If you’ve ever strolled past a Middle Eastern street food stall and caught a whiff of sizzling, spice-packed chicken, you already know the irresistible magic of shawarma. This chicken shawarma recipe brings those bold, smoky flavors straight to your kitchen and no special equipment required!
About This Chicken Shawarma Recipe
This chicken shawarma recipe is a one-pan wonder. Everything cooks together for maximum flavor and minimal cleanup. In the step-by-step photos, I show a few different ways you can make it, including how I cooked mine in the Doori Tandoor for that extra smoky, charred finish.
It’s incredibly versatile, too. I love serving it in a warm wrap (you’ll find all the fixings listed in the ingredients), but you can just as easily load it over crispy fries, spoon it onto fluffy rice, or pile it high in a salad bowl. However you serve it, the result is tender, spiced chicken bursting with Middle Eastern flavor.
Ingredients
Using the freshest ingredients in this Chicken Shawarma recipe makes all the difference. Below, you will see the ingredients laid out along with a list. Exact measurements and quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page. Make sure to have everything ready and prepared before you start cooking for best results.
See recipe card for quantities.
- 4 soft flat breads or pitta
- Boneless chicken thighs
- Olive Oil
- Greek yoghurt
- Garlic paste
- Hot pepper paste (optional or add 1tsp chili powder)
- Ground cumin
- Lemon juice
- Ground coriander
- Allspice
- Smoked paprika
- Turmeric
- Vegetable oil
- White kebab sauce (see in post for recipe)
- Red kebab sauce (see in post for recipe)
- fresh veggies for crunch and color (peppers, onions, tomatoes)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
You will find photographs of each step below, along with a full layout including the ingredients in the recipe card. Use whichever format works best for you. These steps are clear and easy to follow, so you can cook along with confidence.
- Step 1: Mix the ground spices, yoghurt, lemon juice, olive oil and hot pepper paste in a large mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Coat the chicken thighs so that they are well covered. Leave to marinade for up 3 hours. If you'd prefer to leave it longer, skip adding the lemon juice until time for cooking.
- Step 3: Heat a pan with vegetable oil over a medium heat and cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side (or until the chicken is cooked through).
- Step 4: Once the chicken is charred well on each side and cooked through, take off the heat.
- Step 5: Thinly shred your chicken using a sharp knife.
- Load up your soft flat bread or pita with a hearty portion of the chicken shawarma. Top with Red and White Kebab sauce (see post for recipe) and a few simple fresh veggies for crunch and color.
- OPTIONAL: How you cook the Chicken Shawarma is totally up to you. Here I skewered the meat and cooked it in my Doori Tandoor. You could also use a BBQ.
- Step 8: OPTIONAL: How you cook the Chicken Shawarma is totally up to you. Here I skewered the meat and cooked it in my Doori Tandoor. You could also use a BBQ.
What about the sauce?
I loaded my loaded chicken shawarma fries with both a red and white kebab sauce you can make very easily by following the instructions below. You could also try Chipotle Mayo, or Pico-de-gallo for a Mexican twist!
White Kebab Sauce
230g (1 cup) Greek yoghurt
230g (1 cup) mayonnaise
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried dill (optional)
1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)
Juice of one lemon
Salt to taste
Place the mayonnaise and yoghurt in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and add salt to taste. Keep in an air-tight jar or squeeze bottle in the fridge until required.
Red Kebab Sauce
3 red bird’s eye chillies
400g tinned (1 canned) chopped tomatoes
3 – 4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon black pepper
Juice of one lemon or 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Salt to taste
Place all of the ingredient up to and including the lemon juice/vinegar in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste it and add salt to taste. Store in the fridge in an air-tight jar or squeeze bottle until needed.
