Chicken Shawarma Salad

A middle-eastern style of roasting meat, Shawarma is a blend of spices rubbed into meat (i.e. lamb, chicken, beef) and grilled on a vertical skewer for a period of time. While no two Shawarma marinades are alike, most include cumin, paprika and black pepper.

In true Shawarma-style grilling, the meat is shaved off vertical rotating skewers and served in a sandwich or wrapped in pita bread. While a sandwich is a quick lunch, we can easily swap out the bread for a bed of lettuce to make a Paleo salad variation.

While you may not have a vertical rotating skewer with an open flame at home, grilling on an outdoor grill will work, too. If possible, marinate the meat for roughly 2 hours. The longer you marinate the meat, the more tender it will be after grilling.

Chicken Shawarma Salad Recipe

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Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
• 4 to 5 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

Shawarma Marinade Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon-Garlic Dressing Ingredients

• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tags

Fast Cook Cooking: Grill Egg-free Dairy-free No Sweeteners Nut-free Shellfish-free

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients.
2. Place chicken in the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
4. Grill chicken on the preheated grill for 10 to 15 minutes per side, or until no longer pink.
5. Remove chicken from heat and set aside.
6. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing, and season to taste. Whisk until dressing is well emulsified.
7. Slice the chicken into thin strips.
8. Assemble the salad in a big bowl, combining the romaine lettuce, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, and lemon dressing; toss gently.
9. Serve salad in platters topped with the sliced chicken.