto two sturdy long metal skewers, securing each end with a potato half. Support securely over a roasting tin, using an oven-safe rack if needed.
- Roast until the thickest central pieces reach 74°C. Check more than one point in the tightly packed stack.
- Rest briefly, slice with clean utensils and serve in warmed naan with lemon wedges.
Cooking notes
A stacked kebab takes longer at the centre than separate pieces. A browned outside is not a safety check. Keep raw-chicken utensils apart from serving bread and cooked meat. The potato halves secure the stack and should only be eaten if cooked through. This recipe’s oven method should not be transferred directly to an open barbecue.
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Source and adaptation
Adapted from Barney Desmazery’s Chicken shawarma, Good Food. Original recipe.
Retained the tandoori marinade and stacked oven method, clarified that naan and the potato do not go into the blender, and used the FoodSafety.gov 74°C poultry minimum. Barbecue directions are omitted.
This is an editorial adaptation, not kitchen-tested by Lalkila. FoodSafety.gov cooking temperatures and safe food handling provide the safety references. The featured image is a generated illustration of this recipe.