Substitutions
- Chicken - Switch the chicken thighs for lamb, beef or even halloumi for a vegetarian option. Marinating is the same but the cooking process will be different for tender beef and lamb. Go for flank steak, skirt steak or sirloin tip for beef. For lamb, try a boneless leg of lamb or lamb shoulder (trimmed and sliced thinly)
- Sauce - Swap the red and white kebab sauces for garlic mayo, sriracha mayo or tzatziki to change up the flavour.
Variations
Cheesy - Melt mozzarella or cheddar over the fries before topping with chicken.
Loaded Fries - Why not load up some fries with this delicious Chicken Shawarma! See my recipes for Shawarma Loaded Fries here.
Spicy - Add extra chilli flakes or fresh red chillies to the marinade and drizzle with sriracha or harissa for a fiery kick.
Serving Size (Serves 4)
This recipe is written to serve 4. Most of the time, we cook for 2 and enjoy the leftovers the next day - it makes the effort of cooking something fresh and delicious even more worthwhile. If you’re feeding 5 or 6, you can easily double the recipe, or sometimes it’s as simple as adding an extra piece of protein and adjusting the sides. Make it yours, enjoy the process, and don’t stress about being exact.
Storage
Fridge: Allow your chicken shawarma to cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Flavors often develop even more after a night in the fridge. Only cook the fries fresh at the time of serving.
Freezer: Portion and freeze the chicken shawarma for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently on the hob or in the oven until piping hot.
Top Tip
Marinate for as long as possible - ideally overnight.
Even one extra hour makes a big difference because shawarma relies on deep flavour rather than a long cooking time. A longer marination helps the spices penetrate the meat so you get that classic, aromatic shawarma taste in every bite. If leaving for longer than 3 hours, make sure to leave out the lemon juice or your chicken will turn out dry.
FAQ
Yes - but thighs stay juicier and more tender. If you use breasts, slice them slightly thicker and reduce cooking time a little to avoid drying out.
No! A hot oven, grill pan, or air fryer works brilliantly.
For the best at-home texture, cook on a high heat so the edges lightly char, then stack and slice the meat like traditional shawarma.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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Recipe
Chicken Shawarma
Ingredients
- 4 soft flatbreads or pitta
- 1lb (500g) Boneless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon greek yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon hot pepper paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Pinch of salt & pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- vegetable oil
- 5 tablespoon white kebab sauce (see notes for recipe)
- 3 tablespoon red kebab sauce (see notes for recipe)
Instructions
- Start by preparing the white and red kebab sauce. It's so easy. Simply mix the ingredients together in a bowl (see notes for recipe)
- For the shawarma, Mix the ground spices, salt & pepper, yoghurt, lemon juice, olive oil and hot pepper paste in a large mixing bowl. Place the chicken in the bowl with the marinade and coat well. Leave to marinade for up 3 hours. If you'd prefer to leave it longer, skip adding the lemon juice until time for cooking.
- Heat a pan with vegetable oil over a medium heat and cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side (or until the chicken is cooked through). Once the chicken is charred well on each side and cooked through, transfer to a chopping board and thinly shred your chicken using a sharp knife.
- Load up your flatbreads or pitta with the chicken shawarma and crunchy vegetables. Finish off with a hearty portion of white kebab sauce before adding a layer of red (they look better this way).
Notes
White Kebab Sauce
230g (1 cup) Greek yoghurt, 230g (1 cup) mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 4 garlic cloves - minced, 1 teaspoon dried dill (optional, )1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional), Juice of one lemon, Salt to taste
Place the mayonnaise and yoghurt in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and add salt to taste. Keep in an air-tight jar or squeeze bottle in the fridge until required.
Red Kebab Sauce
3 red bird’s eye chillies,400g tinned (canned) chopped tomatoes, 3 – 4 garlic cloves, crushed, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, ½ teaspoon black pepper, Juice of one lemon or 1 tablespoon white vinegar, Salt to taste
Place all of the ingredient up to and including the lemon juice/vinegar in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste it and add salt to taste. Store in the fridge in an air-tight jar or squeeze bottle until needed.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 679Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 382mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 31g
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