Chicken Shawarma Fatta with Crispy Bread and Garlic Sauce
The secret to shawarma fatta is two things: searing the chicken on very high heat in two batches in a single layer so it browns and gets that shawarma flavor instead of boiling in its juices, and adding the sauce right at serving time over bread toasted until completely crispy. Bread that isn't crispy or sauce added too early turns the fatta into dough.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 115 min
- Calories
- 875
Photo: secretlondon123 from London, England / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mixed_Shawarma_(2843435528).jpg
Chicken shawarma fatta is one of the most popular orders from shawarma shops in Egypt: a layer of crispy Shami bread, topped with white rice, followed by seasoned shawarma chicken, all drowned in toum and tahini sauce. It doesn't need a vertical spit or a special oven — a wide skillet and high heat create the exact same browning right at home.
Method
-
1
Marinating the chicken
Mix the chicken with 3 tbsp yogurt, vinegar, garlic, shawarma spices, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp oil, cover it, and leave it in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight). The vinegar and yogurt tenderize the chicken so it stays juicy even over high heat.
⏱ 60 min -
2
The rice
Melt the ghee and sauté the rice in it for 2 minutes until glossy, then add the hot water and half a teaspoon of salt. As soon as it boils, lower the heat completely and cover for 18 minutes. Stirring in the ghee coats the grains so the rice turns out fluffy and not mushy under the sauce.
⏱ 22 min -
3
Toasting the bread
Cut the bread into small squares and toss with 2 tbsp oil, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven at 200 °C for 10–12 minutes with one toss, until golden and crisp. Bread with any softness will absorb the sauce and turn to dough.
⏱ 12 min -
4
Garlic sauce
Whisk 1 cup yogurt with mayonnaise, garlic, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and a pinch of salt until smooth, then put it in the fridge. The cold sauce over the hot chicken is what gives the fatta its distinct flavor.
⏱ 3 min -
5
Tahini sauce
Mix the tahini with 1 tbsp lemon juice, 3–4 tbsp water, and a pinch of salt, and stir until smooth and creamy like cream. Tahini thickens as soon as the lemon juice hits it, then thins out with the water — don't worry.
⏱ 3 min -
6
Searing the shawarma
Heat a wide skillet on highest heat until lightly smoking, and sauté the onion for 3 minutes then remove it. Add half the chicken in a single layer and don't stir it for the first 2 minutes until it browns, then stir for 3 more minutes. Repeat with the second half and return the onion. An overcrowded skillet boils the chicken in its juices instead of browning it.
⏱ 14 min -
7
Assembling
In a deep serving dish, lay down the toasted bread, saving a handful for the top, followed by the rice, then 3–4 tbsp garlic sauce, and top with the shawarma. Drizzle the top with garlic sauce and tahini, and garnish with parsley and the remaining bread.
⏱ 3 min -
8
Serving immediately
Serve right away after assembling, and if there is extra sauce, put it in a bowl on the side. Every minute that passes, the bread absorbs the sauce and loses its crunch.
⏱ 1 min
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Tips that actually matter
- Boneless thighs turn out juicier than breasts and don't dry out on high heat — and if you use breasts, don't exceed 5 minutes of searing per batch.
- Drain the chicken from excess marinade before putting it in the skillet — excess liquid stops the browning.
- Love your bread a little soft like traditional fatta? Sprinkle half a cup of hot chicken broth over it before the rice.
- A pinch of sumac or paprika on top adds a nice color and a light tang that cuts through the richness of the sauce.
People also ask
Why does the chicken turn out boiled instead of browned like shawarma?
Three reasons: the skillet isn't hot enough, the chicken is piled up in it all at once, or it went in with its liquid marinade. Heat the skillet until it smokes, drain the chicken, and sear it in two batches in a single layer without stirring for the first two minutes.
How can I make the shawarma fatta sauce without mayonnaise?
Use 1.5 cups of strained yogurt (left in a strainer for an hour until thick) with garlic, lemon juice, and a tablespoon of oil. If you want it creamy like restaurants, add 3 tablespoons of cooking cream instead of mayonnaise.
Can I prepare chicken shawarma fatta ahead of time for a gathering?
Prepare the components only: marinated chicken in the fridge for up to 24 hours, toasted bread in a sealed container for up to 2 days, and the sauces in the fridge for up to 2 days. Cook the rice and sear the meat half an hour before eating, and assemble right at serving time.
Can I make it with meat or potatoes instead of rice?
Meat works: thin slices of round steak with the same marinade, leave for at least 3 hours, and sear the same way. French fries can be put in place of the rice or with it like shop-style shawarma fatta with potatoes, but put them as the very last layer before the chicken so they don't get soggy.
Cook mode
Chicken Shawarma Fatta with Crispy Bread and Garlic Sauce
-
1
Marinating the chicken
Mix the chicken with 3 tbsp yogurt, vinegar, garlic, shawarma spices, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp oil, cover it, and leave it in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight). The vinegar and yogurt tenderize the chicken so it stays juicy even over high heat.
-
2
The rice
Melt the ghee and sauté the rice in it for 2 minutes until glossy, then add the hot water and half a teaspoon of salt. As soon as it boils, lower the heat completely and cover for 18 minutes. Stirring in the ghee coats the grains so the rice turns out fluffy and not mushy under the sauce.
-
3
Toasting the bread
Cut the bread into small squares and toss with 2 tbsp oil, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven at 200 °C for 10–12 minutes with one toss, until golden and crisp. Bread with any softness will absorb the sauce and turn to dough.
-
4
Garlic sauce
Whisk 1 cup yogurt with mayonnaise, garlic, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and a pinch of salt until smooth, then put it in the fridge. The cold sauce over the hot chicken is what gives the fatta its distinct flavor.
-
5
Tahini sauce
Mix the tahini with 1 tbsp lemon juice, 3–4 tbsp water, and a pinch of salt, and stir until smooth and creamy like cream. Tahini thickens as soon as the lemon juice hits it, then thins out with the water — don't worry.
-
6
Searing the shawarma
Heat a wide skillet on highest heat until lightly smoking, and sauté the onion for 3 minutes then remove it. Add half the chicken in a single layer and don't stir it for the first 2 minutes until it browns, then stir for 3 more minutes. Repeat with the second half and return the onion. An overcrowded skillet boils the chicken in its juices instead of browning it.
-
7
Assembling
In a deep serving dish, lay down the toasted bread, saving a handful for the top, followed by the rice, then 3–4 tbsp garlic sauce, and top with the shawarma. Drizzle the top with garlic sauce and tahini, and garnish with parsley and the remaining bread.
-
8
Serving immediately
Serve right away after assembling, and if there is extra sauce, put it in a bowl on the side. Every minute that passes, the bread absorbs the sauce and loses its crunch.
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