This easy chicken shawarma recipe brings the warm spices and crispy edges of my favorite street food to your oven in 40 minutes.
The Chicken Shawarma I Grew Up Eating
I grew up in Port Said, Egypt, where the streets are filled with small stands selling delicious, fragrant Middle Eastern foods. On any given day, I enjoyed falafel, bowls of Mujadara (lentils and rice) or Koshari, skewers of Kabobs, and, of course, both beef and chicken shawarma.
Chicken shawarma is still one of my absolute favorite Middle Eastern street foods. For my homemade version, I cut boneless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, coat them with my simple shawarma spice mixture, lemon, onion, and olive oil, then roast everything on a sheet pan.
When the oven door opens, you get the aroma of the spices and onions, plus plenty of deeply browned edges. My whole family loves it, and I know yours will too!
What is Chicken Shawarma?
Traditional chicken shawarma is well-marinated chicken, stacked in layers on a vertical rotisserie or spit where it’s slow-roasted for hours–in its own juices and fat–until perfectly tender and extra flavorful! I make a similar grilled shawarma on a spit that mimics this technique, but it’s not always practical for a weeknight.
To serve it, the shawarma stand owner shaves a layer of shawarma off the spit and piles it into a pita pocket, then jazzes it up with tahini sauce and heaps upon heaps of fresh toppings! It’s really something to behold.
The shawarma spice mixture makes all the difference. When I’m craving those bold, deeply spiced flavors from my childhood, I make this sheet pan chicken shawarma—no special spit required.
Chicken Shawarma Ingredients
The spice mixture is the big flavor-maker in this chicken shawarma recipe. The rest of the ingredient list is simple, and each part has a job.
- Chicken thighs: I prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they stay tender and flavorful in the hot oven. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken breast if that is what you have.
- Shawarma spices: Cumin is earthy and warm, while coriander adds a subtle citrusy note. Turmeric brings earthiness and color; garlic powder adds savory depth; and paprika, cloves, and cayenne round everything out with gentle sweetness, warmth, and heat.
- Onion: Thinly sliced onion roasts with the chicken, softening and taking on the spice mixture as it cooks.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice brightens the warm spices and forms the base of the marinade.
- Extra virgin olive oil: A flavorful oil like Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil carries the spices and coats the chicken and onions so they roast well.
- Salt: Season the chicken on both sides before adding the spice mixture.
- For serving: Pita pockets, baby arugula, cucumber-tomato salad, tahini or tzatziki sauce, and pickles or Kalamata olives turn the roasted chicken into a complete meal.
How to Make Chicken Shawarma
You do not need a special rotisserie for this homemade chicken shawarma, just a large bowl and a sheet pan. If you have time, marinate the chicken for 3 hours or overnight. If not, you can roast it right away.
- Mix the shawarma spices. In a small bowl, combine 3/4 tablespoon each of ground cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic powder, and paprika. Followed by 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cloves and cayenne.
- Prepare the chicken. Pat 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry and season them with salt on both sides. Thinly slice the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces so it cooks evenly.
- Season and marinate. Add the chicken to a large bowl and toss well with the shawarma spice mixture. Add 1 large onion, thinly sliced, the juice from 1 lemon, and 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, then toss again until everything is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. If you don’t have time, skip the marinating step. It will still be delicious.
- Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Take the chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes while the oven heats.
- Roast the chicken. Lightly oil a large sheet pan. Spread the chicken and onions in one layer, then roast for about 30 minutes. Because ovens vary, begin checking at 25 minutes. The chicken is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F measured with a food thermometer.
- Brown the edges, if you like. For deeper browning and crispier edges, move the pan to the top rack and broil very briefly. Stay close! The chicken can go from browned to burned quickly.
- Build the pita pockets. Spread a little tahini or tzatziki inside each pita. Add chicken shawarma, arugula, Mediterranean salad, and pickles or olives. Serve right away.
