Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H. I have the perfect blend of spices that make this dish truly stand out. All you need to do is mix the shawarma spice with oil, then marinate some chicken, then cook it up! You can get the marinade ready in the morning, then come out to a quick and easy dinner. Serve it as shawarma bowls or stuffed into pitas with all your favorite toppings. You’re going to want chicken shawarma at home from now on once you make this. You an also make it with lamb or beef. The meat is slowly roasted as it rotates, resulting in tender, flavorful slices. It is often served wrapped in pita bread or flatbread, along with a mix of vegetables, tahini sauce, garlic sauce, or yogurt sauce, and other additions. This is an easy shawarma recipe you can make at home, with easily marinated chicken you can grill or cook on the stovetop for big Middle Eastern flavor that is just as delicious. Let’s talk about how to make chicken shawarma, shall we?
Chicken. Use skinless, boneless chicken breast or chicken thigh. FOR THE SHAWARMA MARINADE Garlic Powder. Or use freshly grated garlic. Paprika. Cumin. Turmeric. Ground Coriander. Ground Ginger. Ground Cardamom. Ground Black Pepper. Cayenne Pepper. Optional, for a spicy kick. Ground Clove. Ground Cinnamon. Sea Salt. Olive Oil. FOR SERVING Warmed pitas, tzatziki sauce or yogurt sauce, chopped cucumber, chopped tomato, green lettuce, sliced red onion. EASY YOGURT SAUCE Greek Yogurt. Minced Garlic. Fresh Chopped Dill. You can use dried. Lemon Juice. Salt and Black Pepper.
Add the chicken pieces and massage the marinade into the meat. Cover, refrigerate, and marinate at least 2 hours, or overnight for more flavor penetration. Then slice and serve them up! I’ve also included a simple yogurt sauce that’s very easy to make. Just whip it together. It’s so good with shawarma. Popular sides are warmed pita bread, couscous, hummus, tabbouleh, rice pilaf, couscous, and grilled vegetables. The most popular ways to serve it are:
Chicken Shawarma Wrap. Serve it on warmed pita bread with your favorite toppings, with sides in separate bowls. Chicken Shawarma Bowl. Serve it in a bowl with sides included, and toppings scattered over the top.
Popular toppings include fresh sliced tomato, sliced red onion, lettuce, and sauces like tzatziki sauce or other yogurt sauce, or tahini sauce. You can also freeze it for 3 months or longer in freezer containers. That’s it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this chicken shawarma recipe. Let me know if you make it. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
The Spicy Food Lovers’ Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)
title: “Chicken Shawarma Recipe” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-16” author: “Suzy Neill”
How to Make Chicken Shawarma Recipe Video
Prep ahead. While the chicken marinates, you can prep the yogurt sauce and chop the veggies, so all you have to do is cook the chicken at dinner time! Meal prep or make ahead. Cook the chicken ahead of time then divide the ingredients between containers for easy meal prep (or to freeze). Versatile. I will often make a big batch of marinated Chicken Shawarma on Sunday and serve it countless ways throughout the week. Healthy. This Chicken Shawarma recipe can be devoured guilt free and you’ll love every bite. The chicken is so flavorful that it’s the perfect complement to fresh, roasted or sautéed veggies – and makes them taste even better. Easy to double. You can double or triple the recipe for entertaining, for purposeful leftovers or to freeze. Great for entertaining. You can prep all of the wrap or salad ingredients ahead of time then just grill while your guests chat it up and then everyone can assemble their own Chicken Shawarma Wraps. This makes YOUR life easier and THEIR wraps or salads perfect for them!
The Chicken Shawarma marinade combines:
extra virgin olive oil lemon juice balsamic vinegar ground cumin ground coriander smoked paprika ground cardamom ground turmeric allspice garlic powder onion powder cayenne pepper salt and pepper
I know it is a lot of spices, but they each play a crucial role in the complex flavor profile and the marinade takes just minutes to whisk together. I love marinades because it is the easiest way to tenderize chicken and infuse otherwise boring chicken with tons of flavor. The resulting symphony of flavors ensures our shawarma – and consequently our Chicken Shawarma Wraps and Bowls – aren’t flat/one note but seeping with a chorus of robust, earthy, warm flavors. And bonus, by marinating chicken, all the work to create a flavorful bite is already done for you when it’s time to eat. All you have to do is cook the chicken and devour! In addition to the spices in the marinade, both the lemon juice and balsamic infuse the chicken with FLAVOR as well as tenderize the chicken. I can attest after making the shawarma both with and with the balsamic, it is far better with and that secret ingredient that will elevate your chicken to restaurant delicious and edge out all the other shawarma recipes.
