Pulled Chicken Shawarma Sliders

Written by
Anita Schecter
Professional recipe developer, food photographer, and blogger with more than a decade of experience creating Middle Eastern recipes.
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Anita Schecter
Updated 08/27/19
Pulled chicken shawarma sliders
Anita Schecter
  • Total: 35 mins
  • Prep: 15 mins
  • Cook: 20 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
675 Calories
42g Fat
4g Carbs
67g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 servings
Amount per serving
Calories 675
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 42g 54%
Saturated Fat 11g 54%
Cholesterol 209mg 70%
Sodium 206mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Protein 67g
Calcium 50mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Cookout season is coming! BBQ's, picnics and all kinds of delicious grilled foods and salads will be on the menu soon. And while we all love these traditional warm weather foods, how about spicing things up a bit with some delicious but unexpected flavors?

Shawarma (the word is Arabic) usually refers to a seasoned grilled or slow roasted meat preparation which can be beef, chicken, lamb, veal or turkey and is usually done on a spit. Pork is not eaten in any of the Middle Eastern countries but there's no reason you can't put shawarma flavors on pork if you do eat it. The meat is sliced off when done and served as a sandwich or a wrap inside a pita or other flatbread. Toppings include the typical Israeli salad combination of tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions plus it might include hummus, tahini sauce, and even amba, a spicy mango sauce commonly served on a sabich sandwich.

Here you'll find the traditional shawarma seasonings on standard cookout grilled chicken and served it as tasty sliders.

No grill? No problem. You can make these sliders any time of the year in a slow cooker or Dutch oven. Simply add the chicken breasts, tomato sauce, and all the spices to the pot and cook on low for a couple of hours until the chicken is falling off the bone. Shred and serve on toasted slider buns.

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • For the Sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion (peeled and small diced)
  • 1 cup tomato sauce (plain)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin (ground)
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander (ground)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Steps to Make It

  1. Rub the chicken breasts with the olive oil and grill for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until cooked all the way through. You can also do this on a grill pan on the stove top.

  2. While the chicken is grilling, make the sauce by adding the olive oil and diced onion to a saute pan. Saute on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the tomato sauce, ground cumin, ground coriander, garlic powder, cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne, salt, and black pepper.

  3. Thinly slice or shred the cooked chicken breasts and add to the sauce. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.

  4. Serve on small slider buns with sliced red onions or coleslaw.