My Tips for Authentic Chicken Shawarma
- Use chicken thighs for the juiciest result. Chicken breast also works, but thighs are my preference because they are more forgiving in the oven.
- Coat every piece well. Toss the chicken with the dry spice mixture first, then add the onion, lemon juice, and olive oil. This helps distribute the spices evenly.
- Give the chicken space. Spread the chicken and onions in one layer on a large sheet pan. Crowding traps steam and works against those browned edges.
- Check the chicken early. Ovens vary, and the chicken pieces are small. Start checking at about 25 minutes rather than relying only on the clock.
- Broil only briefly. A quick trip under the broiler adds crispier edges, but do not walk away from the oven.
- Marinate when you can. Three hours or overnight gives the chicken more time with the spices, lemon, onion, and olive oil. If dinner needs to happen now, you can skip this step.
Make Ahead and Storage
Chicken shawarma is easy to make ahead and reheat as needed for leftovers or workday lunches, but there are also many steps you can make ahead of time.
- Keep a jar of my shawarma spice blend in the pantry to save time for busy weeknights.
- Marinate the chicken for 3 hours or overnight before roasting.
- Roast the chicken up to 2 nights ahead and refrigerate it in a tightly covered container; wait to assemble the pita pockets until serving.
To reheat: Put the chicken in a skillet over medium heat. Add a small splash of liquid and toss until warmed through so the pieces don’t dry out.
What to Serve with Chicken Shawarma
My favorite way to serve chicken shawarma is in loaded pita pockets with heaps of fresh toppings and a generous drizzle of sauce. Use store-bought pita pockets or make my pillowy homemade pita bread.
For the veggies, I like peppery arugula and my crisp Mediterranean cucumber-tomato salad. Jazz it up with nutty tahini sauce or cool, creamy tzatziki, plus pickles or Kalamata olives if you like.
This recipe makes 6 shawarma pitas and serves 4 to 6 people. For a larger crowd, turn them into shawarma sliders with smaller buns, a little sauce, and fresh arugula.
Try These Shawarma Recipes Next!
Meat and Poultry
Chicken Shawarma Bowls
Meat and Poultry
Grilled Chicken Shawarma on a Spit
Middle Eastern
Homemade Beef Shawarma
Ingredients
- 3/4 tablespoon ground cumin
- 3/4 tablespoon turmeric powder
- 3/4 tablespoon ground coriander
- 3/4 tablespoon garlic powder
- 3/4 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more if you prefer
- Salt
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large lemon, juice of
- 1/3 cup Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil
To Serve
- 6 pita pockets
- Tahini sauce or Greek Tzatziki sauce
- Baby arugula
- 3-ingredient Mediterranean Salad
- Pickles or kalamata olives, optional
Instructions
- Mix the spices. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic powder, sweet paprika, and cloves. Set aside the shawarma spice mix for now.
- Dry and season the chicken. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt on both sides, then thinly slice into small bite-sized pieces.
- Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add the shwarma spices and toss to coat. Add the onions, lemon juice, and olive oil. Toss everything together again. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. (If you don't have time, you can cut or skip marinating time.)
- Preheat the oven. When ready, preheat the oven to 425°F. Take the chicken out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes.
- Roast. Lightly oil a sheet pan. Spread the marinated chicken with the onions in a single layer. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. For browner, crispier chicken, move the pan to the top rack and broil for a minute or less (watch carefully so it doesn't burn). Remove from the oven.
- Prepare your sides. While the chicken is roasting, prepare the pita pockets. Make tahini sauce and or tzatziki and the cucumber tomato salad linked in the ingredient list above.
- Enjoy! Open pita pockets up, spread a little sauce on the inside, add the chicken shawarma, arugula, pickles or olives, and top with the cucumber tomato salad. Serve immediately!
Video
Notes
- Cook’s Tip: If you have time, marinate the chicken for 3 hours or overnight in the fridge. Otherwise, you can skip the marinating time as indicated in the instructions. It will still be delicious!
