Fluffy, warm homemade naan wrapped around juicy crisp shawarma chicken and cauliflower with your favorite dip and a quick parsley salad: these Greek Chicken and Cauliflower Naan Wraps with Parsley Salad are seriously next level amazing.
Jump to RecipeGuys. I seriously don’t know how I haven’t shared this recipe before. In all honesty, I make this all the time. Well, I don’t always make the parsley salad, and I don’t always go with naan. Still, chicken and cauliflower shawarma wraps are truly one of my go-tos. Having friends over? I’m making this spread. Bringing food to someone’s house? This is my game plan. Seriously, these Greek Chicken and Cauliflower Naan Wraps with Parsley Salad are the perfect make-ahead meal that’s easy to transport, super impressive (hello, homemade naan!?!), and is absolutely delicious. There’s nobody that doesn’t love this one, trust me!!
the breakdown…
These Greek Chicken and Cauliflower Naan Wraps with Parsley Salad can start off a few ways. First, you could make your naan, but you could also get that marinade going. For the sake of organizing this recipe in a readable way, I went with the naan first.
This naan recipe is the same as in my Homemade Cauliflower Shawarma Naan Flatbreads because it’s seriously the best. That recipe uses smaller, flatbread sized naans, whereas this recipe needs enough bread to wrap around a sandwich. So, if you wanted, you could easily double this recipe to make extra naan/bigger naans.
With some warm milk, honey as the sweetener and proofing agent, and a little instant yeast (a miracle worker), this bread comes together so fast. After the proofing step, all you have to do is mix in the rest of the ingredients and knead. I like to use my stand mixer with a hook attachment for kneading. It’s a serious life savor. But, if you don’t have one, you could easily use a wooden spoon and some elbow grease. Once your dough is all ready to go, simply let it proof for a bit then cook it up on the stove! Given that I make naan quite a bit (lol it’s my favorite bread), I’ve figured out a few tips and tricks along the way. For the sake of not being repetitive, I won’t list them all here again. But, before whipping up your first batch of naan, I recommend checking out this post for all my insight;)
onto the chicken…
Once your naan is all squared away, and your house is naturally smelling amazing, it’s time to get cracking on the rest of the dish. For starters, you want to marinate your chicken for at least 1 hour. I usually do this step while my naan is proofing, or even the day before (if I can think that far ahead, lol). Really, this marinade is my classic shawarma spice and lemon blend that I use all the time. With some warming spices like cumin, cinnamon, and oregano, but also some fiery flavors like smoked paprika and turmeric, this blend is truly the best. Don’t fix what ain’t broken, right? That being said, a little sumac would also be delicious in there, if you have some on hand.
Along with those warming shawarma spices, go ahead and go in with some greek yogurt, lemon juice, and olive oil. Pretty basic moisture-and-flavor carrying ingredients, so not much to explain there. What’s a little unusual — at least for your everyday chicken breasts — however, is that I like to thinly slice up my chicken ahead of cooking. In this Greek Chicken and Cauliflower Naan Wraps with Parsley Salad, I try to aim for the most authentic shawarma I can go for. That being said, I do not have an authentic Shawarma Spit, nor am I crafty enough to attempt a DIY when I’m trying to get dinner on the table. Plus, I don’t have days to wait for my meat to cook around a vertical rotisserie, no matter how delicious it may be.
the method…
So, this Greek Chicken and Cauliflower Naan Wraps with Parsley Salad recipe opts for an easier, yet still somewhat authentic tasting, approach. I very tightly line up my chicken slices on a skewer and roast them up in the oven. I like to think of these skewers as mini versions of a big halal spit that are roasting in the oven instead of around a rotisserie. Still super delicious, just not as crazy of a process.
With that chicken, go ahead and roast up the cauliflower with the remaining spices. I love shawarma cauliflower, especially in a wrap like this. It’s a great way to add in some veggies without going with the typical Greek salad fixings, which can kind of get boring sometimes. And, if you’re one of those people who swears they don’t like cauliflower, try this recipe first. As long as you cut your cauliflower into really small florets (as opposed to big, stem-heavy chunks), you’ll get the perfect crispy bite that will truly make you forget that you’re eating cauliflower. Seriously so delicious.
that parsley salad!
