Chicken Shawarma Seven Layer Dip
If you come to metro Detroit for the first time, what’s the one thing you have to eat or drink? Answers will vary, from coney hot dogs to Faygo Red Pop to apple cider from our area’s many cider mills.
If you ask me, I would tell you that you must have a grilled chicken shawarma. Shawarma is very similar to gyros in preparation – the meat is marinated and roasted on a spit, or grilled. It is then served as a platter, or stuffed in soft pita bread slathered with garlic sauce.
Why is this uniquely Detroit? Thanks to our large Arab-American population, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Lebanese restaurants dot nearly every corner of our metro area. Many of them have names like Mr. Pita, Mr. Kabob and Kabob House.
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I never tire of chicken shawarma pitas, and this week, I’ve adapted those flavors into a party-perfect dip. With seven layers of chicken shawarma meat, hummus, yogurt sauce, feta cheese, lettuce, onion and tomato, this Detroit-inspired dip will be a hit wherever you serve it!
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Chicken Shawarma Seven Layer Dip
Ingredients
For the Chicken Shawarma:
- ½ pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Middle Eastern Seasoning click for recipe
For the Yogurt Sauce:
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup shredded cucumber
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper
For the Seven Layer Dip:
- 1 cup prepared hummus
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
- 2 Roma tomatoes chopped
- Pita chips for serving
Instructions
- In large ziploc bag, combine chicken, garlic, lemon juice and Middle Eastern Seasoning. Seal and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Place chicken on rimmed baking pan and transfer to oven; cook 14 to 16 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, turning once halfway through cooking. Let cool; then coarsely chop chicken.
- Meanwhile, make Yogurt Sauce: In small bowl, stir together all ingredients.
- In trifle dish(es) or large bowl, layer hummus, cheese, onion, chicken shawarma, yogurt sauce, lettuce and tomato. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 hours. Serve with pita chips.
I made individual-sized versions of this for a girl’s night in! Such a hit – very delicious and oh so cute 🙂
So glad to hear that, Heidi! I love little individual servings of dips like this 🙂
Haha to be honest, the first time I made this, it was such a HUGE batch of it that it lasted for several days. After awhile, the pita chips just became a nuisance and I started just eating it with a spoon. There’s lettuce and tomato in there, so it’s *kinda* like a salad 🙂
I was introduced to shawarma along the ancient cobblestone streets of Jerusalem at Grandma’s Kitchen. It was one of the best meals I ate during my pilgrimage to the Holy Land … and I had some really great food! Fortunately, there is a wonderful Lebanese restaurant in Dallas (Afrah Restaurant) that prepares traditional shawarma that’s delicious and doesn’t require an 18-hour flight across the Atlantic! Thanks for sharing this recipe, it’s something I’ll definitely try at home to satisfy my shawarma cravings. Blessings!
I’m so lucky to have a great Lebanese restaurant in my town, too (actually jus for carryout from there tonight), but I’m sure nothing could compare to the real thing in the Middle East. What a great experience for you!
Lori, traveling to the Holy Land was an AMAZING experience. If I didn’t have family and friends at home waiting on me, I would have never left!!! Seriously, it’s a trip worth making at least once in your lifetime. The sights, the smells, the people, it’s all wonderful and beautiful. The food, oh my gosh! You can read more about my trip here —> http://nicoleandkevin.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/touring-the-holy-land/
(and see pictures of shawarma on spits along the streets of Old Jerusalem!!!!!)
Oh, I love reading about people’s travel adventures, especially when there’s food involved. Coming over to check it out now!
Ok, just give me a spoon. I’m gonna just shovel it into my mouth and call it a meal.
WANT! This sounds absolutely amazing.
Thanks Heather 🙂
Oh that looks so great! I’m making it!
This dip looks delicious! I’m having a lot of vegetarian/vegan
football fans over this weekend, and I was wondering what you would
substitute for the chicken? What about tofu?
Hmmm yeah, I think seared tofu (sprinkled with the Middle Eastern spice mix) would be a good substitute. Also, lentils might work, and would pair well with the Greek yogurt.
Great ideas! Thank you so much!
LOVE this! We usually keep a chicken marinade on hand. Shish Express (12 & Telegraph) sells it & a few of the smaller markets. In case you’re ever feeling lazy 😉
Oh, I LOVE Shish Express! I used to work right near there. I didn’t know they sold their marinade. Is it bottled, or do they just sell you some sort of container of fresh marinade? I tried a grocery-store bottled version of shawarma marinade one time, and it wasn’t all that great.
It’s bottled in Dearborn under an “Olive Grove” label. Here’s a pic of it: http://www.persnicketyplates.com/2012/09/shish-tawook-sandwiches-arabic-grilled.html
Oh, thank you! Looks like it’s a refrigerated product? Does it last awhile? I’m stopping at Shish Express for some next time I’m over there!
Yep, it stays refrigerated. Ours never lasts very long 🙂 but I think it’s good for at least a couple weeks.
This looks absolutely amazing! I am putting this on my must make list. This is the kind of thing I hide in the back of the fridge so no one else eats it.
Thank you, Wendy. I totally understand the “hiding it in the back” method 🙂
This is the BEST 7 layer dip ever. For real, a seriously genius idea and one I would have never thought of. I could eat this every day and not get tired of it.
Thanks so much, Susan! I actually DID have to eat this for like four days straight, because I made wayyyy too much!
Everyone loved this dip so much when we ate it at a football tailgate – Michigan vs MSU, none the less. Great job capturing the essence of the shwarma wrap.