This Chicken Shawarma recipe is going to knock your socks off! Just a handful of every day spices makes an incredible Chicken Shawarma marinade that infuses the chicken with exotic Middle Eastern flavours. The smell when this is cooking is insane!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Chicken Shawarma
This is one of my signature recipes that will be very familiar to all my friends because I make this so often. It’s off the charts for effort vs output: just a handful of everyday spices, garlic, a splash of lemon and olive oil transforms into the most incredible flavour.
When this chicken is cooking, the smell is incredible. In fact, it’s how I met most of my neighbours when I lived in a townhouse complex, random people I had never met before popping their head over the fence wanting to know what on earth I was making. They were elated when I handed out samples!
What is Chicken Shawarma, actually??
Shawarma is a popular dish originating from the Middle East. It’s a popular street food that is traditionally made in the form of spiced meats that are stacked on a vertical rotisserie with thin slices shaved off as it rotates. But don’t worry! We can cook our horizontally in a good old pan or on the BBQ!
Shawarma was traditionally made with lamb, mutton and chicken though these days you see it with beef too. It’s commonly served in the form of a wrap, though in some countries you see it served on plates with sides such as seasoned rice or fries, and salads. In this recipe, I’m giving you both options!
Ingredients in Chicken Shawarma
Here’s what you need to make Chicken Shawarma. I’m betting you have most if not all of the spices in your pantry already!
Chicken – I like to make Shawarma with boneless, skinless thighs as its juicier than breast. But chicken breast and tenderloin both work great.
Lemon juice – Fresh!
Olive oil – For a touch of flavour but also to dilute the lemon juice so it doesn’t “cook” the chicken (like we intentionally do with ceviche!).
Spices – Nothing out of the ordinary here! The only one you might not have in stock is cardamom, though these days its easily found at any grocery store. It has a piney, sort of citrusy flavour and it is a key ingredient that distinguishes the Shawarma marinade from other cuisines, such as Mexican, that regularly uses the other spices used in this recipe. In short, don’t skip it!
Spice control – The spiciness in the Shawarma marinade comes from the cayenne pepper. It’s not a key element of the flavour so if you don’t want it spicy, either reduce or eliminate it altogether. I promise you won’t feel robbed. Lots of other flavours going on in this dish!
Sauce options for Shawarma
Shawarma is traditionally served with either a tahini sauce (common in Israel) or a Yogurt Sauce. If you’d like to use a tahini sauce, use the one in this Roasted Broccolini recipe.
For a Lemon Yogurt Sauce, here’s what you need:
How to make Chicken Shawarma
For the best results, it’s best to marinate the chicken overnight. But to be honest, the volume and flavour of the marinade is intense enough that you can get away with a minimum of 3 hours of marinating. Been there, done that plenty of times, and nobody has complained!
Mix marinade – For convenience, just mix the marinade directly in a ziplock bag. A bag works best because the chicken remains nicely coated in the marinade. If you prefer to use a container, either turn the chicken a few times or increase the marinade by 50%.
Add chicken into the marinade. Seal the bag, removing excess air, then massage to coat from the outside. Leave to marinade for 12 to 24 hours in the fridge. If you’re pressed for time, even 3 hours will do!
Yogurt sauce – Make the yogurt sauce simply by mixing the ingredients then set aside for at least 20 minutes to let the flavours meld. This will keep for 3 days in the fridge.
Cook chicken either on the stove or on the BBQ. It will get a great crust on it from the spices, and you will adore the smell. It’s intoxicating!
Rest chicken for at least 3 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the flesh, else they will just run out everywhere when you slice the meat.
To serve, just pile everything on a platter and let everybody make their own wraps! The chicken, lettuce, tomato slices, onion, yogurt sauce and warmed flatbreads – homemade or store bought. If the chicken is on the larger side, I sometimes slice it. But if they are smaller, I tend to just leave them whole.
How to Serve Chicken Shawarma
There are two main ways to serve Chicken Shawarma.
Wraps – As Chicken Shawarma wraps (like Gyros and Doner kebabs), with tomato, lettuce, and a simple yoghurt sauce on the side. Other optional extras include: red onion, cheese (query authenticity? But that’s ok!!), hummus, hot sauce / chilli sauce.
Shawarma plate – With rice and salads on the side. Thought I usually do serve pita bread or another type of flatbread as well, with a big dollop of either Hummus or the Yogurt Sauce in this recipe, just because it’s very on theme. ☺️
Below, the Chicken Shawarma is pictured with Mejadra which is a Middle Eastern lentil rice (seriously so good you can / will want to eat it just by itself!) and a Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad (I skip the spicing of chickpeas otherwise there’s just too much kapow spices going on).
A few other things that would be very much at home alongside Chicken Shawarma:
Juicy Greek Salad – the flavours in Greek salad pair really well with Middle Eastern food
The spread below features the Chickpea Salad referred to above and Mejadra, the lentil spiced rice.
