On the menu tonight – Shawarma! I made two versions of Shawarma, mushroom and chicken. This is the mushroom version. The first time I heard about Shawarma was on Food Network. I found a local place that served it and I was hooked! Now that I’m cooking more, I decided I would try to make my version and I have to say… it turned out pretty amazing. To quote my wife – “I could LIVE off of this!”
If you aren’t sure what Shawarma is, Shawarma is a dish in Middle Eastern cuisine consisting of meat cut into thin slices, stacked in a cone-like shape, and roasted on a slowly-turning vertical rotisserie or spit. Originally made of lamb or mutton, today’s shawarma may also be chicken, turkey, beef, or veal. Prior to cooking, the meat is marinated in a mixture of spices. As it cooks on the rotisserie, pieces are cut off and served with pita bread.
Mushroom Shawarma
(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
Loading...Mushroom Shawarma
Ingredients
- 1 red onion, quartered and then separate the layers
- 4-6 Portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/8 or 1/4 wedges
- 8 – 16 oz Shitake mushrooms
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 lemon (zested and juiced)
- 6 – 8 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- For Serving:
- Pita bread, warmed/toasted
- Tomato cubed
- ½ cucumber (preferably seedless), cubed
- Tahini (for spreading on the pita)
- Tzatziki sauce
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and the spices. Mix well.
Add the onion and mushrooms to the bowl and mix to coat them.
Transfer to a one gallon zip lock bag and put in the fridge for at least two hours, overnight would be better.
You can prepare this a couple of ways, on a vertical rotisserie (if you have one!), on skewers and grilled, or on a sheet pan in the oven. Preheat the rotisserie, grill, or oven. If cooking in the oven, preheat to 450 degrees.
If cooking on the grill or rotisserie, begin skewering the mushrooms and onions, alternating Portobello, onion, shitake. Keep them tight on the skewer.
Once on the grill, be sure to turn them every 3-4 minutes to ensure each side gets grilled. Remove after each side has been grilled and veggies are cooked through.
If cooking in the oven, simply spread the mushrooms and onions evenly on a large sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove and flip the veggies with a spatula.
Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes.
While the veggies are cooking, warm the pita. If you’re grilling, toss the pita in any open spot. I love those toasty, charred bits from grilled pita. Otherwise put in the oven or microwave oven to warm through.
Cut the pita in half and then spread a little tahini inside.
Fill the pita halves with the mushroom/onion mixture along with some cucumber and tomato.
Top with a little tzatziki sauce and enjoy!
Notes
While you can marinade the vegetables 2 hours, I recommend overnight to fully develop the flavors.
