The Best Chicken Shawarma You’ll Ever Make

Israeli’s love shawarma so much that sometimes it feels like we invented it—that we’ve been growing up for centuries on pita stuffed with thin slices of seasoned meat, tahini, and fresh salads. But the truth is, shawarma actually originated in Turkey, where it’s known as döner and is often served with yogurt sauce.

Here in Israel—and in many other parts of the world—that yogurt has been swapped for tahini or hummus, depending on who you ask. Add fresh salad, pickles, fries, amba, or preserved lemons, and you’ve got the shawarma most of us know and constantly crave.

Like many iconic dishes (think burgers), shawarma has become less about one specific recipe and more about a style of seasoning, slicing, and serving. That’s what makes it so fun to reinvent, whether it’s vegan shawarma, fish shawarma (recipe coming soon!), or this incredibly juicy chicken shawarma.

As for shawarma seasoning? I usually skip the ready-made blend and mix my own spices instead. It lets me control each flavor so nothing overpowers the chicken and everything stays balanced.

One more tip: Slice the chicken into thin restaurant-style strips if you like, or leave the pieces a little thicker—they’ll stay extra juicy and taste just as delicious the next day.

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Perfect Chicken Shawarma

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Serves: 6 Prep Time: 15 minutes + 1 hour marinating (and up to overnight) Cooking Time: 16 minutes 16 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 boneless chicken thigh steaks (about 2 pounds / 900 g)
• 1 teaspoon baharat
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (or hot paprika if you prefer extra heat)
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or silan (date syrup)

Instructions

- In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, spices, and maple syrup or silan. Add the chicken thighs and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 6–8 hours.
Line a baking sheet or baking pan with parchment paper and arrange the chicken in a single layer. Brush with the remaining marinade, reserving any extra.
- Roast in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and roast for another 8 minutes, or until lightly charred and cooked through. If you'd like, brush the chicken with the reserved marinade once or twice during cooking for extra flavor.
- Remove from the oven, stack the chicken pieces, and slice into thin strips.
- Serve tucked into warm pita with salad, fries, pickles, and tahini, or wrap it in a laffa or tortilla.

Serve it on a pita, laffa, tortilla, or on the plate with salad (and fries) on the side.

Notes

- Chicken breast can be used instead of thighs, but be careful not to overcook it—it dries out much more quickly.
- If you prefer, substitute the individual spices with 1 tablespoon shawarma seasoning, then mix it with the olive oil and maple syrup or silan.
- Love crispy edges? After slicing the chicken, sear it briefly in a hot skillet until the edges caramelize.
- Leftovers keep beautifully. Store the sliced shawarma in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and serve with salad, rice, mashed potatoes, or your favorite side.
- And if you'd like to go all out, pair it with homemade pita bread.