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Chicken Shawarma with Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Chicken Shawarma with Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Lee - Smoke & Sear
Servings: 4 Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Difficulty: Intermediate Family Friendly Family Friendly Quick Cook Quick Cook
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Smoky Chicken Shawarma with a Cool Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Let’s get grilling with this knockout Chicken Shawarma recipe, using the Ninja Woodfire outdoor grill. The chicken is marinated in sour cream, spices, and lemon, then grilled to juicy perfection with that woodfire flavour we all crave. Paired with a cool cucumber and tomato salad and a punchy tahini sauce, this dish will have you feeling like you’re at a Middle Eastern street market—minus the passport! Trust me, after a bite, you’ll wonder why you didn’t fire up your grill sooner.

Chicken Shawarma with Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Chicken
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1 Add to Favorites
Prep Time 30 mins Cook Time 30 mins Rest Time 5 mins Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
Difficulty: Intermediate Cooking Temp: 200  C Servings: 4 Estimated Cost: £ 12 Calories: Approximately 450 per serving Best Season: Summer
Author: Lee - Smoke & Sear Cooking Method: Cuisine: Courses: , Recipe Keys: Family Friendly Family Friendly Quick Cook Quick Cook

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

For the Tomato and Cucumber Salad:

For the Tahini Sauce:

Instructions

  1. Marinate the Chicken:

    In a large bowl, mix together sour cream, olive oil, tomato puree, lemon zest and juice, garlic, cumin, coriander seeds, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and Aleppo chili flakes. Add the chicken thighs and coat them thoroughly. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but overnight is best for the flavours to really sink in.

  2. Prepare the Tomato and Cucumber Salad:

    In a medium bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, red wine vinegar, olive oil, fresh parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside in the fridge until serving time.

  3. Make the Tahini Sauce:

    In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini paste, warm water, minced garlic, salt, cumin, parsley, lemon juice, and sweet paprika until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. If tahini isn't your thing, have some garlic mayo on standby for the less adventurous!

  4. Grill the Chicken:

    Set up your Ninja Woodfire Grill by filling the pellet box with the all-purpose blend, then select the 'Air Fry' function. Set the temperature to 200°C (390°F) for 20 minutes, and don’t forget to hit that 'Woodfire Flavour Technology' button for that smoky kick. Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 80°C (175°F) and the outside is nicely crisp.

  5. Serve:

    Once the chicken is grilled, chop it up and serve with warmed flatbreads. Spread a generous layer of tahini sauce on the bread, pile on the chicken, and top with the tomato and cucumber salad. Drizzle with extra sauce if you’re feeling saucy!

Equipment

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Note

If you want to switch it up, garlic mayo or a yogurt-based sauce can be great alternatives to tahini.

Chicken thighs give the best juiciness, but if you're watching the calories, swap them for breasts.

Keywords: chicken shawarma, Ninja Woodfire grill, tomato cucumber salad, tahini sauce, BBQ chicken wraps, grilled shawarma
Lee Bishop - Smoke & Sear

smoke.sear

1,004 21,861

Not just cooked . . . this tomahawk was forged in fire.

Reverse-cooked low ‘n slow, then straight-up dirty seared right on the coals for that primal crust. Finished with a fat slice of cowboy butter — melted over the top with a chunk of red-hot charcoal.

Flavour? Savage.
Style? Full caveman.
Crust? Absolute filth.

👉 Full step-by-step recipe now live over on the site if you’re keen to give it a go.

www.smokeandsear.world

102 7
Open
Not just cooked . . . this tomahawk was forged in fire. Reverse-cooked low ‘n slow, then straight-up dirty seared right on the coals for that primal crust. Finished with a fat slice of cowboy butter — melted over the top with a chunk of red-hot charcoal. Flavour? Savage. Style? Full caveman. Crust? Absolute filth. 👉 Full step-by-step recipe now live over on the site if you’re keen to give it a go. www.smokeandsear.world

Too early for a Christmas-themed turkey cook? Maybe.

But with Thanksgiving just around the corner and festive planning in full swing . . . now feels like the perfect time to drop this belter.

Smoked, brined, and slathered in herby garlic butter – this wood-fired turkey’s an absolute showstopper.

