Slow cooker chicken shawarma pitas

Name: Slow cooker chicken shawarma pitas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 300 min
Total time: 320 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp paprika; 1 tsp ground turmeric; ¼ tsp ground cinnamon; 5 cloves garlic, minced, divided; 2 lemons, juiced, divided; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1¾ tsp salt, divided; ½ tsp black pepper; 1 yellow onion, sliced; 2 lb boneless chicken thighs; ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt; 2 Roma tomatoes, diced; 1 cucumber, diced; ½ red onion, thinly sliced; 2 cups romaine lettuce, shredded; 6 pita bread

Warmly spiced, lemony chicken that shreds itself in the slow cooker, stuffed into pitas with a garlicky yogurt sauce and crunchy vegetables.

320 min total
20 min hands-on
Anyone can make this
Serves 6
About $2.91 a serving
460 calories
Good the next day

Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.

Ingredients

For 6 servings.

5 cloves garlic, minced, divided
2 lemons, juiced, divided
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 lb boneless chicken thighs
¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, diced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups romaine lettuce, shredded
6 pita bread

From your pantry

2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp olive oil
1¾ tsp salt, divided
½ tsp black pepper

Each serving has about 460 calories, 40 g protein, 46 g carbs and 13 g fat, and costs about $2.91 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.

Missing something?

No lemons? Limes work.
No yellow onions? White onions work.
No boneless chicken thighs? Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins work.
No plain Greek yogurt? Plain yogurt or sour cream works.
No cucumbers? English cucumbers or mini cucumbers work.
No red onions? White onions work.
No romaine lettuce? Green leaf lettuce or iceberg lettuce or butter lettuce works.
No pita bread? Flour tortillas work.

Steps

Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.

the cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, 4 cloves of the garlic, the juice of 1 lemon, the oil, 1½ teaspoons salt and the pepper right in the slow cooker.
Add the onion and the chicken and turn everything until the chicken is coated.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, until the chicken reads 165°F and pulls apart easily.
Timer: 270 min
Dolly’s tip: Thighs stay juicy even if they go a little longer, which is why they are the pick for the slow cooker.
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
the chicken in the pot with two forks and it through the spiced juices.
Dolly’s tip: For crispy edges like a real shawarma shop, spread it on a sheet pan and broil 3 to 4 minutes.
the yogurt with the rest of the garlic, a squeeze of the second lemon and the rest of the salt for the garlic sauce.
the tomatoes and cucumber, the red onion and the lettuce. them with the rest of the lemon juice.
Warm the pitas, open them up and fill them with chicken, vegetables and a big spoonful of garlic sauce.
Dolly’s tip: For lunches, pack the chicken to warm up and keep the pita, vegetables and sauce separate. The chicken freezes for 3 months.