Shawarma Chicken Pizza with Garlic Yogurt Sauce and Pickled Jalapenos

A Middle Eastern inspired pizza with aromatic shawarma marinated chicken, red onion, Mozzarella, sweet and tangy pickled jalapenos and a garlic yogurt drizzle sauce.  Serve with a tomato cucumber side salad and you've got a fun fresh weekend meal.

You can swap out the chicken for ground lamb or shaved beef if preferred.  Just simply cook the beef or lamb in a skillet with our Shawarma sauce and then add to your pizza prior to baking.

Ingredients:

20 oz (1 bag) Pizza dough (we buy fresh dough in the refrigerated section at grocery store or you can make your own)

Shawarma Marinated Chicken Ingredients:

2 lb Chicken Tenders (you can also use chicken breasts or thighs)  This is enough for a few pizzas, you can use the leftover tenders for wraps and salad.  We used about 4 of the cooked tenders for a 16 inch pizza.
4 Tbs Wozz! Middle Eastern Shawarma Marinade
Salt and Pepper

Shawarma Pizza Sauce Ingredients:

6 ounce can Tomato Paste
2 Tablespoons Wozz! Middle Eastern Shawarma Marinade
1/2 cup Water
Pinch Salt and Pepper 
1/2 tsp Dried Italian Seasoning

Garlic Yogurt Sauce Ingredients:

1-2 Cloves Fresh Garlic minced
1 small 5 ounce tub of Greek Yogurt
Salt and Pepper to taste

Shawarma Pizza Toppings:

Red Onion Sliced 
Mozzarella Cheese Shredded 
Fresh Oregano Leaves (remove leaves, discard stems)
Fresh Mint Leaves (remove leaves, discard stems)
*Pickled Jalapenos

*I used sweet and tangy pickled jalapenos that I made at home. You can use tangy ones or sweet ones that you can pick up at the grocery store or substitute banana peppers if you prefer.  I included a sweet and tangy pickled jalapeno recipe below, you can make this quickly on the stovetop and then just refrigerate it.  If you don't have a canning jar, you can add this to any container with a lid - just keep them refrigerated.

A quick sweet and tangy pickled jalapeno recipe is below:

8 jalapenos sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
3-4 Tbs Sugar (adjust sweetness based on your preference)
1 Tbs Kosher Salt 

In a saucepan, bring sugar, vinegar, water and salt to the boil.  Add sliced jalapenos to pot and simmer for a couple minutes.  Add to a clean jar and cap.  Refrigerate.

Method:

1. Marinate Your Chicken

Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper.  In a bowl, marinate chicken tenders with Wozz! Middle Eastern Shawarma Sauce, let marinade for 1 hour. 

2. Make Your Pizza Sauce

In a small bowl whisk together tomato paste, water, Wozz! Middle Eastern Shawarma Sauce, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper.  Set aside.

3. Make Your Garlic Yogurt Sauce

Combine minced garlic and Greek yogurt in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper. Set aside in refrigerator.

4. Bake and Broil Your Marinated Chicken

Place on sheet pan in oven at 350 degrees for approximately 8 minutes. 

After 8 minutes move chicken under broiler and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Remove from oven, chop chicken into 1/2 inch pieces.  Add to a bowl and drizzle in a little extra Wozz! Middle Eastern Shawarma and coat.

5. Prepare Your Pizza Dough

Roll out your dough on floured surface and stretch, it will make a 16 inch round pizza.  Transfer dough to pizza rack, pan or stone.   {You can also do 2 small pizzas if you prefer}

6. Add Your Pizza Sauce

Using the back of a spoon or spatula, spread your pizza sauce evenly on dough

7. Add Your Toppings

Add a little Mozzarella cheese, then your shawarma chicken pieces, slices of red onion, and more Mozzarella cheese

8. Bake Pizza in Hot Oven

Bake Pizza in a hot oven at 475 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until crust is slightly crispy, cheese is melted and golden in spots.  {Cooking time may vary}

9. Add Final Toppings 

Once pizza has finished cooking, remove from oven and add additional toppings:  pickled jalapenos, fresh oregano leaves, a few fresh mint leaves and your garlic yogurt drizzle sauce.  Add a little salt and pepper. 

10.  Enjoy Your Pizza!

Serve your pizza.  Leave extra garlic yogurt sauce on the table for anyone like myself who wants a little more drizzled over top.  You can serve this with a fresh tomato, cucumber and red onion salad on the side (you can even put a little bit of the fresh salad ingredients on top of your pizza for that Middle Eastern pita or gyro style pizza.)