Great food for gatherings
This Chicken Shawarma, along with the Vietnamese Noodles with Lemongrass Chicken, are two of my most frequently made foods when I’m cooking for a crowd because it’s easy to make loads, they are both great “lay it all out and let everyone serve themselves” type foods (I’m a big fan of food like that), and it travels well. I’ve made this multiple times on camping trips (along with the Vietnamese Noodles and Greek Gyros!).
It was also part of a 7 course Arabian Feast menu that I shared way back when I first published this recipe in 2015. I still haven’t gotten around to perking up all the recipes with fresh new photos, but I will one day! I love that menu because so much of it can be prepared ahead, and there’s lots of common ingredients.
Be prepared for the amazing smells when you’re cooking this Chicken Shawarma! – Nagi xx
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Chicken Shawarma (Middle Eastern)
Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2 lb chicken thigh fillets , skinless and boneless (Note 3)
Marinade
- 1 large garlic clove , minced (or 2 small cloves)
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground cardamon
- 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper (reduce to 1/2 tsp to make it not spicy)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Yoghurt Sauce
- 1 cup Greek yoghurt
- 1 clove garlic , crushed
- 1 tsp cumin
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
To Serve
- 4 – 5 flatbreads (Lebanese or pita bread orhomemade soft flatbreads)
- Sliced lettuce (cos or iceberg)
- Tomato slices
- Red onion , finely sliced
- Cheese , shredded (optional)
- Hot sauce of choice (optional)
Instructions
- Marinade chicken – Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Add the chicken, seal, the massage from the outside with your hands to make sure each piece is coated. Marinate 24 hours (minimum 3 hours).
- Yogurt Sauce – Combine the Yogurt Sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix. Cover and put in the fridge until required (it will last for 3 days in the fridge).
- Preheat stove or BBQ – Heat a large non-stick skillet with 1 tablespoon over medium high heat, or lightly brush a BBQ hotplate/grills with oil and heat to medium high. (See notes for baking)
- Cook chicken – Place chicken in the skillet or on the grill and cook the first side for 4 to 5 minutes until nicely charred. Turn and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes (the 2nd side takes less time).
- Rest – Remove chicken from the grill and cover loosely with foil. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
To Serve
- Slice chicken and pile onto platter alongside flatbreads, Salad and the Yoghurt Sauce (or dairy free Tahini sauce from this recipe).
- To make a wrap, get a piece of flatbread and smear with Yoghurt Sauce. Top with a bit of lettuce and tomato and Chicken Shawarma. Roll up and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
* Chickpea Rice Pilaf– slightly less spiced than Mejadra
* Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad (a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe, skip the spicing of chickpeas to keep it fresher) Also see 7 Course Arabian Feast (summary below recipe) and above recipe card in post for lengthier list of side options. 5. BAKING: Cooking on a BBQ or stove is best to get the caramelisation. Baking doesn’t yield quite the same flavour – but still very good! Bake at 425F/220C for 20 – 25 minutes until a browned. 6. Nutrition for chicken only because flatbreads vary so much in size and calories.Assuming 6 servings.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published December 2014, updated with fresh photos and an improved recipe video!
Arabian Feast Menu
Here is a summary of the Arabian Feast Menu that I shared back in 2015. I haven’t updated all the recipes yet – I’ll get to them eventually!
To Nibble: Hummus, Herb Chili Feta, Chargrilled Vegetable Platter
For the Men to Grill: Lamb Koftas, Chicken Shawarma (this recipe)
Because we must have Greens: Shredded Red Cabbage Carrot Salad, Spiced Chickpea Salad
Life of Dozer
Throwback to Life of Dozer in 2015 when I first published this recipe – nothing has changed in the years that has passed!
This shot pretty much encompasses how utterly predictable Dozer is:
✅ Skulking near a big pile of meat
✅ Squeezing himself under a tiny table laden with said food
✅ Eyes sparkling at the possibilities
✅ Licking his lips in anticipation
Gemma says
Made this tonight along with the flatbreads. Both were delicious. Can’t wait for the cookbook! 😀
Nagi says
Me either! Whew! It’s a big job!! N x
Christian Hackenberg says
Hi there,
I’ve also made Sharwama at home many times.
The classic Arabic version is: only pickle strips, meat, and TOUM (Arabic garlic mayonaise) wrapped in Arabic bread. The wrap is then briefly roasted in the pan or griddle so that it is crispy on the outside.
Greetings from Germany
Nagi says
Thanks for the tip Christian! N x
Christian Hackenberg says
You’re welcome, great website! I’m curious to hear how you like the classic version. And I hope to read tips later on how to best make TOUM 🙂 sometimes it works sometimes it gets messy when I try.
Anneliese Mason says
So very good! I made this with the chickpea rice pilaf (I used the air fryer to make the fried shallots, worked great!) but though that was really good too, we couldn’t eat more than a spoonful. The chicken, the flat bread, the yogurt sauce – absolutely delicious! Hubbie approved!