- Cook’s Tip: Because ovens vary, be sure to check the chicken at about 25 minutes or so of roasting/baking and go from there. Chicken is ready when internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Make Ahead Option: You can prepare the chicken ahead of time, one or two nights in advance, if you like. Warm up in a skillet over medium heat, adding a little bit of liquid and tossing the chicken pieces until warmed through. Assemble pita pockets as instructed.
- Serving Ideas: Chicken shawarma is best served in pita pockets with salad and sauces, like I mentioned already, but it can be served as an appetizer to a larger crowd. In that case, you can serve it in smaller slider buns with just a little sauce and fresh arugula.
- Recommended for this recipe from our all-natural and organic spice collections: cumin; coriander; and Spanish paprika. And our Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil (from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives).
Have made this many times. It is excellent. Thank you Suzy.
BTW: I’ve turned my daughter into a big fan, including cakes.
Yay! We love to hear that! Thanks, Brenda!
Can I use breasts?
Hi, Linda! Absolutely! With breasts, you’ll just need to reduce the cook time a bit, as they cook faster than thighs. We always recommend using a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Chicken is full cooked when it reaches and internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Hi, would love to know the weight for the chicken?
Hi, Laila. The average chicken thigh weighs around 4 oz., so you’ll want around 32 oz (2 lbs.) of chicken here.
Thank you so much! I am making it today and I am so excited. Love your recipes.
I truly love your recipes!!
This was so good! Great recipe. I used chicken breasts and it was flavorful and moist. Put tzasiki sauce on it and it was heaven. I will absolutely be making this again. Thank you for sharing!
I forgot to slice the chicken before I marinated it! If I was going to cook the pieces whole, about how long and what temp? Thanks
Hi, Kathy! You can still cook this at the recommended temperature until the thighs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. We’ve never tested this with whole thighs ourselves, so it’s hard to advise on the exact timing.
I love this dish! I’m using cut pieces of chicken breast instead of thighs and diced white onions, not thinly sliced. Any adjustments to temperature or cooking method I should make? Is oven preferred over air fryer in this case? Did I miss the dish up? Thanks so much
Hi, Samantha. You didn’t mess anything up! This recipe is very forgiving. With breasts, you’ll just need to reduce the cook time a bit, as they cook faster than thighs. We always recommend using a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Chicken is full cooked when it reaches and internal temperature of 165 degrees F. An oven and air fryer are essentially the same, so you could use either here.
I’ve only just signed up so I’ve not tried any recipes yet
Looking forward to it
Welcome to the community, Theresa!
This recipe was delicious and so simple! The only thing I did differently was add 3-4 tbsp plain Greek yogurt to the marinade. Better than chicken from the halal cart for sure
What a compliment! Thanks, Teodora!
I have never seen or tasted shawarma before but your recipe looked interesting. So I made it today, following your recipe carefully and it was delicious! A real winner. Thanks for posting it. I’ll look at your other recipes now.
Yay! If you are into grilling, I highly recommend checking out Suzy’s grilled chicken shawarma recipe sometime soon!
This is by far my most favorite way of cooking boneless chicken thighs. We have this every month. I love the spice blend and keep a jar of this mix on hand. I prefer baking the chicken so am glad that you have included this recipe done with the baking method.
Absolutely loved all the flavorful, beautiful aroma of each of the spices in this recipe !!! I’ve made it several times. I’ve served it with yellow rice.!!
So easy and delicious! I was looking for an oven recipe since we’re on a fire weather watch. This will definitely be in rotation!
We love to hear that, Sue! Thank you!
Hi! Love this one so much! The ingredient list says paprika, but instructions say sweet paprika…which one is best to use????
Hi, Debbie. “Sweet Paprika” and “Paprika” are actually the same thing :).
Made this for my picky family last night and they absolutely loved it! Going to try many more of your wonderful Mediterranean recipes. Thanks so much for posting this.
Thank you. This recipe turned out spectacular!
I serve it with rice pilaf and tahini with a side salad