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You can’t miss the exotic flavors in this Middle Eastern chicken shawarma! It’s marinated in yogurt, lemon, and spices, then grilled to perfection and added to a delicious wrap.
This Lebanese-style chicken shawarma is a low-effort, maximum-flavor, must-know dish for busy lifestyles. It combines chicken with a yogurt marinade packed with Middle Eastern spices. The results are delicious, tender, and juicy every single time – just how my mom makes it! This recipe is perfect for entertaining as well as for a quick and healthy lunch or dinner.
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What is chicken shawarma?
Shawarma is a popular dish and street food originating in the Middle East. It’s similar to other meat “kebab” dishes like Greek gyros and Turkish doner kebab. Lebanese chicken shawarma is marinated in spiced yogurt and then stacked up on a vertical spit/rotisserie, which turns as the meat cooks. Finally, the chicken is shaved off and served as wraps, with pickles, salad veggies, fries, and garlic sauce.
Ingredients
- Chicken: I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken thighs – they have higher fat content giving more tender results. Of course, you could also use frozen chicken – just make sure to thaw it completely first.
- Onion: Use a yellow onion (not red). Alternatively, shallots would also work.
- Yogurt: you need plain/Greek yogurt. I would avoid 0% fat for the best results.
- Oil: I recommend using olive oil or avocado oil. If you plan on grilling, it’s best to use an oil that can handle the heat (not olive oil).
- Apple cider vinegar: The acid will tenderize the chicken. Instead of ACV, you could use lemon juice (or even plain white vinegar in a pinch).
- Seasonings: I used a simple combination of ground coriander, cardamom, smoked paprika, ginger powder, salt, pepper, white pepper, and garlic powder (or fresh minced garlic, if preferred).
How to make chicken shawarma
Prepare the Marinade: First, finely chop the onion. Then add all the marinade ingredients (oil, yogurt, vinegar, onion, and spices) to a large bowl and mix well to combine.
Marinate the Chicken: Cut the chicken into thin slices. Then add them to the bowl with the shawarma marinade and toss to coat. Cover the bowl, place it in the fridge, and marinate for at least four hours or overnight (up to 24 hours maximum).
Cook the Chicken: When you’re ready to cook the yogurt-marinated chicken, remove it from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. Then, choose your cooking method.
- On the Stovetop: Heat a large pan over medium heat (no need to add oil). Once hot, add the chicken and sauté, stirring often, until deep golden and fully cooked. This takes between 12-15 minutes usually.
- On the Grill: You can use an electric grill (over medium-high heat) or charcoal BBQ. Oil the grates slightly to avoid sticking. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on one side. Then turn and cook until nicely charred and cooked through. It’s best to cook the chicken with the lid down.
- Roast in the oven: This method is very hands-off. I recommend baking the chicken at 400ºF/200ºC for 10-15 minutes (depending on how large your pieces are). If you’re using large fillet-style pieces, then this is more likely to be 20-25 minutes. Optionally, use the broiler for more browning at the end.
Check for doneness: No matter which cooking method you use, make sure to check for doneness. The chicken should be cooked through, and when pierced with a fork, any juices should run clear and it should be easy to shred. You can also use a thermometer to check the internal temperature is 165ºF/74ºC.
Once cooked, remove the chicken from the heat and allow it to rest for a few minutes before making chicken shawarma wraps.
How to serve chicken shawarma
The traditional way to serve shawarma is in wraps, served in pita bread or Middle Eastern flatbread (Markouk). Start by spreading a layer of garlic sauce (toum) on the pita bread. Then, fill it with the cooked chicken, tomato slices, lettuce, and pickled cucumbers. You can also add some fries to the sandwich or serve them on the side.
Chicken shawarma can also be served as a shawarma plate, with rice, salads, and hummus on the side.
More Middle Eastern dishes
If you try this Lebanese shawarma recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Chicken Shawarma Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.32 lb chicken thigh fillets skinless and boneless
For the Marinade
- ¾ cup oil olive/avocado or vegetable if grilling
- ½ cup yogurt plain/Greek
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 8 oz onion 1 medium-sized
Chicken Shawarma Spices
- 0.2 oz garlic powder
- 0.1 oz salt
- 0.1 oz smoked paprika
- 0.07 oz black pepper
- 0.07 oz ground cardamom powder
- 0.03 oz ground coriander
- 0.03 oz ground ginger powder
- 0.03 oz white pepper
Served With
- garlic sauce toum
- salad
- Gherkins
- potato fries
- pita bread Lebanese/Arab thin flatbread
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- Finely chop the onion.
- Add all the marinade ingredients (oil, yogurt, vinegar, onion, and spices) to a large bowl and mix well to combine.
- Cut the chicken into thin slices.
- Add the chicken slices to the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat. Cover the bowl, place it in the fridge, and marinate for at least four hours or overnight (no longer than 24 hours maximum).
Cook the chicken shawarma
- Remove the chicken from the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.
- On the stovetop: Heat a large skillet over medium heat (no need to add oil). Once hot, add the chicken and sauté, stirring often, for about 12-15 minutes until deep golden and fully cooked.On the Grill: Use an electric grill (over medium-high heat) or charcoal BBQ. Oil the grates slightly. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on one side. Then turn and cook until nicely charred and cooked through. It's best to cook the chicken with the lid down. Roast in the oven: Bake the chicken at 400ºF/200ºC for 10-15 minutes (depending on how large your pieces are). If you're using large fillet-style pieces, then this is more likely to be 20-25 minutes. Optionally, use the broiler for more browning at the end.
- Check for doneness – the chicken should be cooked through and when pierced with a fork, any juices should run clear and it should be easy to shred. You can also use a thermometer to check the internal temperature is 165ºF/74ºC.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken from the heat and allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