After everything is all roasted up, all there’s left to do is whip up a quick parsley salad on top. I love to use pre-shredded iceberg lettuce for optimal crunch, then I go in with a ton of parsley and an easy “cheater” Greek vinaigrette. Don’t skip on the oregano — that’s crucial. Besides that, though, this recipe is really quite simple! Plus, I seriously eat this salad by the spoonful… it’s that good!!
how to serve it up…
Last but not least, assemble everything up and get to eating! Layer on your favorite dip and all the toppings and there’s really nothing better. I love to keep each part of this dish separate and let everyone assemble it themselves. That’s what makes this dish such a wonderful dinner party spread or meal to deliver to another home. And, if you’re going all out, serve it up with a Greek Mezze Board, some Greek style rice, my Greek Style Bruschetta, and maybe even my Greek Style Sweet Potato Dijon Salad. The possibilities are seriously endless with this one.
I hope you love this Greek Chicken and Cauliflower Naan Wraps with Parsley Salad as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below:)))
Greek Chicken and Cauliflower Naan Wraps with Parsley Salad
Course: Main Course, Lunch, DinnerCuisine: Greek, Mediterranean, Middle EasternDifficulty: Easy8
servings15
minutes30
minutes~2
hours
Fluffy, warm homemade naan wrapped around juicy crisp shawarma chicken and cauliflower with your favorite dip and a quick parsley salad: these Greek Chicken and Cauliflower Naan Wraps with Parsley Salad are seriously next level amazing.
Ingredients
- naan:
- (note: this recipe makes small naan flatbreads. If you want bigger flatbreads, double the recipe and follow the instructions as noted)
¾ cup warm milk, divided
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp instant yeast*
1 cup plain greek yogurt
4 cups all purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ cup olive oil or melted butter, for brushing
- spice blend:
2 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
Red pepper flakes, to taste
- chicken marinade:
2 lb chicken breast tenders, sliced into 1 inch slices*
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup plain greek yogurt
1 large lemon, juiced
- assembly:
10-12 wooden skewers, soaked for 30 min prior to use
2 + 2 tbsp olive oil
3 large shallots widely diced
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp honey
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce*
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ cup fresh mint, finely chopped
¾ cup feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
Hummus, baba ganoush, or tzatziki, to serve
Instructions
- TO MAKE THE NAAN:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), combine ¼ cup of the warm milk, honey, and instant yeast. The instant yeast should bubble right away. If using active dry yeast, see notes.
- Add the rest of the milk, yogurt, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a dough hook attachment on a stand mixer or a wooden spoon, mix until the dough has completely incorporated, about 3 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add a few more tablespoons of flour and knead in the bowl until a ball forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let sit in a warm place for 1-3 hours, or until the dough ball has doubled in size.
- When it has doubled in size, divide the dough into 8 circles and roll out with a rolling pin. They should be about ½ inch thin. Brush both sides of each naan with olive oil or melted butter.
- Heat a large skillet (cast iron is best) over high heat. Once the pan is very hot, place the oiled naan on the skillet. Quickly cover the skillet with a lid and cook the naan on one side for about 30-45 seconds. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds on the other side. Large toasted spots should appear on one side. Remove from the skillet and repeat with remaining dough balls.
- TO MAKE THE WRAPS:
- Mix together all of the spices. In a large bowl or freezer bag, mix HALF of the spice mixture with the chicken, olive oil, greek yogurt, and lemon juice. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Toss the remaining half of the spices with the cauliflower florets, the shallots, and the 2 tbsp olive oil. Spread the cauliflower out on one baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Roast for 15 minutes, then toss with a spatula and return to the bottom rack of the oven.
- Tightly string the chicken slices onto each skewer so that each skewer is about ⅔ filled. Line each skewer up on the second baking sheet. After the cauliflower has been roasting for 20 minutes, transfer the chicken to the oven directly above the cauliflower. Bake for another 15-17 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the cauliflower is crisp. Toss the cauliflower with the almonds.
- Meanwhile, in the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, the red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, oregano, honey, salt, and pepper. Toss in the iceberg lettuce, the parsley, mint, and the feta.
- To assemble your wraps, layer some of your favorite dip onto a piece of the homemade top. Top with some of the roasted cauliflower, shallot, and chicken, then finish with some of the parsley salad. Wrap it up and eat it as a sandwich! Enjoy!
Notes
- Slicing the chicken ahead of time may seem peculiar, but it gives you the most juicy, shawarma-like texture in the end. I like to get chicken breasts already cut into tenders, and then thinly slice them like that.
- I like to buy my iceberg lettuce pre-shredded, as I think it brings in the best texture.
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