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This Easy Chicken Shawarma recipe is oven roasted and packed with flavor for an easy weeknight dinner!
Easy Chicken Shawarma Recipe | Chicken Recipes | Mediterranean recipes | Middle Eastern Recipes | Easy dinner recipe | Quick recipe | Oven Roasted Shawarma | Turmeric | Pita

Easy Chicken Shawarma Recipe | Chicken Recipes | Mediterranean recipes | Middle Eastern Recipes | Easy dinner recipe | Quick recipe | Oven Roasted Shawarma | Turmeric | Pita

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase the items I recommend through the links I provide, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more info, please see my disclosure policy. Thanks for supporting Fox and Briar!
Hello friends!  I’m so excited to bring you this recipe for chicken shawarma today!  I’m sharing this recipe from my friend Samantha’s new cookbook, The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen.  Sam blogs over at Little Ferraro Kitchen where she shares easy world cuisine.  In The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen, she shares 80 authentic, healthy and easy recipes that can be made even on the busiest of weeknights. Want a copy for yourself?  I’m giving one away right now over on Instagram!

When I received this cookbook, I flipped through the pages trying to decide what to make first.  I considered the One-Pot Paprika Chicken with Olives and Orzo, the Shaksuka with Lamb and Spices, and the Jeweled Tabbouleh Salad before ultimately deciding on this Everyday Chicken Shawarma recipe.
Easy Chicken Shawarma Recipe | Chicken Recipes | Mediterranean recipes | Middle Eastern Recipes | Easy dinner recipe | Quick recipe | Oven Roasted Shawarma | Turmeric | Pita

What is Shawarma?

You may be asking, what is shawarma?  Shawarma is traditionally thin cuts of meat, stacked into a cone and roasted on a vertical spit. It is then shaved off and served on a plate or in a sandwich or wrap.

What do you put in Chicken Shawarma?

Chicken Shawarma can be marinated in a variety of spices and aromatics, but this one uses garlic, lemon, Aleppo pepper, sumac, cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, cumin and paprika.

What is the difference between a gyro and shawarma?

Although both a gyro and shawarma are slices of meat packed together and roasted on a vertical spit. A gyro is usually made of beef and lamb, then topped with tzatziki, tomato and onion and wrapped in a pita.  Shawarma is a similar dish, but there are more variations in the preperation.  If can be almost any kind of meat, and the spices vary depending on the recipe.

Easy Chicken Shawarma Recipe | Chicken Recipes | Mediterranean recipes | Middle Eastern Recipes | Easy dinner recipe | Quick recipe | Oven Roasted Shawarma | Turmeric | Pita

This recipe is a perfect weeknight meal.  The chicken can marinate in about 20 minutes, then roasts on a sheet pan.  Cover the pan in foil for easy cleanup.

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen over on Instagram!  And if you missed it, don’t worry, the book is available on Amazon!

What should you serve with chicken shawarma?

You can serve chicken shawarma with:

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Easy Chicken Shawarma

4.58 from 7 votes
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 45 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma Recipe from "The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen" cookbook

Ingredients 

To Serve:

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F
  • In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs with the oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, Aleppo pepper, allspice, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and salt, stir to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes and up to an hour, the longer the better.
  • Transfer chicken to foil lined baking sheet.  Pour the marinade over the chicken.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. For extra crispy edges, increase the heat to 425°F and continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Remove chicken from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into it. Then cut the chicken into slices.
  • Serve with pita bread, tahini sauce or yogurt sauce, chopped salad, fresh herbs and lemon.

Notes

Nutrition info is for chicken only, does not include accompaniments. 

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Did you like this recipe?Please comment, rate and share! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @foxandbriar AND #foxandbriar so I can see what you made!

If you like this recipe you may also like this Lamb Kofta or Mediterranean Lamb Bowls!

Easy Chicken Shawarma Recipe | Chicken Recipes | Mediterranean recipes | Middle Eastern Recipes | Easy dinner recipe | Quick recipe | Oven Roasted Shawarma | Turmeric | Pita

Hello! I’m Meghan.

I am so glad that you are here! I am the recipe developer, photographer, and writer here at my blog Fox and Briar. I am a passionate, self-taught home cook and believe that most things are better homemade and that good food doesn’t need to be complicated.

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27 Comments

  1. I just came across your recipe and it sounds delish.
    Wondering if this could be cooked in air fryer? How long and what temp?
    Thanks and wanting to try this very soon

    1. Hi Lori – I’m sure it would be great in the air fryer! I haven’t tested it so I can’t be sure on the exact cooking time and temp. However, based on what I read about converting oven recipes to air fryer, I would try 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. Let us know how it goes!

  2. 4 stars
    Made this for tea 11/06/23 for me & my son and we really enjoyed it I made my own dressing for the salad by putting 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise 3 tablespoons of soured cream some fresh chopped dill and chopped cucumber and some fresh lemon juice mixed it all together and poured it on the salad it was delicious. Will definitely make this again it’s a keeper. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

  3. HI, stupid question….I did not have marinade to pour over the chicken in step 3. I followed the recipe, am I missing something?
    thanks!

    1. Hi Sarah – it just means if there is any of the oil/spice mixture left in the bowl, pour the excess over the chicken.

  4. 5 stars
    LOVED this recipe. Made it for my family, my dad said it was the best food he’s had in months! I served it with the turmeric rice and mint yogurt sauce on the side, both went very well with the chicken. It’s so easy and healthy, I will definitely make this again!

    1. Hi Barb – You can leave out the sumac and just add a little extra paprika and a dash of cayenne pepper to replace the allepo pepper.

  5. Delicious! I’ve made it in my home and use vertical broiler Shawarma machine to cook. Chicken turned out perfectly! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe

  6. Loved the recipe. Very flavorful chicken. Wondering if I can marinate a whole lot of chicken with this marinade, freeze it and use when needed. Will the lemon juice mess with the chicken texture while frozen?

  7. The recipe says marinate 20 minutes and up to one hour…..what about longer than an hour? Overnight even?

    I loved the Greek chicken bake for the fact that I could prepare and marinate the day before and then just take out the next afternoon and bake. I was hoping this was the same.
    We LOVED the Greek Chicken by the way!!! *****

    1. Hi Jodi – I THINK it would be fine – the only concern I have is the lemon juice. Sometimes the acidicty can make the chicken get a weird texture. If you do marinate it overnight I would leave out the lemon juice and just use the zest. You could add the lemon juice right before cooking. I’m so glad you love the greek chicken!

    2. Update – I talked to Samantha who wrote this recipe and she said she has marinated it overnight and it was great! So go for it!

      1. I always marinade overnight. Not 24 hours because yes, the chicken gets mushy and weird. But you can marinate it while you sleep and then get it on the grill. Excellent recipe! I think I’ve made it about oh I don’t know, 600 times

  8. 5 stars
    We travel to Israel as often as we can. Chicken Shawarma is one of our favorite things. A little Lebanese restaurant in Abu Gosh makes the best we’ve had. I have tried, too, to copy it. This recipe is 👌—thank you!!

  9. 5 stars
    This is stunning and you make the shawarma looks sooo drool worthy!! Thank you SOOOO much for cooking from my book 🙂

    1. I’m so impressed with you for writing such a beautiful and useful cookbook! Thanks for letting me be a part of your book release fun!

  10. 5 stars
    Thanks for sharing the recipe and the book. My husband has been enjoying Mediterranean food….like at least twice a week. Which means this needs to happen and I need to get that book.