Chicken Shawarma Pita
Marinated Chicken, Toum, Chicken Chicharron, Za’atar Fries, Pickles, Pita
Chef Rafael Nasr of Craft Pita | Houston, TX
Adapted by StarChefs | August 2025 | Photo: Will Blunt
INGREDIENTS
Marinade:
Yield: 8 quarts
6 cups onion powder
6 cups garlic powder
6 cups paprika
5 cups kosher salt
3 cups ground allspice
3 cups ground cumin
12 tablespoons ground black pepper
6 tablespoons ground nutmeg
6 tablespoons ground cardamom
6 tablespoons ground clove
6 tablespoons ground cinnamon
16 cups apple cider vinegar
12 cups lemon juice
8 cups Corto TRULY 100% extra virgin olive oil
Chicken:
Yield: 1 chicken
1 whole chicken
Toum:
Yield: 4 quarts
5 cups garlic cloves
1 cup lemon juice
4½ teaspoons kosher salt
12 cups canola oil
Chicken Chicharron:
Yield: 2 quarts
Chicken skin, cleaned and chopped
Za’atar Fries:
Yield: 1 sandwich
Oil for frying
Frozen fries
Lebanese za’atar
Kosher salt
To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 sandwich
Pita
Pickles
METHOD
For the Marinade:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine all spices. Stir in vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil. Set aside.
For the Chicken:
Heat and prepare a vertical broiler. On a work surface, coat inside cavity of chicken with 1 tablespoon Marinade. Coat outside of chicken with 2 tablespoons Marinade. Transfer to vertical broiler and roast 1 hour.
For the Toum:
In a large mixing bowl, add garlic, lemon juice, salt, and 1 cup ice water. Transfer mixture to a Vitamix Commercial blender and purée until smooth. With the machine running, slowly stream in oil, mixing until fully emulsified. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Chicken Chicharron:
Heat oven to 350°F. Place chicken skin on a parchment-lined sheet tray. Roast 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let sit 10 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and reserve.
For the Za’atar Fries:
In a fryer, heat oil to 350°F. Add fries and fry until golden brown. Transfer to a mixing bowl and season with za’atar and salt. Toss to evenly coat. Set aside.
To Assemble and Serve:
Place pita on a work surface. Top with desired amount Toum, Za’atar Fries, pickles, desired amount Chicken, and desired amount Chicken Chicharron. Wrap sandwich and transfer to a serving plate.
