This delicious grilled chicken shawarma recipe is bursting with Middle Eastern flavors and it takes just 15 minutes to make. Juicy tender grilled (or pan-seared) chicken thighs get a generous dusting of my easy DIY shawarma seasoning that is full of warm, smoky, spicy, tangy, and well-balanced flavors giving you another delicious reason to make this quick and easy dinner recipe at home and skip the shawarma restaurant.
What is Shawarma Seasoning?
Shawarma spice (or shawarma seasoning) is a spice blend made of a combination of various dried spices that can include coriander, allspice, cumin, cinnamon, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, hot paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger, Aleppo pepper (or cayenne, or crushed red pepper), cardamom, cloves, thyme, turmeric, sumac, nutmeg, and oregano. Traditionally, different types of shawarma meat are seasoned with different types of spice blends and sometimes even include the addition of chili paste, oil, vinegar (or lemon juice), and tahini.
Where Does Shawarma Come From?
The shawarma method of grilling a vertical stack of seasoned meat layered with fat slices first appeared in the form of doner kebab in the 19th century Ottoman Empire in what is now Turkey. Greek gyros and tacos al pastor are also an adaptation of this style of cooking with al pastor being brought to Mexico by Lebanese immigrants in the 20th century.
Homemade Chicken Shawarma Ingredients
For this easy chicken shawarma recipe, you’ll need to make this quick homemade shawarma seasoning. You probably have most (if not all) of the ingredients already, but feel free to improvise and add, omit, or substitute spices where you see fit (and depending on what you have in your pantry). It’s a very forgiving and customizable blend.
- boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
- extra virgin olive oil
- homemade shawarma seasoning
- freshly squeezed lemon juice, or vinegar (optional)
- salt to taste
How to Make Easy Homemade Grilled Chicken Shawarma Meat
This chicken shawarma recipe is very versatile — you can easily cook it in a grill pan, cast iron skillet (or another heavy-bottomed skillet), or on a bbq grill (which adds a lot of extra flavor). You can also choose to marinate the meat for 30 minutes (or up to overnight), or simply season it and cook it right away. When I have time to marinate, it’s great, but I’m usually making this chicken recipe last minute without any marinating time and it’s still really delicious.
- Make the seasoning. Combine all the spices and stir well. Remove one tablespoon for the recipe (or more to taste) and store the remaining seasoning in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
- Season the chicken. Add the chicken thighs to a large bowl or casserole dish, add the extra virgin olive oil, shawarma seasoning, and lemon juice or vinegar (if using), and massage it into the meat. After just a minute of massaging, the meat will look like it has absorbed the liquid. You may salt the chicken thighs at this time and cook immediately, or wait to salt them and marinate the chicken at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, or covered in the refrigerator overnight.
- Grill the chicken. Preheat a BBQ grill, grill pan, or another heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat just until smoking, brush the pan with a little oil, salt the chicken on one side, and add it (salted side down in contact with the pan). Be sure to leave plenty of room in between each piece. Season the top side with a little salt and cook the chicken without moving it for about 7 to 8 minutes to get a good sear. Flip the chicken over and continue cooking for 7 to 8 more, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Looking For More Middle Eastern Recipes to Round Out Your Meal?
Now that you have a bottle of homemade shawarma seasoning in the pantry, here are some ways to use it plus a few side dishes you can serve alongside the shawarma meat.
- Pan-Seared Purple Cauliflower Sesame Steaks
- Perfect Pan-Seared Zucchini
- Perfect Pan-Seared Sweet Carrots
- Easy No-Yeast Pumpkin Flat Bread (recipe coming soon)
- Smooth and Delicious Black Chickpea Hummus
- Fluffy Cast-Iron Skillet Naan Bread
- Super Smooth Black-Eyed Pea Hummus
- Fluffy Whole Wheat Naan Bread
Shawarma FAQ’s
What makes Shawarma so good? Shawarma meat is seasoned and stacked on a vertical spit with layers of meat interspersed with fat. The fat gives the meat extra flavor and keeps the meat moist as it cooks.
What kind of food is shawarma? Shawarma is a seasoned meat dish shaved from a vertical spit and hails from the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East.
Shawarma vs kebab vs gyro— What’s the difference? The main difference between shawarma, gyros, and kebabs generally comes down to spices, marinade ingredients, toppings, types of bread used to eat it with, and the sauces used to drizzle over them.
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Easiest Ever 15-Minute Grilled Chicken Shawarma
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Diet: Halal
Description
This delicious grilled chicken shawarma recipe is bursting with Middle Eastern flavors and it takes just 15 minutes to make. Juicy tender grilled (or pan-seared) chicken thighs get a generous dusting of our easy DIY shawarma seasoning that is full of warm, smoky, spicy, tangy, and well-balanced flavors giving you another delicious reason to make dinner at home.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (15g)
- 1 tablespoon homemade shawarma seasoning, or more to taste (recipe follows)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or vinegar (optional) (15g)
- salt to taste
Homemade Shawarma Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika (8g)
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (8g)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons onion powder (6g)
- 2 teaspoons sumac (5g)*omit it if you don’t have it (see note below for sub)
- 1 teaspoon cumin (2g)
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (1g)**do not substitute with pre-ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon turmeric (2g)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (3g)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (2g)
- 1 teaspoon coriander (2g)
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger (1g)
- 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or crushed red chili pepper, or cayenne) (1g)
*If your pantry is running low on spices or you just don’t have sumac, you can omit it altogether just know you’ll be missing out on the tangy flavor in the final spice blend. Make up for the lack of sumac by adding freshly squeezed lemon juice and a little olive oil to any meat you’re marinating along with the spice blend.
**Pre-ground nutmeg does not have the same delicate flavor as whole, freshly grated nutmeg. If you don’t have whole nutmeg, I suggest adding pre-ground nutmeg in 1/4 teaspoon increments until you have the balance you prefer.
Instructions
- Make the seasoning. Combine all the spices and stir well. Remove one tablespoon for the recipe (or more to taste) and store the remaining seasoning in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
- Season the chicken. Add the chicken thighs to a large bowl or casserole dish, add the extra virgin olive oil, shawarma seasoning, and lemon juice or vinegar (if using), and massage it into the meat. After just a minute of massaging, the meat will look like it has absorbed the liquid. You may salt the chicken thighs at this time and cook immediately, or wait to salt them and marinate the chicken at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, or covered in the refrigerator overnight.
- Grill the chicken. Preheat a BBQ grill, grill pan, or another heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat just until smoking, brush the pan with a little oil, salt the chicken on one side, and add it (salted side down in contact with the pan). Be sure to leave plenty of room in between each piece. Season the top side with a little salt and cook the chicken without moving it for about 7 to 8 minutes to get a good sear. Flip the chicken over and continue cooking for 7 to 8 more, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Notes
- If you have thick or uneven chicken thighs, you can use a meat mallet (or empty wine bottle) to pound them out to make them thinner so it cooks more evenly and more quickly. Be sure to adjust your cooking time because thinner cuts of chicken will cook more quickly, whereas thicker cuts may take a couple of extra minutes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Meat + Chicken
- Method: Grilled or Pan-Seared
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 ounce serving
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How to Make Homemade Chicken Shawarma step-by-step photos
