Who knew it was this easy to make oven-roasted chicken shawarma at home? You don’t need a special machine or spit to make juicy, crisp Middle Eastern shawarma. I have developed a simple marinade and cooking technique that results in a delicious batch of chicken shawarma. My Mediterranean recipe can easily be made in the oven or on the grill. I’m excited to share it with you!
What is Chicken Shawarma?
Shawarma is a delicious meat dish that is popular throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East. True shawarma is cooked with stacked, spice-marinated meats such as lamb, turkey, chicken, beef, or a mix of meats on a vertical rotisserie machine or spit.
The shawarma turns and slowly roasts for hours and hours, basted in fat and its own juices. Thin slices of meat are then shaved from the surface and served, either on their own or tucked inside a warm flatbread with fresh veggies, topped with tahini or garlic sauce.
Shawarma-style chicken might be a better name for this recipe. It doesn’t cook on a spit. However, it’s got all the flavor that you might expect from your local Middle Eastern restaurant!
Ingredients and Notes
I tried to replicate the flavor of chicken shawarma at home for months, playing with different spice combinations and cooking methods. At first, I tried buying pre-made spice blends from the Middle Eastern markets. None of them made my mouth happy. I needed more spice, more flavor, more oomph. So I began to experiment. Then, finally, I found what I consider to be the perfect balance!
- Chicken – I use a combination of light and dark meat (chicken breasts and chicken thighs) for this recipe to keep it a little leaner without missing out on any flavor.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – I use this to replace the fat found in chicken skin, adding extra flavor and a boost of omega fats, which are a staple in the Mediterranean diet.
- Spices – A combination of cumin, paprika, allspice, turmeric, garlic powder, cinnamon, cayenne, and black pepper creates a bold, savory flavor with lots of depth, just like you’d find with traditional recipes.
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
How to Make The Best Shawarma Chicken Recipe
You have two choices for cooking this Mediterranean recipe– in the oven or on the grill. To be honest, both cooking methods taste great. There really isn’t a big difference between the two.
- Marinate. Slice the breasts into pieces, and transfer them to a marinating dish or large plastic bag. Whisk olive oil and spices in a small bowl, and pour the mixture over the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour or ideally up to overnight.
- Cook. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven. Or, thread it onto skewers and cook it on a grill. Either way, you’ll want to use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning it’s fully cooked and safe to eat.
- Sear. Let the chicken cool slightly. Then, slice it into thin pieces. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, and sauté the chicken pieces until brown and crisp, working in batches so as not to overcrowd the skillet.
- Enjoy. Add extra salt and pepper as needed, and enjoy.
My Favorite Ways to Serve
This recipe goes great with hummus and toum or tahini sauce. If you’re not keeping kosher and don’t mind combining dairy with meat, tzatziki sauce or yogurt sauce are both great accompaniments as well.
I like to serve over a salad or grain bowls with saffron rice or lemony saffron couscous for a boost of protein, or in a pita bread pocket or wrap. Add fresh parsley, lemon juice, cucumbers, red onion, lettuce, or tomato to make your pita sandwiches even more filling.
Video by Entice Films
Chicken Shawarma
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (4 large thighs)
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch cayenne
- Salt and black pepper
- Nonstick cooking oil spray
You will also need
- Grill or baking sheet, tongs, skillet, spatula, plastic wrap.
Instructions
Prepare Marinade
- Slice the chicken breasts into 5-6 pieces each and the thighs into 3-4 pieces each. Place them in a marinating dish or large plastic zipper bag.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, the spices, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper (if you are salt sensitive, use 1/2 tsp of salt). Pour the spice marinade over the chicken pieces. Stir with a spoon till all the chicken pieces are evenly coated in the marinade.Cover the marinating dish with plastic wrap, or close the zipper bag. Place chicken in the refrigerator and let it marinate at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
Oven Cooking Method
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray the baking sheet with nonstick cooking oil. Place the chicken pieces on the sheet, evenly spaced.
- Place the chicken in the oven. Let it roast for about 15 minutes until cooked through, turning the chicken pieces once with tongs halfway through cooking.
