Sweet, smoky and satisfyingly messy, this colourful chicken shawarma is made for gathering around the table. Chicken marinated in our aromatic Jerk Spice Blend is skewered with juicy pineapple, peppers and red onion, then roasted with harissa and hot honey until beautifully caramelised. Stuff everything into warm pittas with cooling coriander yoghurt and a fresh charred corn salsa for a feast bursting with spice and sweetness
Ingredients
For The Jerk Chicken
4 skinless chicken breasts, approximately 650g
2 tbsp Spice Kitchen Jerk Spice Blend
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 garlic clove, finely grated
½ tsp salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
For The Skewers
½ fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 red pepper, cut into large pieces
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
2 tsp Spice Kitchen Harissa Spice Blend
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp lime or lemon juice
2 tbsp hot honey
4 large pittas or flatbreads
Long bamboo skewers
For The Charred Corn Salsa
2 corn on the cob
150g cherry tomatoes, quartered
½ cucumber, diced
½ small red onion, very finely sliced
A generous handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
1 fresh chilli, finely sliced, optional
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For The Coriander Yoghurt
2 tbsp thick Greek or natural yoghurt
A small handful of fresh coriander
1 tsp lime juice
A pinch of salt
Method
Soak the bamboo skewers. Place the bamboo skewers in water and leave them to soak, preferably overnight. This will help prevent them from burning in the oven.
Marinate the chicken. Cut each chicken breast into generous, roughly 4cm pieces. Place in a bowl with the Jerk Spice Blend, olive oil, lime juice, brown sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for a deeper flavour.
Make the harissa paste. Combine the Harissa Spice Blend, olive oil, tomato purée and lime or lemon juice in a small bowl. Add a splash of water if needed to create a loose paste.
Coat the vegetables. Place the pineapple, pepper and red onion in a bowl. Add the harissa paste and toss thoroughly until everything is evenly coated.
Build the skewers. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Thread the marinated chicken onto the soaked bamboo skewers, alternating it with the pineapple, pepper and red onion. Pack everything fairly closely without compressing it too tightly.
Prepare for roasting. Rest the skewers across a deep roasting tin so that the chicken is slightly raised, or place them directly inside a lightly oiled roasting dish. Loosely cover the dish with foil.
Roast the shawarma. Cook with the foil on for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and use a fork to carefully turn the skewers, allowing the chicken, pineapple and vegetables to cook and char evenly. Baste with the juices from the bottom of the tin, then return to the oven uncovered for 15 minutes.
Add the hot honey. Remove the skewers from the oven and brush or drizzle them with the hot honey. Return them to the oven for a final 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and everything is beginning to caramelise around the edges. If using a cooking thermometer, the centre of the largest piece of chicken should reach 75°C for at least 30 seconds.
Char the corn. While the chicken cooks, heat a dry griddle pan over a high heat. Add the corn and cook for 8–10 minutes, using a fork or tongs to turn it regularly until tender and charred in patches. If you have a gas hob, carefully hold the corn directly over the flame for a final few moments to deepen the char. Allow it to cool slightly, then stand each cob upright and carefully slice away the kernels.
Make the salsa. Combine the charred corn with the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and coriander. Add the fresh chilli, if you like a little extra heat, followed by the lime juice and olive oil. Season generously and toss everything together.
Make the coriander yoghurt. Place the yoghurt, coriander, lime juice and salt in a small blender and blend until combined. Alternatively, crush the coriander using a pestle and mortar before stirring it into the yoghurt.
Warm the pittas. Heat a dry frying pan or griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Warm the pittas for a minute or two on each side, until soft and lightly toasted.
Rest and serve. Leave the cooked chicken to rest for 5 minutes before carefully sliding everything from the skewers. Fill the warm pittas with the coriander yoghurt, jerk chicken, roasted pineapple and vegetables. Serve with the charred corn salsa alongside, or spoon it straight into the pitta for a deliciously messy feast.
Cook’s note: If fresh corn isn’t available, drain a 325g tin of sweetcorn very thoroughly. Cook it in a lightly oiled frying pan over a high heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring only occasionally so the kernels have time to char.