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Chicken Shawarma

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🌯 Chicken Shawarma Recipe brings authentic Middle Eastern flavors to your kitchen, offering juicy and tender marinated chicken with bold spices.
🍋 This recipe is perfect for quick weeknight meals or gatherings, delivering vibrant taste and easy assembly with fresh toppings and creamy yogurt sauce.

  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

– 1 kg (2 lb) boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets (you can also use chicken breast or tenderloin)

– 1 large garlic clove, minced for the marinade

– 1 tablespoon ground coriander for the marinade

– 1 tablespoon ground cumin for the marinade

– 1 tablespoon ground cardamom for the marinade

– 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper for the marinade, adjust or omit for less spice

– 2 teaspoons smoked paprika for the marinade

– 2 teaspoons salt for the marinade

– Black pepper to taste for the marinade

– 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice for the marinade

– 3 tablespoons olive oil for the marinade

– 1 cup Greek yogurt for the yogurt sauce

– 1 clove garlic, crushed for the yogurt sauce

– 1 teaspoon cumin for the yogurt sauce

– Squeeze of lemon juice for the yogurt sauce

– Salt and pepper to taste for the yogurt sauce

– 4 to 5 flatbreads such as Lebanese, pita, or soft homemade flatbreads to serve

– Sliced lettuce (cos or iceberg) to serve

– Tomato slices to serve

– Finely sliced red onion to serve

– Shredded cheese optional to serve

– Hot sauce of choice optional to serve

Instructions

1-First, mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large ziplock bag: the minced garlic, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground cardamom, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, fresh lemon juice, and olive oil. Add the chicken, seal the bag, and massage it to coat evenly. Let it marinate in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours, or at least 3 hours if you’re in a rush.

2-Next, for the yogurt sauce, combine the Greek yogurt, crushed garlic, cumin, a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Pop it in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to let the flavors meld.

3-Now, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat or fire up a BBQ grill and oil the surface lightly. Cook the marinated chicken for 4-5 minutes on one side until it’s nicely charred, then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes until fully done.

4-After cooking, remove the chicken and let it rest, covered loosely, for 3-5 minutes. This helps keep it juicy. Finally, slice the chicken and serve it with flatbreads, sliced lettuce, tomato slices, finely sliced red onion, the yogurt sauce, and optional shredded cheese or hot sauce. Assemble your wraps and enjoy the vibrant flavors.

Last Step:

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Notes

🔥 Chicken thighs give juicier, richly caramelized results; thin breast cuts cook faster at high heat.
❄️ Marinade can be made ahead and chicken frozen in it to marinate as it defrosts.
🌶️ Adjust cayenne pepper to suit spice preferences or omit for mild flavor.

  • Author: Brandi Oshea
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Marinating time: 12-24 hours
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Marinating and grilling or pan-cooking
  • Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 275
  • Sodium: 918 mg
  • Fat: 16.2 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 1.1 g
  • Protein: 32.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 140 mg