One Pan Shawarma Kebabs
The flavors of shawarma, and the cravings that never rest, finally meet their match: the ease of a one sheet pan affaire, in less than 30 minutes from start to finish! Sheet pan control and oven magic. This is a new recipe for the no-time kind of moments. Boeuf bourguignon and stuffed grape leaves can wait.
Some moments deserve the full production. Today demands one pan, one knife, and zero patience. Spices go straight into the meat, the meat goes straight into the pan, the pan goes straight into the oven, and twenty minutes later, you've got shawarma flavor without the shawarma wait. Make it sexy and sneak a quick broil for those gorgeous charred edges. Hello big shawarma vibe, with zero shawarma effort!
Yalla!
One Pan Shawarma Kebabs
Serves 6
Recipe credits: Rafaella Sargi
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef (I use 85/15)
1 pound ground lamb
1/3 cup chopped onions
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1 handful fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons bread crumbs
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic granules (this is NOT garlic salt!)
1/4 teaspoon miskeh** (tiny pearls, ground in a small bowl or a mortar and pestle before adding to the mix)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
A pinch of cinnamon
Serving Suggestion
Tarator (in a bowl, using a small whisk, combine ⅓ cup of Tahini with one grated garlic clove, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, ⅓ cup water and season with salt.)
Parsley + Scallion + Sumac (salad)
Fresh Crispy Radishes, thinly sliced
Pickles
Fresh tomatoes
Lebanese bread or Pita bread
Directions
A small food processor, a large bowl, food-safe gloves, a small sheet pan* (13.5 x 8.5 inch / 22 x 34 cm), parchment paper, a mortar and pestle (to grind the miskeh), and a knife.
*A Note on Sheet Pan Size
Try to use the closest-sized sheet pan you have. Spread evenly, two pounds of meat will give you the thickness you need for proper kebabs, and the cooking time is based on that thickness. If your sheet pan is larger, simply spread the meat into a 13.5 x 8.5-inch (22 x 34 cm) rectangle on it.
While cooking, the meat will "shrink" as the fat and moisture render out. Don't worry, that’s completely normal.
Heat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
Place the ground beef and lamb in a large bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the onions, shallots, and parsley. Process until very finely chopped, then pour the mixture over the ground meats.
Add the salt, bread crumbs, allspice, cardamom, ginger, garlic granules, crushed miskeh, black pepper, cayenne, and a pinch of cinnamon to the bowl.
Put on your food-safe gloves and mix well until the meat, aromatics, and spices are evenly combined.
Line the sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the meat mixture evenly across it.
Using a knife, score the meat into portions: 5 lengthwise cuts (creating 6 columns) and 2 widthwise cuts (creating 3 rows). You will have 18 equal kebabs (see picture).
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cut along the same marks again. Turn the oven off and set the broiler to High.
Return the pan to the oven under the broiler for 1–2 minutes, just to get those lightly charred, grilled edges. Stay close by! This happens fast and can burn easily. Watch it closely.
Remove the pan and serve the kebabs hot with tarator, sliced tomatoes, pickles, parsley sumac salad, scallions, and pita bread. Even better… make a sandwich out of it!
**Miskeh / Mastic tip: Keep the Miskeh “pearls” in the fridge. It will be easier to grind them when needed. The cold pearls crack effortlessly into a fine powder when using with a mortar and pestle.
