A mouth-watering sandwich made with tender, seasoned chicken, creamy garlic sauce, melted cheese, and fresh vegetables, all nestled inside a ciabatta roll.

Today we’re making a Chicken Shawarma Melt! A flavorful sandwich that features succulent chicken pieces with a hint of spice, creamy garlic sauce, and melted cheese, all piled on top of ciabatta bread. This hearty sandwich is perfect for lunch or dinner!

Heres a video to guide you along the process.

Few Tips:

• Marinating the chicken in a flavorful blend of spices, oil, and vinegar is crucial to getting the authentic taste of shawarma. For best results, it’s recommended to marinate chicken overnight; however, if you’re short on time, marinating for at least 4 hours will still help to infuse the chicken with flavor and tenderize it.
• While cooking the chicken, you may notice a significant amount of liquid in the pan. Instead of draining it, it’s important to keep it in as it contains a lot of flavor. Continue cooking the chicken until all the liquid has evaporated, allowing the flavors to fully develop and intensify.
• I recommend that you prepare all of your toppings while your chicken is cooking. This way, everything will be ready and at your fingertips when it’s time to assemble your chicken shawarma melt.
• Optional: You can grill the melt instead of popping it under the broil setting in your oven. Heat a panini press or a grill pan over medium heat. Brush the outside of the ciabatta roll with olive oil, then place the sandwich on the panini press or grill pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.

Process:

Chicken Shawarma Melt

A mouth-watering sandwich made with tender, seasoned chicken, creamy garlic sauce, melted cheese, and fresh vegetables, all nestled inside a ciabatta roll.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 4 hrs

Cook Time 12 mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 5 lbs Chicken half chicken thighs, half chicken breast (thinly sliced)

Marinade:

• 1 1/2 heaping tsp Paprika
• 1 1/2 leveled tsp Salt
• 1 heaping tsp Black pepper
• 1 heaping tsp Turmeric
• 1/2 heaping tsp Cinnamon
• 2 tbsp Hot sauce of you choosing (I used franks red hot "cayenne")
• 1/4 cup Vegetable oil
• 1 cup Vinegar

Build your sandwich with:

• Garlic sauce
• Pickles
• Sliced tomatoes
• Sliced raw onion
• Mozzarella cheese
• Caramelized onions/or grilled onions optional
• Ciabatta rolls

Instructions

 

• Cut your chicken into very thin strips.
• In a large bowl, combine the chicken strips with the paprika, salt, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, hot sauce, olive oil, and vinegar. Stir well to coat the chicken evenly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.
• Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken strips to the skillet and cook for about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and lightly browned. While cooking the chicken, you may notice a significant amount of liquid in the pan. Instead of draining it, it’s important to keep it in as it contains a lot of flavor. Continue cooking the chicken until all the liquid has evaporated, allowing the flavors to fully develop and intensify.
• While the chicken is cooking, slice the ciabatta rolls in half and spread a generous layer mayonnaise on each half. Place the rolls on a separate pan on medium heat until they are lightly toasted and the mayo has turned golden brown.
• Add a layer of garlic sauce, place a few slices of pickles on one half of the roll, followed by sliced tomatoes and raw onion.
• Add a generous amount of cooked chicken strips on top of the vegetables, then sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top.
• Place the baking sheet with the sandwiches back under the broiler and allow the cheese to melt and become bubbly, usually around 1-2 minutes.
• If using, add some caramelized onions on top of the cheese.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the top half of the roll on the sandwich.
• And you're done !! If you end up having any left-over chicken, it is perfect for meal prep throughout the week!