- Take chicken out of the oven and let it cool slightly. Use a sharp knife to slice the meat into small, thin shawarma-like pieces.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet on the stovetop over medium. Pour half of the chicken into the skillet and saute for 3-4 minutes till the smallest pieces of chicken turn brown and crisp. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
- Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet. Heat another 1 tbsp of oil and saute the remaining chicken in the same way. Serve warm.
Grill Cooking Method
- Spray the grill with nonstick cooking oil and preheat to medium heat. Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto wooden skewers.
- Cook the chicken for about 20 minutes, giving a quarter turn every 5 minutes, until cooked through (slice into the thickest piece of meat to check for doneness).
- Let the chicken cool slightly, then remove it from the skewers. Use a sharp knife to slice the meat into small, thin shawarma-like pieces.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet on the stovetop over medium. Pour half of the chicken into the skillet and saute for 3-4 minutes till the smallest pieces of chicken turn brown and crisp. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet. Heat another 1 tbsp of oil and saute the remaining chicken in the same way.
- Serve warm. Goes great with toum – a creamy Middle Eastern garlic sauce – or tahini sauce. It also makes a great pita bread sandwich, garnished with cucumbers, tomato, lettuce, red onions, and Middle Eastern pickles.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
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FAQs
Yes, this recipe stores and reheats well. So, I like to make a large batch for meal prep and enjoy it for several days. Leftovers will keep fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Or, store them in the freezer for 2-3 months.
To serve, thaw your shawarma in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat it in the microwave or in a pan over medium to medium-high heat.
This recipe is lighter than options you might find at a local restaurant, thanks to the skinless chicken. As a result, it makes for a fairly healthy option, full of high-quality lean protein.
You can even lighten the recipe even further by skipping the sautèing, which will reduce the amount of oil needed. It won’t taste exactly like shawarma, but it will still be tasty! Of course, please consult your doctor with any specific questions or concerns.
Made this tonight along with the Baba Ganoush. Soooo, good and so easy! I couldn’t get the chicken crispy though. Any tips? perhaps I have to cut the chicken into thinner slices? Thanks for posting.
Hi Jennifer, next time try cutting the slices thinner and frying them in smaller batches. This should help make them crisper.
Hi Tori,
I want to make this for shabbat lunch. Do you think it will be too dry if I make it in advance?
Hi Shoshanna, I prefer it freshly made. You can make most of it ahead and save only the final frying step for later– but if you’re talking about Shabbat, you may not want to do any cooking that day. Using all dark meat will help to keep it from drying out too much. If you’re planning on keeping it in a crock pot to keep it warm, I’m not sure this is the best dish to serve… I would worry about it drying out. If you try it please let us know how it worked for you!
Thank you for the recipe. I made it for a family dinner but I used rotisserie chicken as a base. I removed all skin and bones and separated the meat into little pieces with my hands and marinated them in your spice and oil mixture for couple of hours. 30 min before the dinner I put marinated chicken pieces in the oven on a large baking tray, so I could spread it thin and baked it till crisp, turning once. Everybody loved it. Thank you for your inspiring recipe!
P.S. I was short of garlic powder, so I used generous amount of fresh chopped garlic and it worked well too.
Nela
The rotisserie chicken is an interesting idea Nela!
I was a bit skeptical even when it finished marinating, mainly because the spices were such a simple blend. It didn’t smell like much when it was baking but it tastes just like shawarma once it’s out of the pan. I think I need to cut it thinner and fry it longer to get the texture a bit closer to the real thing. beats spending $1000 buying a proper spit and grill though!
just tried frying it with beef tallow for the first time, tastes a lot like the real thing IMHO.
i’ve tried it with ghee, olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, lard (no preservatives) and even coconut oil. beef tallow tastes the best for me.
OK, so I fell in love with Shawarma while living in London many years ago but never new how to make at home… until I found your recipe. I used free range chicken breast and free range (boneless) thighs. I marinated for only 1 hour (is it any better with overnight marinating?), and cooked in the oven for 15 minutes per your instructions (next time I’ll try the grill) and finished in the pan. It was AMAZING!
Wondering if there are any variations that you’ve found or have been suggested on this board that are worth a try too?
For lunch I just made took some leftovers and put in a whole wheat PITA, loaded with some Israeli Salada, Tahina and some hot sauce… and, finished it in the Panini maker. So good! Thanks!
So glad you liked it Steve. Read through the comments for suggestions from others. I generally make it as written here, and I try to marinate it overnight if I can… it does seem to deepen the flavor a bit, but not much.
