You will be blown away by this Chicken Shawarma recipe! You can make a fantastic chicken shawarma marinade with just a few everyday spices, giving the chicken a unique Middle Eastern flavor. Chicken shawarma is one of my all-time favorite Middle Eastern street foods.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Incredible flavor: It's off the charts for effort vs output: just a handful of everyday spices, garlic, a splash of lemon and olive oil transform into the most incredible flavor.
- Authentic spices: Coriander, cumin, cardamom, cayenne and smoked paprika are what make it taste like the real thing.
- Adaptable cooking method: No grill? Use a grill pan on the stove, or bake it in the oven on a sheet pan.
- Many ways to serve it: Chicken shawarma can be served in a pita or wrap, over a chopped salad for a light meal, or as a plate with rice and a side of tzatziki, tahini yogurt sauce, hummus, or baba ganoush.
- Great for meal prep: This is one of the easiest recipes you will ever make, and it's perfect for meal prepping for busy weeknights!
What Is Chicken Shawarma?
Shawarma is a beloved Middle Eastern dish. This street food classic is traditionally prepared by stacking spiced meat on a vertical rotisserie and shaving off thin slices as it turns. Shawarma means "turning" in Turkish.
Ingredients
- Chicken thigh fillets: I like to make shawarma with boneless, skinless thighs as they're juicier than the breast.
- Large garlic clove (minced): For punchy flavor.
- Ground coriander: Coriander adds a subtle citrusy note.
- Ground cumin: Cumin is earthy and warm.
- Ground cardamom: It has a piney, sort of citrusy flavor and it is the key ingredient that sets a shawarma marinade apart from other spice blends - don't skip it!
- Ground cayenne pepper: The spiciness in the shawarma marinade comes from the cayenne pepper - if you don't want it spicy, reduce it or leave it out altogether.
- Smoked paprika: Paprika rounds everything out with gentle sweetness and warmth.
- Salt: Seasons the chicken and helps the marinade penetrate the meat.
- Black pepper: For seasoning throughout.
- Lemon juice: Fresh! Used for a touch of brightness and forms the base of the marinade.
- Olive oil: For a touch of flavor but also to dilute the lemon juice so it doesn't "cook" the chicken.
- Greek yogurt: For the creamy yogurt sauce served alongside the shawarma.
- Garlic (crushed): Stirred into the yogurt sauce for savory depth.
- Cumin: Added to the yogurt sauce for warmth.
- Lemon juice: Brightens the yogurt sauce.
- Salt and pepper: To season the yogurt sauce.
- Flatbreads: Lebanese or pita bread, homemade or store bought.
- Sliced lettuce: Cos or iceberg work great for wraps.
- Tomato slices: Fresh, for topping the wraps.
- Red onion: Finely sliced, for topping.
- Hot sauce of choice: Optional, for extra heat.
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. Put the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Add the chicken, seal the bag, and massage from the outside so every piece is coated. Marinate overnight for the best flavor, or for at least three hours if you're short on time.
- Make the yogurt sauce. In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the yogurt sauce and stir. Cover and refrigerate until needed; it will keep for up to three days.
- Preheat the pan or barbecue. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Alternatively, lightly grease the hotplate or grills of a barbecue and heat to medium-high.
- Cook the chicken. Put the chicken on the grill or in a skillet and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side, or until it is well browned. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the opposite side after turning; the second side cooks more quickly.
- Rest the chicken. After taking the chicken from the grill, loosely wrap it in foil. Give it five minutes to rest.
- Arrange for serving. Arrange the chicken on a dish with flatbreads, salad, and the yogurt sauce.
- Make a wrap. Grab a piece of flatbread and spread it with yogurt sauce to create a wrap. Add some lettuce, tomato, and chicken shawarma on top. Roll it up and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- Use chicken thighs: For the juiciest result, use boneless, skinless thighs. Chicken breast also works, but thighs are far more forgiving because they are hard to overcook or dry out.
- Marinate overnight: I personally love marinating the chicken the night before because the chicken soaks up all the flavor and turns out tender, juicy and finger-licking good!
- Rest your meat: Resting the meat enhances both the flavor and the texture. If you cut into the chicken right after it comes off a hot skillet, you will end up with dry, rubbery, chewy pieces!
- Baking option: Baking doesn't yield quite the same flavor as stove or BBQ cooking, but still very good!
- Make it vegetarian: For a vegetarian version of this recipe, replace the chicken with extra-firm tofu. Blot and drain the excess water and keep the pieces bite-sized.
- Toasting spices: Toasting whole spices gives the shawarma marinade a more intense flavor, but using ground spices is quicker and easier and works well too!
How to Store and Reheat
Chicken shawarma leftovers can be frozen for up to three months and stored in the fridge for up to four days in an airtight container. In order to prevent the pieces from drying out, reheat the chicken by placing it in a skillet over medium heat, adding a little splash of liquid, and tossing until thoroughly heated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Originating in the Middle East, shawarma is essentially marinated, heavily seasoned meat (usually lamb, beef, or chicken) that has been placed on a vertical spit and roasted low and slow for hours as it turns slowly beside a gas-fired grill. The meat is often thinly sliced and put into pita, or wraps, or made into a shawarma platter. Once roasted, the meat is moist, tender, and incredibly flavorful from the spices.
The blend used here is ground coriander, ground cumin, ground cardamom, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, garlic, salt and black pepper. Cardamom is the one that makes it taste like shawarma, so don't leave it out.
Traditionally, shawarma is served with either a garlicky yogurt sauce or a tahini sauce, the latter being especially popular in Israel.
Yes. We love the flavor of a real grill, but a grill pan or a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat works beautifully, and you can also bake the chicken on a sheet pan.
Marinating the chicken overnight yields the greatest results. To be honest, though, you can get away with marinating for at least three hours because the marinade is potent enough to flavor the chicken in that time.
Reheat it in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or stock, tossing until heated through. For a larger batch, spread it in a deep tray, cover with foil, and warm in a 300°F oven for about 20 minutes.
If you tried this Chicken Shawarma (Middle Eastern) or any other recipe on my website, please feel free to leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. And remember to tag me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Chicken Shawarma (Middle Eastern)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 lb chicken thigh fillets
Marinade
- 2 large garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon ground cardamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 3 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon salt
- Black pepper
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
Yoghurt Sauce
- 1 cup Greek yoghurt
- 2 clove garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
To Serve
- 4 flatbreads
- Sliced lettuce
- Tomato slices
- Red onion
- Hot sauce of choice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Marinate the chicken: Put the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Add the chicken, seal the bag, and massage from the outside so every piece is coated. Marinate overnight for the best flavor, or for at least three hours if you're short on time.
- Yogurt sauce: In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the yogurt sauce and stir. Cover and refrigerate until needed; it will keep for up to three days.
- Preheat: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat, or lightly grease the hotplate or grills of a barbecue and heat to medium-high.
- Cook the chicken: Put the chicken on the grill or in the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side, or until well browned. Turn and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the second side, which cooks more quickly.
- Rest: Take the chicken off the heat, loosely wrap it in foil and let it rest for five minutes.
- Serve: Arrange the chicken on a platter with flatbreads, salad, and the yogurt sauce.
- Make a wrap: Spread a piece of flatbread with yogurt sauce, top with lettuce, tomato, and chicken shawarma, then roll it up and enjoy!
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