Full cook on the Kamado Joe. Full flavour. Full-on festive vibes. 🎄🔥

🎥 Watch the reel
📌 Save it for the big day
🖱️ Full recipe’s up on the site now

#SmokeAndSear #ChristmasTurkey #BBQTurkey #KamadoJoe #SmokedTurkey #ThanksgivingFeast #FestiveBBQ #BBQSeason #BBQLife #TurkeyDoneRight

60 8
Open
Too early for a Christmas-themed turkey cook? Maybe. But with Thanksgiving just around the corner and festive planning in full swing . . . now feels like the perfect time to drop this belter. Smoked, brined, and slathered in herby garlic butter – this wood-fired turkey’s an absolute showstopper. Full cook on the Kamado Joe. Full flavour. Full-on festive vibes. 🎄🔥 🎥 Watch the reel 📌 Save it for the big day 🖱️ Full recipe’s up on the site now #SmokeAndSear #ChristmasTurkey #BBQTurkey #KamadoJoe #SmokedTurkey #ThanksgivingFeast #FestiveBBQ #BBQSeason #BBQLife #TurkeyDoneRight

Right then — first brew DONE, and what better way to mark it than cooking up something to go with it 🍗🍺

If you saw my reel 20 days ago, @igulubeer had sent me their S1 Smart Home Brewing System (gifted) — and this was the moment of truth. First pour, first taste, and my first ever beer used in a BBQ recipe.

I grilled up some beer-brined, honey beer glazed chicken thighs on the @ninjakitchenuk Woodfire, dropped ’em into warm naan pockets with salad, poured over some of that leftover glaze, and got stuck in 🔥

⸻

🧂 Beer Brine:

• 250ml cold water
• 250ml of my freshly brewed German Helles
• 50g salt
• 25g sugar
• 1 garlic clove (smashed)
• 1 bay leaf
• 5–6 peppercorns

Brined boneless, skinless chicken thighs for 6 hours, patted them dry, and cracked on.

⸻

🍯 Honey Beer Glaze:

• 150ml beer
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1.5 tbsp French’s yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt & pepper
• Knob of butter

Simmered until it thickened up and got sticky, then basted the chicken in the last few mins.

⸻

🔥 Cooked in the Ninja Woodfire:

• Grill Mode: HIGH
• Around 10–12 mins, flipping halfway
• Glazed the last 3–4 mins ’til it was glossy and banging

⸻

Served it all in naan pockets with fresh salad, poured over some of that leftover glaze, and washed it down with a cold pint of the beer I brewed myself. Not gonna lie — for a first try, I’m proper impressed 👌

The only problem? I’ve no CO2 setup yet, so the keg needs finishing sharpish . . . looks like it’s gonna be a very decent night 😂

👉 What should I brew next?

#ad @igulubeer

www.igulu.co.uk

#igulu #iGuluS1 #gifted #bbqandbeer #firstbrew #beerbrined #stickychicken #ninjawoodfire #beerrecipe #bbqrecipe #cheekydrink #comingsoon #brewtobbq

65 7
Open
Right then — first brew DONE, and what better way to mark it than cooking up something to go with it 🍗🍺 If you saw my reel 20 days ago, @igulubeer had sent me their S1 Smart Home Brewing System (gifted) — and this was the moment of truth. First pour, first taste, and my first ever beer used in a BBQ recipe. I grilled up some beer-brined, honey beer glazed chicken thighs on the @ninjakitchenuk Woodfire, dropped ’em into warm naan pockets with salad, poured over some of that leftover glaze, and got stuck in 🔥 ⸻ 🧂 Beer Brine: • 250ml cold water • 250ml of my freshly brewed German Helles • 50g salt • 25g sugar • 1 garlic clove (smashed) • 1 bay leaf • 5–6 peppercorns Brined boneless, skinless chicken thighs for 6 hours, patted them dry, and cracked on. ⸻ 🍯 Honey Beer Glaze: • 150ml beer • 2 tbsp honey • 1.5 tbsp French’s yellow mustard • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar • 1 tsp smoked paprika • Salt & pepper • Knob of butter Simmered until it thickened up and got sticky, then basted the chicken in the last few mins. ⸻ 🔥 Cooked in the Ninja Woodfire: • Grill Mode: HIGH • Around 10–12 mins, flipping halfway • Glazed the last 3–4 mins ’til it was glossy and banging ⸻ Served it all in naan pockets with fresh salad, poured over some of that leftover glaze, and washed it down with a cold pint of the beer I brewed myself. Not gonna lie — for a first try, I’m proper impressed 👌 The only problem? I’ve no CO2 setup yet, so the keg needs finishing sharpish . . . looks like it’s gonna be a very decent night 😂 👉 What should I brew next? #ad @igulubeer www.igulu.co.uk #igulu #iGuluS1 #gifted #bbqandbeer #firstbrew #beerbrined #stickychicken #ninjawoodfire #beerrecipe #bbqrecipe #cheekydrink #comingsoon #brewtobbq

1 year to the day . . . and I still can’t believe little old me was flown to Nashville by @ninjakitchenuk . First time in America, first time doing anything like that — honestly one of the biggest moments of my BBQ life. And yep, the FlexFlame review I wrote back then is still getting loads of daily traffic too. Madness.