Suzanne says
In the video for the yoghurt sauce, it says to add sugar but the ingredients list cumin. I’m assuming go with the latter? Looking to make this for a dinner. Thanks.
Nagi says
Yes it should be cumin! Sorry! N x
Romi says
Oh I was looking for this! There’s an option where you can edit YouTube videos after uploading, I think it’s possible to overwrite the “sugar”. Would be helpful if you could look it up for future mistakes.❤️
I’m trying this for the family after my Covid isolation, I’m so glad I came to your page because otherwise I’d have miss it. Miss the newsletters!😂
Paul says
Brilliant recipe, cooked up perfectly. It’s interesting as is quite familiar on the one hand but then the cardamom tips it into something quite different from the usual mexican/curry/spice profile I’m used to eating. Brilliant stuff.
Carmel says
Theses look great
Can you cook these in the air fryer and at what temperature and how long for thank you.
Karla says
I cooked them tonight in the air fryer 190’Cfor 19 mins. Tossed them and flipped half way thru.
Really yum.
They taste better on the BBQ but it was raining outside! There is only so much I will do for food!
Nagi says
Hi Carmel – I have air fryer testing on my list and will be putting that info up once I have finished the cookbook and have time to do it properly but for now you’ll have to try it and please let me know via the comments how it goes!! N x
Carmel says
Looks Great
can you cook these in the air fryer and how long do you think it will take to cook
Dianne McKenzie says
Hi, made this with chicken breast, and marinated for 2 hours, the folks were hungry lol. It was so yummy a definite to make again.🤗
Nagi says
I am glad you liked it Dianne! N x
Caroline Russell says
Really would love to try this, but I can’t find the quantities for everything. If u could help it would be much appreciated. Thanks x
Nagi says
Hi Caroline – just click the recipe button at the top of the page and it will jump you straight to the recipe at the bottom of the post which you can read or print!
Caroline Russell says
Yes I found it thankyou xx
Lorraine says
Hi Nagi, I was so happy to find this recipe by chance, but I was wondering if you’ve restarted your weekly emails yet as I haven’t received one. I know you said that you’d be working hard on the book until the end of January, so has that changed please? Like many people no doubt, I’ve missed you and Dozer!😢
Nagi says
I’m still going on the cookbook Lorraine!! MUCH bigger project than I thought it would be and still a ways to go yet! If you want new recipes to try just put an ingredient in the search bar and everything for that ingredient will come up as a suggestion! There are over 1300 on the site so there should be a few new ones to keep you busy until I get back! N x
Lorraine says
I know that there are oodles of wonderful recipes thank you Nagi, it’s you who I’ve missed – and Dozer of course!
Don’t work too hard, you have to be able to enjoy the process too.💕💖
Ron, Brisbane says
You’ve done it again Nagi –
my household loves me!
Made it for dinner tonight as per your instructions. Put it in the fridge to marinate the night before, Served it with your delicious lemon rice and some vegetables (broccoli, green beans and carrots).
I assumed that we’d have some leftover chicken for a salad or something tomorrow – but no. Everyone raved about how great it tasted, then had seconds – and it’s all gone.
This will be what I take next time I’m invited to a BBQ – and I reckon everyone will ask me how to make it 🙂
Thanks again!
Ashley says
This recipe looks great!
When I order chicken shawarma, I love having toum with it (and lots of it).
Nagi says
Toum totally rocks! It’s something I am testing!! N x
Carla says
Toum is super easy to make. You can add a small boiled potato, or Aquafaba or egg white to help the mixture emulsify. I’ll hapily give you a recipe.
Nicky says
I just put my marinading chicken in the fridge and came back to recipe to read some reviews.. I see I should have used cooking salt and not table salt 🙁 is it too late for me to fix Nagi? What do you suggest if it’s still “fixable”? Help.
Nicky says
Also the video shows sugar in yoghurt sauce but it’s not included in the written ingredients
Carla says
Welcome back! You have been missed, Nagi.
summer bataineh says
yess!! I am so happy to see a new recipe. Even tho I come from the place with the most shwarma places in the world, I HAVE to try this. I know it’s going to be amazing!!
Carla says
You are the best Nagi, but you have really outdone yourself with this one!
It’s fantastic and going in repeat!
Gillian says
Excellent recipe, I cut back a bit on cardamom
Majesty says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I baked it in the oven because I don’t have a grill and it still came out great. I’ve made several of your recipes and they were all very good. Thank you for doing what you do.
Celina says
This technically isn’t shawarma, due to the cooking method, but sounds like a great recipe. Excited to try!
Nagi says
Yes you are right! I describe traditional street food shawarma in the post and explain this is a home version 🙂 Hope you got a chance to try it! N x
Cordelia says
Proof that this is an excellent recipe: the world’s pickiest eaters (my sons) gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up and it won the “Golden Spoon” award at their last Boy Scout campout (for best meal) 🙂