GRILLED CHICKEN & STEAK SHAWARMA WITH GRILLED NAAN BREAD
This Middle Eastern recipe was inspired by one from Recipe Tin Eats that I found a couple of years ago and make often. I’ve made a few changes over time and it is really delicious, especially served with grilled naan. These are bold flavors, nothing shy about this marinade. So if you’re afraid of flavor, this isn’t for you. But you’ll be missing out.
I highly recommend marinating the meat for at least 24hrs. and if possible, grilling over charcoal. You can really tell a difference in flavor. This is a great meal for entertaining so be sure to grill a lot of naan, because it will go fast!
Feeds 4-6 people.
INGREDIENTS:
1lb. sirloin or steak of your choice, cut into large cubes
1 1/2 – 2lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into large cubes
Juice of 1 lemon
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. kosher salt*
1 tbsp. ground coriander
1 tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground cardamon
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more if you like heat)
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
Stainless steel skewers, or wood skewers soaked in water
Plenty of olive oil to coat the naan
TO SERVE:
Sliced iceberg lettuce
Tomatoes, cut into small wedges or large dice
Cilantro
1 lemon cut in wedges
Olive oil
Flake salt
*NOTE: I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt with is less salty than other brands, like Morton. Just FYI.
DIRECTIONS:
To make the marinade, combine all ingredients from lemon juice thru 1/4 cup olive oil and combine with a whisk or fork. I place the chicken and steak in seperate ziplock bags and divide the marinade between them with the chicken having slightly more marinade.
Squish the meat around in the marinade. That’s the technical term. Press the air out of the bags, seal and then place them in the fridge, preferably overnight.
An hour before you’re ready to grill, thread the meat onto metal skewers. If using wooden skewers, soak them at least 30 minutes before adding the meat. Oil the grates of your grill and grill over high heat, turning every minute or two, until cooked through. It will take less time for the steak, especially if you’re going for medium rare. The chicken may take 12-15 minutes. Just test the thickest chunk of chicken by piercing with a sharp knife and checking to see if it’s cooked through after 12 minutes. Light pink is what you should be after.
Remove skewers from the grill and cover with foil to keep warm. Coat the naan bread in a lot of olive oil (which you can do in advance and leave at room temp) and grill until you see light brown marks, with a little char in places.
To serve, drizzle the meat with a little more olive oil and sprinkle both the meat and the naan with flake salt. Serve with wedges of lemon and cilantro if you want. Or make a ‘wrap’ with the naan and the toppings. I like to tear off pieces of the naan and eat a chunk of the meat with it, like a caveman. Enjoy!