Chicken Shawarma Wraps

Chicken shawarma is one of the most satisfying fakeaway recipes because the marinade does all the work and the cooking is simple. The combination of warm spices — cumin, coriander, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon — with lemon and garlic creates the kind of flavour that seems far more complex than it actually is to produce.

Marinate overnight if at all possible. The yoghurt in the marinade tenderises the chicken while the spices penetrate deep into the meat. The next day, you cook it (I do mine under the grill for charred edges, but a very hot frypan works too), and the kitchen smells like the best kebab shop you've ever been to.

Serve in warm flatbreads with garlic sauce (just mix yoghurt, garlic and lemon), pickled red cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber and whatever else you want in there. Put everything in the middle of the table and let people build their own. This is a reliably excellent Friday night dinner that feels like a treat.

Ingredients

• 700g chicken thigh fillets
• 150g plain yoghurt (for marinade)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 8 small flatbreads or wraps
• Yoghurt, garlic, lemon, tomatoes, cucumber and pickled red cabbage to serve

Method

Step 1

Mix the yoghurt, olive oil, garlic, all spices and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs and coat well. Marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge.

Step 2

Cook the chicken under a hot grill for 6–8 minutes per side until charred in spots and cooked through. Alternatively, cook in a very hot oiled frypan for the same time.

Step 3

Rest the chicken for 5 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain.

Step 4

Warm the flatbreads. Make a quick garlic sauce by mixing yoghurt with a crushed garlic clove and lemon juice. Serve the chicken with flatbreads, garlic sauce, tomatoes, cucumber and pickled cabbage for assembling at the table.