Helpful tools for making this Shawarma Recipe
Cast iron skillet: A quality cast iron skillet is a must in your cooking arsenal! It is perfect for searing and creating a deeply golden exterior on everything from roast, to pork to chicken and seamlessly transitions from the stove to the oven. I love my super high quality Staub and Le Creuset. Their enamel interior Instant-read thermometer: you need an instant-read thermometer for the juiciest chicken, steak and pork AND for perfectly fried everything! It allows you to cook any protein to the perfect temperature every time and allows you to heat oil to the correct temperature for frying. Large Jelly Roll Pan (15”L x 21:W x 1”H): I use this pan all the time for sheet pan meals and roasting vegetables. You don’t want your veggies to overlap or they will steam instead of caramelize. This pan is commercial grade, 18-gauge aluminum for great strength and durability and can hold your heaviest food without warping. Quality Knives: a chef’s knife will be your most used kitchen tool by far! Quality knives make prep time much quicker and are important for safety as well. If you’re concerned about moola, please remember that your best chef knives, depending on how hard you use them and how well you take care of them, can easily last 25 years or more. I love my Wusthof but there are hundreds of less expensive knives with great reviews such as this one. Cutting Board: I use my big solid cutting board daily so it’s worth the investment. This extra-large cutting board allows you to prep all your veggies on one surface and the bamboo is easier on knives than plastic.
FLATBREAD
There are many types of flatbreads, but for Chicken Shawarma Wraps, you want pita flatbread, which is also known as Arabic bread, Lebanese bread, or Syrian bread. It is a soft, slightly leavened flatbread baked at high temperatures, so it puffs up in the oven.
VEGGIES
Romaine lettuce. Use the inner leaves so they are fresh and crunchy. Tomatoes. Please use ripe tomatoes for the best flavor and texture. Cucumber. I use an English Cucumber so there is no peeling required but you can also use a slicing cucumber and peel. Red onions. You’ll want to thinly slice the red onions for the best texture and even flavor. Use more or less to taste. You can also pickle the red onions – yum!
OTHER TOPPINGS
NON TRADITONAL TOPPINGS
Bell peppers. You can use red, yellow or orange bell peppers – whatever you have on hand. They are also delicious sautéed for a minute or two OR use roasted red bell peppers – yum! Olives. Kalamata olives boast a dark, rich intensely fruity flavor. Chickpeas. Roasted chickpeas tossed in some olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne add a fun flavor/texture pop. Artichoke hearts. I love their tanginess! Make sure to rinse and drain if you purchase them in oil. Sun–dried tomatoes. Same as above -rinse before using. I also like to chop them into bite-size pieces. Avocado. Their luscious creaminess is always a welcome addition.
YOGURT SAUCE INGREDIENTS
For this yogurt sauce, I amped up the greens and added plenty of cilantro and parsley. The sauce is easy to make in your blender or you can skip the herbs and just whisk the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl (mincing the garlic first of course). You will need:
Greek yogurt: You must use Greek yogurt verses regular yogurt because Greek yogurt is much thicker. You may use either Greek whole-milk yogurt, low-fat or non-fat yogurt and they will all produce excellently thick, creamy results. Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is preferred, but you may substitute with bottled lemon juice. Cilantro: fresh, tangy, citrusy, and zesty. Use the top of the cilantro bunch no need to separate the leaves from the stems. Parsley: clean, slightly peppery with a touch of earthiness and almost anise-like. Use the top of the bunch, no need to separate the leaves from the stems. Garlic: I use 2 garlic cloves for but you are welcome to add more or less to taste. Seasonings: Salt, pepper and ground cumin round out the flavor profile. Use more or less to taste.
TAHINI SAUCE
If you would to make tahini sauce, then substitute ¼ cup tahini in place of ¼ cup yogurt in the sauce recipe. You can also omit the yogurt and add ¼ tahini and about ¼ cup olive oil and ¼ cup water, more or less to reach desired consistency.
STEP 1: MARINATE CHICKEN
Whisk all of the Marinade ingredients together in a large bowl or freezer size plastic bag. HOW LONG DO I MARINATE THE CHICKEN? You will want to marinate the chicken for 8 hours up to overnight. You can get away with marinating it for less time, but the longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it will become.
STEP 2: MAKE YOGURT SAUCE
Make the yogurt sauce while the chicken is marinating so the flavors have time to build and meld. Add Greek yogurt, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper to a blender. Blend until the herbs are chopped, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. If you would like a thicker sauce stir (don’t blend) in additional yogurt. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the Chicken Shawarma Wraps.
STEP 3: CHOP VEGGIES
At any point while the chicken is marinating and yogurt sauce is chilling, chop the lettuce, onions, tomatoes and cucumbers for the wraps, or the bell peppers, cauliflower and zucchini for the bowls. Refrigerate separately.
