Chicken Shawarma
Warmly spiced marinated chicken, stacked and roasted on a vertical spit, shaved and wrapped with garlic sauce — a shared Levantine tradition, not exclusive to one country.
Meat
⚠ Contains: Gluten, Dairy, Sesame. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
How this varies: Beef or lamb shawarma is equally traditional and uses a similar spice base with more allspice and less turmeric; some Lebanese households add a splash of white vinegar and a pinch of ground fenugreek to the marinade for extra depth.
Ingredients
- 800g-1kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin strips or cutlets
- 1/3 cup plain full-fat yogurt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- Shawarma spice blend: 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp coriander, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp cardamom, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp black pepper, pinch cayenne (optional)
- Pita or flatbread, pickled turnips or cucumbers, tomato, and onion, to serve
- Garlic toum or tahini sauce
Steps
- Combine the spice blend ingredients.
- Whisk together yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, spice blend, and salt.
- Slice chicken thighs thin, cutlet-style. Toss thoroughly in the marinade; refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- Thread and stack the marinated chicken tightly onto 1-2 long metal skewers, pressing the pieces together into a compact column — this mimics the shape shawarma is traditionally built on a vertical spit.
- Sear the stacked chicken in a very hot heavy skillet or under a broiler, pressing down and turning occasionally, basting with the rendered juices, until deeply browned and crisp at the edges, 12-15 minutes total.
- Rest 5 minutes, then thinly shave the crisped edges and juicy interior off the stack, the way it's carved from a spit.
- Warm the pita or flatbread; fill with the shaved chicken, pickles, tomato, and onion.
- Drizzle generously with toum or tahini sauce and roll up.