Nigellas chicken shawarma (Slimming World friendly)

This is another recipe I adapted from Nigella Lawson new book "Simply Nigella" and its absolutely  delicious. It's a really easy recipe just throw a few spices with the meat into a bag, leave to marinade all day or overnight and then oven cook. It's spicy but not 'blow your head off' spicy just nice heat but reduce the chili if you don't want it too hot the other spices just add flavour not heat.

 I know it seems like a lot of spices but if you make any of my recipes I do use a lot of spices and once you have paid for them you only use a tsp or so of most of them so they aren't that expensive most are less than a pound for a jar.

I served it with wholemeal pitta bread, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion and a garlic yogurt sauce. My family really enjoyed it and I think it's going to be a regular dinner from now on. I have made it a few times now and often put everything in to marinade in the morning before work and then its ready to cook when I get in which makes it a quick, tasty after work dinner too.


Nigellas Chicken Shawarma


12 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (trimmed of fat)
2 lemons
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 bay leaves
2 tsps paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried chili flakes (less if you don't like it too spicy)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)
2 tsp sea salt


Get a large plastic freezer bag and place the chicken thighs in it. Grate the zest of the lemons into the bag and then squeeze the lemons and put the juice in the bag. Now add all the other ingredients and mix and squish everything really well till you can see through the bag all the chicken is coated with the marinade.

Place the bag in a dish in the fridge and leave to marinade all day or overnight.

Heat the oven to Gas 7/ 220/ 425 and take the chicken out of the fridge, Tip it all into a large roasting tin (I line with foil to save messy washing up) and make sure they are spread out lying flat.

Roast for 30 minutes and just check the chicken is cooked through and golden brown.

Serve in wholemeal pitta bread ( at the time of writing there are some which count as a healthy extra but check) with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, red onion and the garlic yogurt sauce.


Garlic Yogurt sauce

1/2 large tub fat free greek yogurt
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 tsp salt

Mix everything together and taste in case needs more salt.


Serves 4-6 people and is Syn free on extra easy




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