STEP 4: COOK CHICKEN
When ready to cook, let chicken sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. This will ensure the chicken cooks evenly. You can grill the chicken outdoors or in a grill pan indoors, cook it in a cast iron skillet or bake per recipe instructions below. Once the chicken is cooked, wait 5-10 minutes before slicing so the juices can redistribute throughout the chicken.
STEP 5: SERVE CHICKEN SHAWARMA
Now the fun part! Warm the pitas in the microwave by stacking together and covering with a damp paper towel. Top warm pitas with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, thinly sliced chicken, and a generous amount of yogurt sauce. Alternatively, serve Chicken Shawarma recipe as plates, bowls or salads.
How to cook Shawarma Chicken
The method of cooking is entirely up to you but I prefer either grilling or a cast iron skillet as opposed to the oven for more of the characteristic charred flavor.
ROAST VEGETABLES
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking jelly roll pan (15 x 21) with foil and spray with cooking spray. Add cauliflower and toss with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and push cauliflower to one side of the pan. To the other side, add bell peppers, zucchini and tomatoes. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread vegetables into a single layer. Return to the oven and bake an addition 10-15 minutes depending on how crisp tender you like the vegetables.
ASSEMBLE BOWLS
Layer the bowl with cooked rice or lentils, lettuce, roasted vegetables, chicken, hummus and drizzle with yogurt sauce. The bowls are also amazing with feta, sliced almonds and avocados.
Pound Chicken. Whether you use chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this Chicken Shawarma recipe, you will want to pound the chicken to an even thickness. Pounding chicken to an even thickens not only helps tenderize the chicken but ensures the chicken cooks evenly. Even cooking eliminates dryness caused from overcooking the chicken in order to make sure the thickest part is cooked at the peril of the thinnest. Use chicken thighs. For the juiciest, most flavorful chicken with greater caramelization, use chicken thighs. Marinate chicken. The longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it will become but don’t marinate longer than 24 hours. Use a meat thermometer. Always use a meat thermometer so you don’t undercook, OR overcook the chicken. Let chicken rest. After chicken is finished cooking, transfer it to a cutting board and let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing so it has time to reabsorb the juices that have pushed towards the outside of the chicken. If you cut into the chicken immediately after cooking, valuable, moisture-giving juices will run out. Prep the sauce with the chicken. The Yogurt Sauce is very best after being refrigerated for at least one hour so the flavors have time to meld; so, make the sauce right after you add the chicken to the marinade if possible. Don’t skip the sauce! The yogurt sauce is a key component in this Chicken Shawarma recipe. Its creamy consistency is needed to marry all of the ingredients together and its refreshing tanginess cuts through the earthy flavors of the chicken. If you don’t want to make the sauce, you can use Greek yogurt instead, it just won’t be quite as good. Customize Chicken Shawarma ingredients. The topping ingredients are simply suggestions- you can use add/swap any ingredients for your favs such as bell peppers, olives, artichoke hearts, avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. Use warm pitas. Use pita flatbread and not pita pockets. Warm pitas are softer and roll easier without tearing. You don’t have to make a wrap! Turn this Chicken Shawarma recipe into anything you want – grain bowls, salad, pasta salad, sandwiches, even pizza!
Chicken Shawarma Wraps: chicken served in flatbread with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and tahini or yoghurt sauce with optional hummus, chili sauce, amba and pickled turnips. Chicken Shawarma Plates: chicken served on plates with a side of rice such as Mejadra or salad such as Tabbouleh Salad, Chickpea Salad or a simple green salad. Chicken Shawarma Bowls: can be grain bowls or I like to combine lettuce for a grain and greens bowls. The bowls can be topped with fresh, uncooked vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers, but I prefer to roast my vegetables (instructions to follow). Chicken Shawarma Salad: is like a deconstructed Chicken Shawarma Wrap. It combines the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and any other veggies your heart desires along with the yogurt sauce to make a salad.
WHAT SHOULD I SERVE WITH CHICKEN SHAWARMA RECIPE?
Chicken Shawarma is practically a meal in itself when served as wraps or bowls stuffed with protein and veggies. If serving as plates, the shawarma is fantastic with:
GRAINS: lemon rice, plain rice or lentils or Mejadra (Middle Eastern lentil rice) SALAD: Greek pasta salad, Middle Eastern chickpea salad, tabbouleh salad, or a green salad. You can also go non-traditional with Roasted Butternut Squash Salad, Green Bean Salad. Strawberry Salad, or Beet Salad. POTATOES: roasted potatoes or fingerling fries FRUIT: grapes, Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette, Winter Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Poppy Seed Vinaigrette and Berry Salad in Honey Mascarpone. VEGGIES: Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Cauliflower, Sautéed Lemon Garlic Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Roasted Butternut Squash
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