This homemade chicken shawarma recipe is made with a special spice mix that infuses it with classic Middle Eastern flavors. Serve it in a wrap to get the satisfying taste of take-out shawarma at home!
Nothing beats classic Middle Eastern recipes. From shish tawook and homemade falafel to hummus and kibbeh, every dish is a celebration of flavors. Chicken shawarma is one of those dishes that almost everyone has tried at some point, usually in a restaurant. Today, I'm going to show you how to make this classic recipe at home. The key is in the mix of spices!
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About this recipe
Shawarma is a Middle Eastern street food that's packed with flavor thanks to the special spice mixture that brings it all together. You can find both beef shawarma and chicken shawarma all around the Middle East. Traditional chicken shawarma is made with marinated chicken pieces layered on a spit, rotating and roasting for a few hours until fully cooked.
Shawarma is juicy and flavorful with crispy bits. It can be served on a plate with some salad such as Mediterranean salad and spreads such as toum (garlic spread) or as a wrap with fresh and warm pita or lavash.
Since we love shawarma but don't own a spit at home, I worked out a recipe for that uses an easy technique to make the chicken juicy and flavorful like (or even better than) you local shawarma joint!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken - I prefer using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because they're juicy and tender after cooking. However, you can also use boneless skinless chicken breast or a combination of thighs and breast.
- Olive oil - Extra virgin olive oil is always the best choice.
- Garlic - A few cloves of garlic adds so much flavor to the marinade.
- Lemon - Skip bottled lemon juice and use the real deal for this recipe.
- Spice mix - It's all about the spices when it comes to shawarma. You can find shawarma spice mixes in many shops but I personally love making my own spice mix. The spices used to make the marinade include cumin, cinnamon, paprika, cardamom, coriander, turmeric, cayenne and salt.
How to make chicken shawarma
This is a recipe for oven roasted shawarma which means no grilling or spits are needed. The key is to marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes but preferably overnight.
Marinate the chicken: Mix all the spices in a large bowl and add in olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Mix well and then add the chicken to the marinade. Let it marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.
Bake in the oven: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat it with cooking spray.
Place the chicken thighs in one single layer on the baking sheet and brush the remaining marinade on them. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Take the baking sheet out of then oven and raise the temperature to 425°F.
Chop and make it crispy: Place the chicken thighs on a board and slice them into bits. Return them to the baking sheet and stir to make sure they absorb the juice. Bake in the oven at 425°F for an additional 10 minutes until they have crispy bits and ends.
Pro tip: Another way to crisp the chicken slices is to heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and then simply crisp the chicken slices in the skillet as quickly as possible.
Serving suggestions
You can serve this dish in so many different ways. Here's a couple of ideas:
- Shawarma plate: Serve with some spicy hummus, white rice or rice with vermicelli, tabouli salad, batata harra and tahini sauce.
- Shawarma wrap: Heat some pita or lavash and top it with shawarma. Add some cucumbers, tomatoes and onions. Top with tahini sauce or a simple yogurt and garlic sauce. Roll the wrap and serve. Another way to make a wrap is with garlic sauce (toum), pickles, fries and pickled turnips.
Frequently asked questions
Instead of roasting in the oven, you can grill marinated chicken to make shawarma. Grill the chicken thighs until they are fully cooked then slice them into pieces and serve.
As mentioned above, I advise using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. However if you prefer chicken breast, pound it until it's even on all sides and then marinate and cook it according to the instructions.
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
This dish is best served fresh and warm. However, you can marinate the chicken up to 8 hours prior to cooking.
More Chicken Recipes
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Step-by-Step Recipe
Homemade Chicken Shawarma Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1.5 tsp cumin
- 1.5 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cardamom
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 lemon juice
To serve:
- Pita bread
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 2 Persian cucumbers chopped
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Tahini sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, all the spices and lemon juice.
- Add chicken thighs to the bowl and mix so they are coated in the marinade.
- Cover and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes up to 8 hours.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non stick spray.
- Place the chicken thighs in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Take the baking sheet out of the oven and raise the temperature to 425°F.
- Place the cooked chicken thighs on a cutting board and slice them into bits. Return them to the baking sheet and give it a stir.
- Bake in the oven for an additional ten minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix chopped tomatoes and cucumbers and add some salt, pepper and lemon juice. Set aside.
- Mix yogurt, minced garlic and salt and set it aside.
- Make chicken shawarma wraps by placing chicken shawarma on warm pita or lavash and add some tomato and cucumber salad with some yogurt garlic sauce.
Video
Notes
- Instead of roasting in the oven, you can grill marinated chicken to make shawarma. Grill the chicken thighs until they are fully cooked then slice them into pieces and either place them on the grill to be crispy or broil them for a few minutes.
- Another way to crisp up the chicken slices is to heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and then simply crisp the chicken slices in the skillet as quickly as possible.
- I advise using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this chicken shawarma recipe. However if you prefer chicken breast, pound it to it's even on all sides and then marinate and cook it according to the instructions.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Lynn Hopsonl n
Is the lemon one whole lemon for juice? Would it hurt to double the ingredients to have more marinade?
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
It's lemon juice! And yes, you can double the marinade ingredients. Enjoy!
Taylor
This was SO delicious! The chicken had great flavor and was so tender and juicy. My family loved it!
Katie
I love that I can make this so delicious at home! Not too difficult and great every time.
Charlotte
What happened to the Tahini sauce Shadi?
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Here is the recipe https://www.unicornsinthekitchen.com/middle-eastern-tahini-sauce-recipe/
Larry
Shadi, you have really 'nailed' this recipe. I made it for the third time last night and each time it was absolutely delicious and consistent. I put the chicken thighs in a zip-loc bag to marinate and squeezed out the air so all parts of the thighs are covered in oil, lemon juice and the wonderful spices. 8 hours in the fridge - perfect flavouring. I tried paratha (an Indian flatbread) last night and that worked as well as pita and lavash. There is only one part of your wonderful recipe I haven't been able to test yet. I haven't tested whether the leftovers last 3 days in the fridge because we haven't had any leftovers. I cook for my wife and myself and scale down the ingredients to suit 3 but we like the shwarma so much there's never anything left. Another positive though, it makes doing the dishes easy too. 😂😂
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thank you for your kind comment Larry! I'm so happy to know you enjoy this recipe, it also tastes really good if grilled!
Larry
We live in the UK Shadi and what we call a grill is, I believe, what you call a broiler? I bought boneless chicken thighs because I'm very naughty and love chicken skin. So I cooked the thighs in the oven and finished them off under the broiler and the skin was crispy and absolutely lovely and tasty. My wife doesn't eat chicken skin so double rations for me. it was another reward for me for doing the cooking and the dishes. This is a 'no lose' recipe for me and I'll be cooking it about once every two months. There are many other recipes of yours I will be trying too. My wife and I love Greek, Turkish, Middle Eastern and North African food and your site is packed full of them. Thank you so much for sharing them and giving us a holiday at home.
Brandy
Made this for dinner the other night for my husband and I and we both really enjoyed it. The recipe was easy to follow and very delicious. Will definitely be making again!
Michelle
Definitely a recipe I'll be making again and again! Perfectly seasoned!
Elaine
Homemade chicken shawarma made the right way. It looks absolutely stunning!
Heather Johnson
delicious - i love schwarma but haven't been able to go get it for so long - this was great!