This chicken shawarma recipe is like an onion. There are layers and layers of flavor. The sweet and nutty warmth of cumin, peppery-piney notes of cardamom, the earthy tartness of coriander, the sweet-peppery taste of paprika, the refreshing zing of lemon, and the creamy goodness of yogurt.
All packed inside incredibly tender, juicy chicken strips that will make your tastebuds dance!

And for all the flavor you get, this chicken shawarma is an incredibly easy recipe to make. No spit roast? No problem. No cooking skills? You don’t need any!
It’s just a ridiculously simple process of combining the marinade ingredients with the chicken and letting it do its thing. Everything goes in the oven and you, my dear, can sit back, close your eyes, and imagine you’re sitting on a rooftop somewhere in the Middle East, with the tantalizing scent of chicken shawarma wafting up from the bustling streets around you.
But before we get to daydreaming, let’s meet the shawarma. Because even if you’ve never stepped foot in the middle east, you’ve eaten this stuff. You’ve smelled it on the streets. So how did it find its ways into our hearts and plates?
Fun Facts about Shawarma
It’s all about the turning. The word “shawarma” (شاورما) comes from the Turkish word “çevirme,” which translates to “turning” and gives away the way shawarma is cooked – on a vertical spit roast that slowly rotates. So the below chicken shawarma recipe is not authentic as it is not slow roasted on a spit. But it is delicious, folks.
Shawarma unites us all. For the sake of simplicity, I want to say that shawarma originated with the Turkish ottomans. But actually, the Levant region of the Middle East that gets our praises for coming up with this delicious dish covered not only Turkey but also Lebanon and Syria.
And because delicious things have a way of spreading, it can be found absolutely everywhere. It was my favorite street food when I lived in NYC. There’s a late-night kebab place that did amazing shawarmas that I still dream of from when I lived in Hong Kong. I’ve eaten it in Canada and of course, all over Europe.
It may appear with rice, with flatbreads, or with French fries – but it’s all the same delicious shawarma. It may have its roots in the Middle East but it’s safe to safe its branches have spread across the entire globe.
Shawarma gone (even more) global. The internalization of shawarma goes even further. It’s thought that the shawarma vertical grilling style comes the doner kebab, which also inspired the Geek gyros. But thanks to Lebanese immigrants, shawarma traveled across the globe and helped create a brand new dish – the Mexican tacos al pastor.
So as you do very little prep and lots and lots of eating, know that you’re not alone. All around the world, in maybe every country, there are loads of people enjoying their shawarma too.
Chicken Shawarma Ingredients
Like I said, this chicken shawarma recipe is the easiest thing you’ll make. It’s just two parts: chicken, of course, combined with chicken shawarma marinade, which is a medley of spices and tenderizing lemon juice and yogurt.
Here’s a quick breakdown…
Chicken
Chicken is our choice of protein for this recipe. I’m using boneless, skin-off chicken thigh fillets because they’re juicy, flavorful, so easy to cook and easier than bone-in chickens to quickly cut into thin strips.
I’ll be baking them as whole fillets – it holds juiciness better this way – and then cutting them up into thin slices and smothering them in the deliciously marinaded chicken juices that are leftover after baking. Yum.
chicken shawarma marinade
It doesn’t take a lot of work to scoop and mix various spices together so inclusion is the name of the game for this chicken shawarma marinade.

