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Beef shawarma is a popular street food of the Middle East. Tender slices of beef are marinated in olive oil and warm shawarma spices and cooked to perfection, then wrapped in a pita bread with vegetables and fries. Learn how to make beef shawarma at home with my tips and tricks.
You probably know of popular Middle Eastern street foods such as doner kebab, falafel, kofta kebab and hummus. One of the most well-known Middle Eastern street foods is beef shawarma and today I’m going to show how to make it! It’s easy to make at home and calls for just a few ingredients.
Table of Contents
What Is Shawarma?
Shawarma is one of the most popular Middle Eastern street foods that’s known all around the world. The warm spices used to make beef shawarma are pretty similar to chicken shawarma, however, you can also buy shawarma spice mix at many Middle Eastern shops.
Classic shawarma is made on of pieces of meat layered on a vertical spit. Since this is not available at every house, I have developed a recipe for homemade beef shawarma that you can make in a skillet and it tastes just as good!
Shawarma is usually wrapped in a pita or lavash with toum or tahini sauce, vegetables and pickles. It’s always a treat to grab some shawarma when you’re in the Middle East!
Beef Shawarma Seasoning
The flavor of shawarma lies within the seasoning. You can find shawarma spice mixes in many Middle Eastern or Mediterranean stores; however, I have a homemade shawarma spice mix recipe for you to keep on hand in case you’d like to make it at home:
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
What Cut of Beef Should I Use?
There are different cuts of beef including flank steak, skirt steak, sirloin, sirloin tip or ribeye that you can use for this recipe. It’s best if there is some marbling in the meat, this would result in juicier shawarma.
You don’t have to splurge on any special cut of meat to make shawarma. It’s important to cut the beef into thin slices before marinating. To slice the beef easily, put it in the freezer for 20 minutes.
How To Make Beef Shawarma
- Place the thinly sliced beef in a large bowl. Add the sliced onion, minced garlic, lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil.
- Season with the shawarma spice mix and toss the beef to make sure all pieces are well coated. You can use your hands or a pair of tongs to mix the beef with the seasoning.
- Cover with a plastic wrap and marinate for 1 to 2 hours.
- When you’re ready to cook, heat a wide cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Transfer the beef to the pan and sear until fully cooked, about 8 to 12 minutes. If your pan is not large enough, cook the beef in batches.
- Make the tahini sauce and then prepare the beef shawarma sandwiches or bowls.
Tips For The Perfect Beef Shawarma
- Don’t skip the vinegar – Vinegar acts as a tenderizer and balances the flavor.
- Seasoning – Be generous with the spices since that’s where all the flavor is.
- Don’t marinate for too long – Long marination can make the meat tough, therefore it’s best to cook the meat within 1 or 2 hours. However, the meat will still be good if marinated for up to 8 hours in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways to serve beef shawarma. You can make it into a shawarma wrap, a bowl or a platter. Make sure to have plenty of toum (Lebanese garlic sauce) and tahini sauce, you can use my Middle Eastern tahini sauce recipe or the one added to the recipe card below.
- Beef shawarma sandwich: Wrap the shawarma in a pita bread with tahini sauce, pickled turnips, sumac onion, fries, pickled cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce.
- Beef shawarma platter or bowl: You serve the shawarma on a platter with the fixings mentioned above. You can also turn it into a bowl with some lettuce or salad topped with the shawarma on top.
Storing Leftovers
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan over medium heat and stir occasionally until completely heated through.
You can also freeze cooked beef shawarma in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or reheat in a pan or in the oven straight from the freezer.
Optional: oven preparation
If you don’t want to use a skillet to make beef shawarma, you can use your oven. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and place the baking sheet in the oven to make it very hot. When the oven is heated, take the baking sheet out and spread the beef on it. Return it to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once or twice until the beef is cooked completely.
Frequently asked questions
Shawarma and Greek gyro have a lot in common. They’re both made on a spit and both are usually served as a wrap. However, gyro has a different flavor and marinade. Gyro is usually served with tzatziki, vegetables and fries.
You can marinate the meat for up to 8 hours in advance. In this case, make sure the meat is fully covered with plastic wrap and then refrigerate it.
Yes, my recipe here shows how to make shawarma without a vertical rotisserie. The easiest way to do so is to slice the meat thinly and then marinade and cook.
Yes, place the marinated beef in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then proceed with the cooking steps.
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Beef Shawarma Recipe
Ingredients
Beef shawarma
- 1 1/2 lb beef sirloin, sliced thinly
- 1 onion , sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, juice of
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil , extra virgin
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Tahini sauce
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 lemon , juice of
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
To serve
- 6 pita bread
- turnip pickles
- pickled cucumbers
- tahini sauce
- 2 cups sumac onion
- fries
- lettuce
- tomatoes
Instructions
- Place the beef in a bowl and add the onion, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil. Add in the cumin, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, paprika, cardamom, salt and pepper. Using your hands or a pair of tongs, mix the beef with the spices and olive oil mixture and make sure all pieces are well coated. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and marinate for 1 to 2 hours.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet or a nonstick pan over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, transfer the beef to the pan and sear until fully cooked, about 8 to 12 minutes. If your pan is not large enough, cook the beef in batches.
- To make the tahini sauce, mix the tahini with lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. If you like the sauce runnier, add a little bit of water.
- Once the beef shawarma is ready, start assembling the sandwich. Start by placing the beef shawarma on the pita, top with tahini sauce, turnip pickles, cucumber pickles, sumac onion, fries, lettuce and tomatoes. Wrap tightly and cut in half if preferred.
Video
Notes
- You can store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Make ahead: You can marinate the beef for up to 24 hours in advance.
- Make the tahini sauce for up to 3 days in advance.
- Here are the recipes for pita, pickled turnips and sumac onion.
- You can also use pita pockets for this recipe and stuff them with the beef shawarma and the rest of the fixings.
- To save time, you can use store-bought shawarma spice mix (available at Middle Eastern or Mediterranean shops).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this beef shawarma for dinner last night and it was excellent! So full of flavor!
I love beef shawarma and we try to go out for it every week! But now I can just make it at home – thanks!
Shawarma is always a treat for the taste buds. I love all the layers of flavor. Thanks!
This beef has incredible flavor! I can’t wait to make it again! Thank you!
This beef shawarma was so good! Made a platter for family movie night and it was epic!
One of my favorites.
Could I use rib eye or lamb shoulder instead of sirloin?
You sure can!
Wow, we loved your beef shawarma! It was something new to me but definitely making it soon again. I had no leftovers, LOL, thanks!
Thank you Natatlie! This recipe is a keeper!
Thanks for the great recipe. This really was the best! My husband and I really enjoyed this for our dinner. It was so easy to make and very tasty!