My wife and I have long loved the food- especially the chicken schwarma at Montfort in Burlington, ON. Recently finding myself alone at home around dinner time, I thought I would Google a recipe to make a schwarma and found yours.I don’t cook very much- I just bbq. We are a Swedish,Irish,English and Jamaican mix! Your intro convinced me to try it. I went to the freezer to take chicken out and to my dismay we had only chicken breasts. (I always buy boneless thighs!!). I was so “depressed” but I persevered. I started putting the ingredients together sometimes forgetting how much I put in and then would guess and I think I was missing one spice (forget now)also I was putting the ingredients in an empty spice jar-dont ask. When I dumped it all in a bowl, I realized that I just dumped half a bottle of cayenne instead of the recipe! Washed off chicken and started again. Well let me tell you, it was awesome. My wife and kids thought it was fabulous! My 13 year old,who hates 90% of all meat dishes raved about it! And it truly tasted just like Montfort’s! Now need you to come up with the recipe for their special side-sauces they offer with the sandwich. Next time I will use thighs. Thanks Tori. God love ya!
Great to hear that Jeff!
This looks great! But…I’m allergic to cumin…any suggestions??
Thank you!
Hi Robin– you could try it without the cumin, though it might not be quite as shawarma-like I’m sure it will still be pretty tasty. 🙂
I studied abroad in Granada, Spain and regularly ate at a place called Kabab King. I’ve not found anything like it in Minnesota…until this recipe. This is out of this world and brings me right back to Granada. The second pan-fry cook is key for flavor and crispness since I do not have a large, rotating spindle of chicken. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!
Great Molly!
Good shaworma
This recipe rocked. I made a great garlic sauce and a fouttoush salad….great stuff!!!
We love shawarma but I’ve been hesitant to try to make it at home. Your recipe looks great so I’m going to give it a shot tonight. Thanks!
This recipe is really something. I tried it and made my friends taste it, they said it tasted better than what you could buy at a restaurant. Keep it up!
My family feels that way too Pong Lee. Thanks for writing! 🙂
I finally get boneless skinless chicken thighs now and how to scratch the tarna(chicken shawerma) itch now that I am miles from Zankou Chicken. Terrific spice blend, though I cheaped out and skipped the turmeric and all spice as I simply did not have it on hand, wasn’t walking distance to a Middle Eastern Market, and didn’t want to add a new Lexus or yacht to the Morton and Basset spice empire. Hummus, even tahini was wholly unnecessary. Deliciously spiced chicken Shiksa! Makes me rethink my Thanksgiving leftovers strategy.
Mucho thanks.
Very happy you liked it Ali!
Thank you so much for a fantastic recipe, it took me back to my favourite shawarma place in Jerusalem. Everyone loved it, fantastic!!!!
Fantastic recipe. My hubby made this schwarma recipe last night and we had it with Toum sauce on Naan bread. The flavours were amazing. This will definitely be a keeper!
Hi there! I know you posted this last year, but I must have missed it. Thank you so much for this recipe!I made it today, and my husband and I (and not to mention my puppy) loved it! I moved from the Detroit area (known for delicious middle Eastern food) to Indiana not too long ago. I have been looking for the right chicken shawarma recipe that tastes like home and I finally found it here! I think it actually taste better than the chicken at restaurants. So much flavor, and the right shawarma flare. Thanks so much!
Tried this today and I have only one word to say: heaven! You are a genius! I’ve been searching far and wide for a chicken shawarma that would take me back to my stay in the middle east and this hit the spot right on. I made some pitas and garlic sauce to go with the chicken and every bite was just pure, absolute bliss. Thank you so much for bringing me back those wonderful, wonderful memories. I can now make my favorite sandwich anytime I want 😀
Thank u. Thank u .this what i’ve been looking for.just need to find out how to make the rice.
Is the paprika SMOKED paprika or just the standard paprika?
Mary S, it is standard paprika.
Wow- thanks, Tori. I am going shopping for the spices I don’t have and am excited to try the recipe. I am new to your blog/site and appreciate how quickly you got back to me!
This is a pretty good recipe. However, if you’re going to do it in the oven I suggest broiling on the center rack it to get that nice char, and skip the time in the skillet at the end.