This Chicken Shawarma recipe is a must try for grilling season! The shawarma meat is marinated in aromatic spices, grilled, and tucked into a warm pita with crisp vegetables.
Serve this topped with a garlicky Greek yogurt sauce and a side of Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I love this grilled Chicken Shawarma recipe because it has amazing flavor with the best texture. This great dish is perfect for summer grilling, but you can easily make it in the oven, too. It’s versatile, easy, and a cinch to make ahead.
- TASTE: Chicken shawarma is very similar to a gyro. Juicy, marinated chicken that’s covered in delicious spices and then grilled. Served in a warm flatbread, it’s complex and delicious. And the grill adds unbelievably smoky flavor that you’ll love.
- TEXTURE: Although we aren’t cooking these on a tradition rotating spit, the grill gives the chicken a crisp char on the outside while the meat stays nice and juicy on the inside. Chicken thighs give the best texture and flavor for this dish.
- TIME: While this recipe takes about 4 1/2 hours, most of that is for marinating the chicken. Active cook time is only about 20 minutes, so you can easily make chicken shawarma even on the busiest nights. I also give some make-ahead instructions below.
- EASE: This recipe is so easy to make. Once the meat has marinated, you just need to assemble the skewers and then grill. The chicken shawarma can be served in a flatbread for a quick lunch, or with sides for a bigger meal.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken thighs- Boneless, skinless.
- Greek yogurt- Plain is best.
- Vegetables- Onion and Garlic.
- Spices- Salt, Black pepper, Cayenne pepper, Cumin, Coriander, and Paprika.
- Olive oil– For marinating.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute other spices- You can also try turmeric, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, or cinnamon.
- Add citrus- Add an acid, like lemon or lime juice to the chicken.
- Substitute other meat- Try this recipe with chicken breast, pork, or beef.
- Use sour cream- For a similarly tangy flavor, you can use sour cream in place of the yogurt.
How to Make Chicken Shawarma
- Marinate the chicken. Combine chicken thighs, Greek yogurt, onion, garlic, black pepper, salt, cayenne, cumin, coriander, paprika, and olive oil into a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for about 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- Skewer the meat. Then place two metal skewers beside each other. Now roll up each marinated chicken thigh and slide it evenly onto both skewers.
- Grill the shawarma. Bring the heat of your grill to high and cook the skewered chicken on both sides until fully cooked. This will take about 10 minutes per side.
- Assemble the pitas. Go ahead and slice off your desired amount of meat and place it into a warm pita. Top the chicken shawarma with your favorite toppings. I like to use romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, and of course, Greek yogurt sauce.
Pro Tip: Be careful when removing the meat from the grill as the metal skewers will be very hot.
Recipe Tips
- Cut off excess fat- Cut off any excess fat from the chicken before marinating so they are easier to roll and put on the skewer.
- Use Greek yogurt- Not only does this plain yogurt have more protein, but it also is thicker and coats the meat better.
- Check the temperature of the meat- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is at least 165-175 degrees Fahrenheit.
FAQs
For this recipe, I used Salt, Black pepper, Cayenne pepper, Cumin, Coriander, and Paprika. But there are many different spice blends that can be used.
Just as you would for the grilled chicken shawarma recipe, marinate the chicken. Then place it on a baking dish lined with foil for easy clean up. Then bake it at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes. Then broil for another 2-3 minutes to achieve a nice and crisp outer layer.
Serving Suggestions
This Chicken Shawarma is smoky, savory, and utterly delicious. It tastes amazing in a pita, with a salad, on rice, or with fries.
- In a pita- The most common way is to stuff shawarma into a warm pita and load it up with vegetables and some sort of yogurt sauce. Yum!
- With a salad- You can serve it alongside a salad, like tabouleh or this Spinach Pomegranate Salad and Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad. Or skip the pita and top your salad with chicken shawarma for a low-carb version.
- Atop rice- Enjoy the chicken alone, served on top of a bowl of Wild Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Hibachi Fried Rice, or basmati rice.
- With fries- Serve this with a side of Crispy Air Fryer French Fries, The BEST Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, Air Fryer Zucchini Fries, or Air Fryer Potato Wedges.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: To save some time, you can marinate the chicken ahead of time, such as the night before, so you can just assemble and grill it when you’re ready. But if you plan to leave it for longer, then you can place the marinade and chicken thighs in a ziplock freezer bag and freeze for up to 4 months. Then just defrost and grill the meat.
