Shawarma Sauce Recipes That’ll Make You the Best Host in Town

The famous Middle Eastern dish, shawarma, is served with a variety of sauces. The following article provides you with some recipes on how to make these.

Shawarma is a famous meat sandwich from the Middle East. Originating in Turkey, it is primarily famous in Arab countries. The meat used in a shawarma can be lamb, beef, goat, chicken, or sometimes even a combination of these. The meat is stationed on a spit and is heated or grilled, continuously. These sandwiches are consumed with taboon bread, pita bread, and tabouli. Tahini and tarator are two kinds of sauces served along with these sandwiches. Lemon juice and cumin seeds are common shawarma sauce ingredients.

Tahini Sauce

Ingredients

• 150 g tahini (sesame seed paste)
• ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
• ¼ tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. white vinegar
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• 1 garlic clove (crushed)
• Paprika as garnish

Method

Add the garlic, tahini, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, cumin, and ½ a cup of water, to a bowl. Blend the mixture until it turns into a creamy sauce. Garnish this with the paprika, and serve it chilled.

Tarator Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup tahini
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. parsley (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp. water
• Dash of cumin

Method

In a food processor, blend the garlic, tahini, lemon juice, salt, and cumin. Add the water to the mixture gradually while blending. Garnish the sauce with the parsley, and serve.

Falafel Hot Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups canned tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. parsley (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp. chili sauce
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• Salt to taste

Method

Add all the ingredients, namely, garlic, tomatoes, brown sugar, parsley, chili sauce, and lemon juice, to a saucepan, cover it with a lid, and let its contents cook for 30 minutes, or wait till the tomatoes turn into mush. Add the salt to the sauce according to your taste, let it cool, and then serve.

Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Ingredients for Shawarma

• 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (thinly sliced)
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup chopped coriander
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. ground coriander
• 2 tsp. sumac
• 2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1 red onion (sliced thinly)
• 6 white Lebanese bread (warmed)
• Cornichons, sliced kalamata olives, baby cos lettuce leaves, and sliced tomatoes (for toppings; as per your choice)

Ingredients for the Garlic Sauce

• ¾ cup olive oil
• ½ cup sunflower oil
• ¼ tbsp. lemon juice
• 8 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp. salt

Method

1. Add the lemon juice, sumac, allspice, olive oil, salt, and coriander, to a large bowl, and mix them up together. Coat the chicken with this mixture.
2. Grill both sides of the chicken on a barbecue grill or in a grill pan, over medium heat for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the garlic shawarma sauce by blending the olive oil, garlic, salt, sunflower oil, and lemon juice. Blend until the sauce turns thick.
4. Place the warm bread on a sheet of aluminum foil; layer it with the lettuce leaves, tomatoes, onion, sumac, cornichons, olives, and coriander, and then place the grilled chicken on top. Roll the aluminum foil along with the bread to fold the ingredients within it. Secure the roll by wrapping another piece of aluminum foil around its base. Serve it with the garlic shawarma sauce, on the side.

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