105 7
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1 year to the day . . . and I still can’t believe little old me was flown to Nashville by @ninjakitchenuk . First time in America, first time doing anything like that — honestly one of the biggest moments of my BBQ life. And yep, the FlexFlame review I wrote back then is still getting loads of daily traffic too. Madness.

Simple Beef Stew & Fire-Roasted Mash in the Kamado Joe

No thrills. No fancy edits. Just a proper wholesome family dinner cooked low and slow outdoors. Diced beef braising steak, smoked and stewed in the Smoke Pot, with jacket spuds roasted next to it and turned into mash — easy as you like.

Kept the reel as simple as the cook — no crazy angles, just real food, cooked for me and the kids. And sometimes, it’s the simple things that just hit the spot.

Not that you’ll need it, but the full recipe’s up on the website as usual 😉

www.smokeandsear.world

#SmokeAndSear #KamadoJoeCooking #SimpleBBQ #FamilyFood #BeefStew #BBQMash #OnePotCook #RealFoodRealFire #OutdoorCooking #BBQLife

104 17
Open
Simple Beef Stew & Fire-Roasted Mash in the Kamado Joe No thrills. No fancy edits. Just a proper wholesome family dinner cooked low and slow outdoors. Diced beef braising steak, smoked and stewed in the Smoke Pot, with jacket spuds roasted next to it and turned into mash — easy as you like. Kept the reel as simple as the cook — no crazy angles, just real food, cooked for me and the kids. And sometimes, it’s the simple things that just hit the spot. Not that you’ll need it, but the full recipe’s up on the website as usual 😉 www.smokeandsear.world #SmokeAndSear #KamadoJoeCooking #SimpleBBQ #FamilyFood #BeefStew #BBQMash #OnePotCook #RealFoodRealFire #OutdoorCooking #BBQLife

Right then . . . @igulubeer got in touch and asked if I fancied giving their S1 Smart Home Brewing System a go 🍺

We had a few honest chats – I’ve never brewed beer before, but I do love trying out new gear, especially when there’s tech involved. They sent over the S1 – their latest smart brewing machine – along with a German Helles brew kit, and this reel shows the unboxing and kicking off that first ever brew.

Apparently, it takes 20 days until it’s ready to drink – so this is just the start. There’ll be more coming soon as I pair a few brews with proper cooks off the BBQ 🔥#

Now, quick heads up – the S1 is currently out of stock in the UK. But if you like the look of it, stay tuned – once it’s back on sale, I should be able to sort you out with a cheeky discount 👀

Could this be the new bit of kit the BBQ shack was missing?

Let’s see how it turns out . . .

What should I brew next?

#ad @igulubeer

www.igulu.co.uk

#igulu #iGuluS1 #gifted #bbqandbeer #firstbrew #homebrewing #smartbrewer #comingsoon

87 15
Open
Right then . . . @igulubeer got in touch and asked if I fancied giving their S1 Smart Home Brewing System a go 🍺 We had a few honest chats – I’ve never brewed beer before, but I do love trying out new gear, especially when there’s tech involved. They sent over the S1 – their latest smart brewing machine – along with a German Helles brew kit, and this reel shows the unboxing and kicking off that first ever brew. Apparently, it takes 20 days until it’s ready to drink – so this is just the start. There’ll be more coming soon as I pair a few brews with proper cooks off the BBQ 🔥# Now, quick heads up – the S1 is currently out of stock in the UK. But if you like the look of it, stay tuned – once it’s back on sale, I should be able to sort you out with a cheeky discount 👀 Could this be the new bit of kit the BBQ shack was missing? Let’s see how it turns out . . . What should I brew next? #ad @igulubeer www.igulu.co.uk #igulu #iGuluS1 #gifted #bbqandbeer #firstbrew #homebrewing #smartbrewer #comingsoon