When it comes to a very flavorful chicken shawarma, I’m a firm believer in no spices left behind. Here’s what I recommend using:
- Cumin
- Turmeric
- Corander
- Cardamom
- Smoked paprika
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cayenne pepper (optional if you want spiciness)
A generous splash of lemon juice, minced garlic, a bit of olive oil, and plenty of yogurt completes the delicious marinade.
It takes less than 5 minutes to whip up and it’s a thousand times better than the slightly dry overpriced chicken shawarma wrap you were thinking of ordering on Deliveroo.
Quick Tips for Success
Skip the pan. This chicken shawarma recipe is ideal for oven cooking. The yogurt marinade, though, means cooking it in a pan can result in a sticky mess. Go for the oven or a grill – skip the pan.
Make it in advance…without the yogurt. If you want to make chicken shawarma in advance, you totally can! Just combine all the marinade ingredients (minus the yogurt) with the chicken and store in the freezer for up to 3 to 4 months.
Yogurt-marinated chicken will ultimately be okay in the freezer but as it defrosts, the yogurt can split and get a bit too watery. To avoid this, add in the yogurt after you remove the chicken from the freezer, let it sit in the yogurt as it defrosts.
Take advantage of the chicken juices. As the chicken bakes, it will release some deliciously marinated chicken juices. Make use of this stuff! Coat roasted bell peppers and onions in it. And once you’re done cooking and cutting the chicken strips, give them a good bath in the chicken juices before serving.

Make it communal. The best way to serve chicken shawarma is family-style. That way, everyone can help themselves to what they want. Plus, it’s so much easier for the chef.
How to Make Chicken Shawarma
This chicken shawarma recipe takes awhile to make – but it’s hand-off work. There’s a couple hours of marinating time. And the time it takes to cook up to juicy perfection.
But the prep? There’s very little. Very little involvement from you, overall. Making it one of the easiest, most delicious dinners you’ll ever have. Here’s what to do…
Make Chicken Shawarma Marinade
Combine all the spices – cumin, turmeric, coriander, cardamom, smoked paprika, cinnamon – along with salt and pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, and yogurt together in a bowl.


Either add the chicken to the bowl and toss to marinate OR put the chicken and the shawarma marinade in a large Ziploc bag and massage the outside of the bag with your hands to thoroughly coat each piece in marinade.


Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for several hours. How long? About 24 hours is the best but if you’re short on time, aim for at least 3 hours. The longer you leave it, the more flavorful the chicken.
Cook Chicken Shawarma
When the chicken has marinated to tender, flavorful perfection, pull it out of the fridge and let it sit out at room temperature while you preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
That will take about 12 to 15 minutes. During that time, you can arrange the chicken on a large sheet pan. If you want some roasted bell peppers and/or onions to eat with the shawarma, this is a good time to slice them up.

Add the bell peppers and onions at the bottom of the sheet pan, the part that is facing you, and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Place the whole thing in the hot oven.
The chicken thighs will take around 20 to 25 minutes to cook through. During that time, the only thing I suggest you do is to check in about 10 minutes in to gently tilt the oven pan so that the chicken juices can run down to coat the vegetables.

Ohmigod, the scent that hits your face when you open that oven! It’ll get your whole family salivating – and the neighbors, too.
While the chicken cooks to beautifully charred perfection, you can prep everything else you want to eat with the chicken shawarma.
For me, that is:
- Pickled red onions
- Garlicky yogurt sauce
- A big salad
When the chicken is done, let it sit for a couple minutes and then cut the fillets into thin strips. Coat them in the leftover chicken juices and serve.

What to Serve with Chicken Shawarma
Chicken shawarma is so delicious on its own but a couple side dishes take it up to perfection. Here’s what to serve with it!
Roast Peppers
Roasted peppers – and onions – go so well with chicken shawarma. And they don’t need any extra cooking – you just clean ’em, slice ’em, and pop them in with the chicken to roast alongside (and take advantage of the delicious chicken juices!)

So put in some bell peppers and onions to roast with the shawarma!
Pickled red onions
These also take all of 3 minutes to prepare and add a welcome zingy, tangy, fresh flavor to eat with chicken shawarma.

