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Toddler Shawarma Is Your Family’s Next Great Dinner

shawarma

Of course you can make a toddler shawarma! A mindful, delicate touch is all it takes–well that, and a lot of warming spices and some good pita bread. This recipe couldn’t be easier, in fact–indeed, so easy that we’ve provided three different ways to execute the dish, the better to meet the needs or preferences of your child.

But, first, a few things to note:

  1. Wait, turkey? Yep. Not unheard of: it’s increasingly becoming the shawarma meat of choice in Israel. And, in tenderloin form, it’s a forgiving and malleable cut with which to work. 
  2. Can a small child handle the spicing? For sure. In fact, with all that cinnamon and nutmeg in the mix, your child is likely to prefer it.
  3. What about the shape and texture? While we’ve made it possible in this toddler shawarma recipe to produce something like the crisp, irregular shaped nubbins that define the sort of shawarma shaved odd a spit at a restaurant, your kid may not enjoy the same chewing experience. If not, we've got you covered, with a take that emphasizes moistness over crispiness, but be advised: it involves cooking the turkey just past medium rare. It’s fully cooked and beyond juicy—it just may not be something you’re used to with the bird. Trust us: it’s everything.

Check out our other great chicken and meat recipes!

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Rest Time 5 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Ratings 5 from 1 votes
Cooking Method:
Cuisine:
Meal(s):
Difficulty: Beginner
Servings: 8
Description

An authentic, restaurant-level shawarma recipe that's accessible for your kids and still delicious for you--and it couldn't be easier to make, to boot.

Ingredients
  • 1 Turkey Tenderloin (Breast can work, too)
  • Shawarma Spice Blend (see Note on how to make your own)
  • Lemon
  • Olive Oil
Instructions
    Prep
  1. 1
    Marinade: in a large bowl or container, add an enormous amount of your shawarma spice, followed by a big squeeze of lemon and enough olive oil (~⅓ cup) to make the spice blend the consistency of wet sand or sludge.
  2. 2
    Meat prep for younger toddlers, those lacking molars, and/or if you’re just looking for the moistest meat possible: cut small slits into the tenderloin; dredge tenderloin in the marinade, making sure it covers all the surface and gets into crevices.
  3. 3
    For crisper, more restaurant-style meat: cut thin slices horizontally, creating 4-6 long but thin pieces. Dredge the pieces in the marinade, using your hands as needed to make sure it coats all surfaces of the meat.
  4. 4
    Marinate: cover your container and store in your refrigerator for at least four hours, or upwards of 48 hours.
    5. Cook and Assemble: Moister Meat version
  5. 5
    Heat oven to 300 degrees.
  6. 6
    While the oven preheats, heat a large pan on High; when it gets smoke-rising hot, sear the tenderloin on each side for two minutes. Remove from heat.
  7. 7
    Heat tenderloin(s) on a rimmed baking pan for 20 minutes, flipping at 10 minutes. For a more well-done center, heat for an additional two minutes.
  8. 8
    Allow meat to rest for approximately ten minutes.
  9. 9
    Slice vertically to create “steak” slices of your preferred size. Cut into pieces
    10. Cook and Assemble: Crisper Chunks
  10. 10
    Heat a large pan to Medium High–let it get really hot. Add oil.
  11. 11
    Place slices all around the pan; allow to cook, unabated, for two minutes. Flip, and cook the other side for two minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from heat.
  12. 12
    When cool enough to handle, stack the pieces on top of one another, then cut vertically across the pieces to create chunks.
    13. Serve
  13. 13

    When we eat this, we feast: strips of meat, quartered pita pockets, diced cucumber and tomatoes—all are out on display for our child to make his own sammich (with our help, of course). You can make sauces, too: a yogurt sauce can be made by mixing diced or juiced cucumber into yogurt, along with garlic powder and dill (alternative approach for the lazy: just pour a bit of juice from the pickle jar into some yogurt); a tahini sauce can be made by diluting tahini with some water and adding a bit of salt. 

    14. Adapt
  14. 14

    To make a chicken version, use the same marinade but dredge boneless, skinless thighs in it; marinate overnight. Cook for 30 minutes at 425; when cool enough to handle, cut into chunks. 

Nutrition Facts

Servings 8

Serving Size 6 small pieces of turkey

Amount Per Serving
Calories 105kcal
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2.6g4%
Cholesterol 20mg7%
Sodium 35mg2%
Potassium 380mg11%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin C 7 mg
Calcium 25 mg
Iron 1.5 mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

Most large grocery stores or online spice shops will sell a packaged shawarma seasoning blend; there is not significant variation among them. If you want to make your own, you can do so by mixing the following spices, ordered from the most to least of spice to add: garlic powder, cinnamon, pumpkin spice (can also add cloves, nutmeg, and allspice individually--just trying to make it easy for you), cardamom, oregano or parsley, salt, black pepper.

Keywords: daddy recipes for toddler, toddler dinner, toddler dinners, toddler dinner ideas, toddler meal ideas, easy toddler meal, toddler sandwiches, easy turkey recipes, shawarma for kids, turkey recipes for kids, turkey recipes for toddlers, turkey for kids, toddler beef recipes, healthy toddler dinner, shawarma recipes
Read it online: https://newdadskitchen.com/recipe/toddler-shawarma/
The recipe author and his then-infant son
Brad

Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.