Storing: Store any leftovers of this chicken shawarma in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Reheat the chicken by placing it back on skewers to grill or in a 325-degree oven until warmed through.
Freeze: You can also freeze it for up to 4 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
More Delicious Chicken Dishes!
Full Recipe Instructions
Chicken Shawarma
Equipment
- 8 metal skewers
Ingredients
For the pita and toppings
- pita bread
- romaine lettuce
- red onion
- tomatoes
- cucumber
- greek yogurt sauce
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- Place two skewers beside each other. Roll up each marinated chicken thigh and slide it onto both skewers.
- Grill both sides of the skewered chicken thighs on high heat until fully cooked through (about 10 minutes per side).
- Using a sharp knife, slice off a desired amount of chicken and place it into each pita. Top with your favorite toppings. I like to use Romain lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, and of course Greek yogurt sauce.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken. Just as you would for the grilled chicken shawarma recipe, marinate the chicken. Then place it on a baking dish lined with foil for easy clean up.
- Bake. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes. Then broil for another 2-3 minutes to achieve a nice and crisp outer layer.
Nutrition
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Karen Johnson says
I hope I didn’t make a mistake but I I used sour cream instead of Greek yogurt. I thought I had the yogurt. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Dina says
Hi Karen 🙂 I hope it still turns out delicious! It shouldn’t make a big difference. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Fenevad says
Another good spice option is sumac, which is commonly used in Europe for these. It’s somewhat he’d to find for sale, but if you happen to live in an area with smooth or staghorn sumac, you can grind your own and use it. It gives a great flavor.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much for your tip and advice 🙂
Shannon says
I have made this chicken schwarma recipe for my family at least 5 times since I saw it in the spring of 2021. They absolutely love it and request it often. I have tried a couple of other recipes but keep coming back to the spice combination of this recipe, except I omit the coriander and add a teaspoon of turmeric. The yogurt sauce linked to in the recipe is just so yummy. We also put out feta to add to our “schwarmwiches” as we call them. Last night, we also made the cucumber feta salad from this same website to serve with our schwarmwiches. Such a delicious and refreshing meal for a hot summer day, or anytime for that matter.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Shannon 🙂 That’s so awesome to hear that you and your family love this chicken Shawarma recipe so much! That is the great thing about recipes. They can be adjusted per everyone’s preference 🙂 I really appreciate you taking the time to leave your awesome feedback! I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Julie glass says
Hi does the Greek yogurt go in the marinade or is that for dipping when eating. Thanks
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Julie, there is 3-4 tbsp of Greek yogurt that is used in the marinade. Also, I talk about and refer to a Greek yogurt sauce that you can make and use for dipping or put on many different recipes. It is a link to another recipe. I hope that helps clarify and I hope you love this Chicken Shawarma recipe 🙂
Jaquetta Eubanks says
Hi! Can I also use this same recipe using chicken breast?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Jacquetta, you can definitely use chicken breast in this shawarma recipe, but the meat will be a little drier than chicken thighs.
Debra Daniel says
Hey,
Thank you for shawarma recipe, I really really like the way you explained it, Me and my family like shawarma when we ate it in asian restaurant so i’m going to try this one in upcoming weekend where we set together once in a week so this will be amazing can you please tell me if i use persian saffron in it ? this will be perfect or not give me some suggestion
Thanks
Debra
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Debra, I hope you enjoy this recipe!:) I’ve never used saffron in shawarma, so I can’t say too much about how it will affect the taste.
Stephbrigg says
What do you mean by roll up the chicken thighs how would I roll it
simplyhomecooked says
By rolling up the chicken I mean bunch it together. I hope that helps clarify.
Loretta says
My mouth is watering just looking at the picture. I can hardly wait to try it. Thanks for the recipe
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Loretta! 🙂 Let me know how it turns out!
Katy | Her Cup of Joy says
Yum! This chicken looks so delicious and easy to make. My favorite season is grilling season and I will definitely add this to my list.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Katy! It’s so flavorful, you’ll love it! 🙂