To make, you’ll need:
- 1 red onion
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tbsp salt
That’s it. Simply mix together lemon juice, sugar and salt. Cut a red onion into thin slices and add it to the mixture. Toss to coat. If you want more, double or triple the recipe.
Yogurt sauce
You can serve shawarma with a tahini sauce as well but for me, nothing beats a good yogurt sauce. Here’s my recipe:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- mint leaves, optional
When I have mint leaves, they definitely go in the yogurt sauce. So I start with a mortar and pestle to grind the garlic and mint leaves. Add that to the yogurt along with lemon juice and a bit of salt and pepper. And that’s it!


By the way, if you want a more liquid-y sauce, you can add the pickling juice that you used for the red onions into the yogurt sauce. It gives it a stronger – but very delicious – flavor and thins it out.
Fresh Salad
I like to make a very simple salad with just lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh parsley to serve alongside the chicken shawarma or to be added into a pita or wrap with the shawarma.
Just slice and dice fresh lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber. Add olives if you’re feeling fancy.
I find I don’t even need a dressing for this salad because it’s served alongside so many other flavorful sides. But if you want to go the dressing route, go for a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Sprinkle a bit of sumac if you want.
Bread
When it comes to bread options to eat with chicken shawarma, the world’s your oyster. Wholewheat pita bread pockets are our family’s favorite.

But any sort of flatbread is great – lavash, barbari, bazlama, even tortilla wraps and naan are fantastic.
As long as it’s warm and delicious, it’s all good. I’ve even made chicken shawarma baguette sandwiches with leftovers and they were divine.
Rice
Of course, bread isn’t the only carb in town when it comes to eating a platter of chicken shawarma. Serve it on a big shawarma plate with turmeric yellow rice, a lemon-y rice, a basmati rice pilaf with dried fruits and nuts, or even cous cous.
French Fries
Yes, I had to go there because the truth is that french fries go with anything – even things you don’t think they should. Like chicken shawarma.
I love the simplicity of serving chicken shawarma alongside thick homemade fries for an easy lunch that feels like fast food but is full of home-cooked nutrition.

Chicken Shawarma
Ingredients
Chicken Shawarma
- 10 chicken thighs about 1200 grams, 2.6 lbs, 1.2 kg
- 1 bell pepper, sliced optional
- 1 onion, sliced optional
Chicken Shawarma Marinade
- 1 lemon, juiced about 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced about 4 garlic cloves OR 3/4 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup yogurt
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper optional
Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic about 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- mint leaves optional
Pickled Onions
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ tbsp sugar
- ½ tbsp salt
Instructions
Chicken Shawarma Marinade
- Combine all the spices – cumin, turmeric, coriander, cardamom, smoked paprika, cinnamon – along with salt and pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, and yogurt in a bowl or Ziploc bag.
- Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to marinate OR in the Ziploc bag with the marinade and massage the outside of the bag with your hands to thoroughly smother each piece.
- Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Around 24 hours is ideal. The longer you leave it, the more flavorful the chicken.
Make Chicken Shawarma
- Pull the marinaded chicken out of the fridge and let it sit out at room temperature while you preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
- While you wait for the oven to get hot – 12 to 15 minutes – is a good time to slice up onions and bell peppers if you'll be roasting those alongside the chicken.
- Arrange the chicken on a large sheet pan. Add the bell peppers and onions at the bottom of the sheet pan, the part that is facing you, and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
- Place the whole thing in the hot oven and let bake for around 20 to 25 minutes.
- If you're roasting veggies, about 10 minutes in, open the oven and gently tilt the oven pan so that the chicken juices can run down to coat the vegetables.
- When the chicken is done, let it sit for a couple minutes and then cut the fillets into thin strips. Coat them in the leftover chicken juices and serve.
Pickled Red Onions
- Mix together lemon juice, sugar and salt.
- Cut a red onion into thin slices and add it to the mixture. Toss to coat.
Yogurt Sauce
- If you're using mint leaves, grind the mint leaves with the garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle. Add that to the yogurt along with lemon juice and a bit of salt and pepper.
- If you won't be using mint leaves, mix together minced garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper.