Chicken Shawarma

This Middle Eastern-inspired dish is packed with flavor and perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

The first time I had shawarma was from a food truck (a personal fav eating establishment), and ever since that first bite, I became obsessed with Middle Eastern flavors. They’re so beautifully complex and balanced, and are guaranteed to get you coming back again and again.

While traditional shawarma is roasted on a vertical rotisserie, I don’t have one of those just laying around. So I’m bringing you a shawarma that’s roasted in the oven and then broiled for a few minutes to help get some charring.

What to Serve with Chicken Shawarma

I tend to serve shawarma with a side salad (I usually do an easy mixture of cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh mint, salt and red wine vinegar), rice, tahini sauce and flat bread. Flat bread is an absolute must with shawarma and you can use my Easy Flatbread Dough recipe to join me in homemade flatbread heaven.

You can also use my Creamy Honey Tahini Sauce to whip up the best (and easiest!) tahini dressing.

Chicken Shawarma Ingredients

Here’s your shopping list:

Chicken thighs: I’ve tried this with chicken breast, and honestly it just pails in comparison to making this with thighs.

Lemons: For acid.

Spices: You’re going to be using a nice variety of spices, including: salt, pepper, paprika, turmeric, cumin, za’atar, sumac, cinnamon, chili powder and red pepper flakes.

Garlic: For flavor.

Olive oil: You’ll be dousing this marinade in olive oil and it’s so stinking good.

How to Make Chicken Shawarma

Shawarma is literally so easy and this recipe is sure to become a weeknight staple in your house just like it is in mine.

Step 1: Marinade the chicken.

The first thing you’ll do is add all of the ingredients to your chicken and let that marinade for a few hours (preferably overnight). Making sure to take the chicken out of the fridge ~30 minutes before you’re going to cook it. This is to that the chicken comes down to room temperature and cooks more evenly.

Step 2: Roast the chicken.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Add the chicken and all of the juices to a pan and cook on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Then, turn the broiler on HIGH and cook until the chicken get some crispy edges (about 5 minutes, but keep an eye on it because broilers can get out of hand fast).

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Chicken Shawarma

This Middle Eastern-inspired dish is packed with flavor and perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

Prep Time2 hours hrs

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Keyword: chicken shawarma, shawarma

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon za'atar
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ teaspoon sumac
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes add more if you want more heat
• Pinch cinnamon
• 1 lemon juiced
• 6–8 garlic cloves minced
• ½ cup olive oil

Instructions

• Add everything together with the chicken and marinade for a few hours and up to overnight. Make sure to take the chicken out of the fridge for ~30 minutes before cooking.
• Preheat over to 425 degrees F. When ready, roast chicken (and all the marinade) for 30 minutes. Turn the broiler on HIGH and broil for ~5 minutes or until the chicken gets a little crispy. (Keep an eye on this).
• Let chicken rest for 10 minutes, then slice thing and serve with tahini sauce, flat bread and a side salad.