Chicken Shawarma

Make chicken shawarma at home with bold Middle Eastern flavors using this easy recipe! It features the best shawarma marinade and the perfect blend of spices. I serve it wrapped in pita bread with hummus, tzatziki sauce, and a simple veggie salad.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Arabic, Middle Eastern

Keyword chicken shawarma, shawarma

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Resting Time 1

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 371kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

Marinade + Chicken

3 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons paprika smoked or sweet
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium lemon (zest and juice)
¼ cup olive oil
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs pat dry
2 tablespoons neutral oil

Tzatziki Sauce

1 ½ cups Greek yogurt whole, low, or non-fat
1 cup English or Persian cucumber grated
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cloves garlic grated or minced
1 tablespoons dill minced
1 tablespoon mint minced
1 medium lemon (zest and juice)
salt and pepper to taste

Assembly

pita bread
hummus your choice of flavor
cucumbers Persian or English chopped into ¼” cubes
cherry tomatoes cut in half
fresh red onion thinly sliced or pickled red onion

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Marinade

In a large bowl, combine the garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cayenne, lemon juice, lemon zest, and olive oil. Add the chicken and fully coat. Place plastic wrap on top of the chicken so it forms a seal and let marinate at room temperature for 1-2 hours or marinate in the fridge overnight.

Tzatziki Sauce

While the chicken is marinating, combine the Greek yogurt, cucumbers, cumin, garlic, dill, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Adjust seasoning and set aside.

Method 1. How to Cook Chicken Shawarma on a Grill or on a Grill Pan

Remove the chicken at least 30 minutes before cooking if you’ve marinated it overnight in the fridge.
Heat a grill pan or your grill to high heat.
Oil the pan or grill with 2 tablespoons of neutral oil. Grill the chicken on both sides for about 3-4 minutes per side without moving so you can get some nice grill marks. Once done, set aside on a plate and cover with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
If you like, grill your pita bread for about 15-30 seconds per side to get some char and color.

Method 2. How to Cook Chicken Shawarma in an Air-Fryer

If you'd rather air fry your chicken vs cook it on the grill, skip my grilling section and follow this method below:
Set your air fryer to 375°F (190°C) and preheat for about 3 minutes.
Place the marinated chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket (don’t overcrowd). Work in batches if necessary.
Cook for 12–15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through (internal temp: 165°F / 74°C) and nicely browned.

Assembly

When ready to eat, scoop a spoonful of hummus onto your pita bread and spread around to cover the center. Next, spread a spoonful of tzatziki sauce on top.
Next, slice and place some chicken on top, and layer with the cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion.
Wrap in parchment paper if you like and enjoy!

Notes

Helpful tips about chicken

Marinating: I recommend marinating the chicken for no less than 1 hour. Overnight is preferred, but 1 hour works well.
Cooking: Make sure your chicken is fully cooked to 165 degrees using a thermometer. If you don’t have one, make sure all the pink has been cooked out of the chicken before serving.
Grilling: I prefer grilling chicken shawarma (or using a grill pan on stovetop) because the high heat creates that smoky char and crisp edges you just can't get in the oven, while still keeping the meat juicy and tender.
Broiling: If you don’t have a grill pan or a grill, there is a solution! Move a rack in your oven to the highest section, turn your oven to broil, place the chicken on a foil lined baking sheet that’s been greased with cooking spray, and broil for 5 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. This will also get some great char on the chicken!

Notes about sauces

Greek yogurt sauce: I love making the tzatziki sauce from scratch (recipe provided above!) but feel free to skip that and use a store-bought version!
Spicy sauces: Add a tablespoon of harissa, hot sauce, or chili sauce of choice to your marinated chicken!

Serving and storage recommendations

Serve it hot or cold? I recommend eating the chicken when it’s hot! All of the other elements should be cold or at room temperature.
Storage: I recommend storing all ingredients separately in the fridge. Everything can last for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing anything as once it’s thawed, the quality and flavor diminishes significantly.

Fun variations

Other ingredients to add: Feta, toum, pink pickled turnips, and extra herbs
Burrito: Swap the pita for large flour tortillas and make a burrito instead!
Make it vegetarian: Mushrooms, tofu, eggplant, tempeh, and jackfruit are all great options to try instead of chicken!

You'll need these supplies:

knife
cutting board
measuring spoons
measuring cups
grill pan or grill
tongs
parchment paper

Note about nutrition information:

The estimated nutrition info DOES NOT include any ingredients listed under the ASSEMBLY section, such as pita bread, hummus, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion.

Nutrition