Chicken Schwarma with Tzatziki

This is one of my favorite mid-week meals. It is easy and full of flavor. I love making a big batch of the tzatziki and having it as a dip in the fridge for a few days. I take a whole afternoon to make this meal. I do homemade pita and let the chicken marinate for 4 hours. If you haven’t tried making homemade pita, try it! It is so fun to make and so worth it! This can absolutely be a quick dish. The chicken can marinate for 30 minutes and store bought pita is totally acceptable. The tzatziki is one of the easiest things to make and has a big punch of flavor.

For chicken:

2-2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flake

juice from 1 lemon

In small bowl, combine all spices and olive oil. Add to chicken in large bowl or dish, using your hands rub spice mixture all over chicken to cover well. Cover, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, longer is better. When ready to cook, heat grill to 400. A charcoal grill works as well, I prefer it for the flavor and charring. You can also use a oven. Place chicken on heated grill, cook 3-4 minutes each side to get a bit of char, finish cooking on warm end of grill until internal temperature is 155-160. Remove, squeeze lemon over the top, set aside. Once cooled, slice thin.

For Tzatziki:

1 cup greek yogurt

2 garlic cloves (grated or chopped fine)

1 cucumber (diced small)

Juice from 1 lemon

1/2 bunch parsley

1/2 bunch dill or mint

salt and pepper to taste

In medium bowl, combine all ingredients, mix well. Adjust seasoning. Leftovers will keep 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

For composing:

6 pita (toasted )

1 head romaine lettuce (chopped)

cherry tomatoes (halved)

Red onion (sliced thin) pickled onions are also amazing!

Cut pita in half, open pockets, place lettuce in the bottom, then add sliced chicken, tomatoes, onion. Top with tzatzkiki and enjoy!