This chicken shawarma recipe is marinated in a blend of flavorful spices, cooked in a skillet, then wrapped inside pita bread to make a homemade version of the Middle East’s most popular street food!
Why this recipe works
Chicken shawarma couldn’t be easier to make at home. We won’t be cooking them on vertical rotating skewers like you’d see on the streets in the Middle East, instead, we’re cooking it in a skillet on the stovetop. No need for fancy equipment around here to yield similarly delicious results!
Chicken shawarma is most commonly served wrapped in pita bread with vegetables and either hummus (such as baba ganoush), tabouleh, tzatziki sauce, or tahini. It’s also a popular option to serve it deconstructed on a platter with a sauce, fresh veggies, and rice.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
CHICKEN – Chicken thighs are the most popular option for chicken shawarma because of the added flavor and moisture from the dark meat. However, you can certainly substitute with boneless skinless chicken breast if preferred.
How to Make Chicken Shawarma
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, combine all marinade ingredients.
- Rub olive mixture all over the chicken.
- Place chicken in a plastic zip-top bag and allow to sit for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Cook chicken in skillet until no longer pink, about 3 minutes per side.
- Cut chicken into strips.
- Serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce and vegetables of your choice.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Store the cooled chicken shawarma mixture in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to eat, reheat the mixture on the stovetop or in the microwave and pile onto pita bread with fresh vegetables.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your chicken shawarma snuggled inside pita bread with plenty of tzatziki sauce and fresh veggies such as sliced onion, lettuce, pickles, cucumber, or tomato. Or, lay it out on a platter with lettuce, tomato cucumber salad, hummus, pita bread slices, or rice.
You can even toss all the veggies and cooked chicken into a dish to make a chicken shawarma bowl, which I’ve found myself doing with leftovers the following day. Serve it whichever way you enjoy the most!
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Chicken Shawarma
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs about 6
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking marinated chicken
Wet Rub/Marinade
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 3 teaspoons paprika
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Additional Ingredients
- 4 slices pita bread
- tzatziki sauce optional for drizzling
- fresh vegetables of your choice
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Chicken thighs are the most popular option for chicken shawarma because of the added flavor and moisture from the dark meat. However, you can certainly substitute with boneless skinless chicken breast if preferred.
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, combine all marinade ingredients.
- Rub olive mixture all over the chicken.
- Place chicken in a plastic zip top bag and allow to sit for atleast 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Cook chicken in skillet until no longer pink, about 3 minutes per side.
- Cut chicken into strips.
- Serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce and vegetables of your choice.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Store the cooled chicken shawarma mixture in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to eat, reheat the mixture on the stovetop or in the microwave and pile onto pita bread with fresh vegetables such as sliced tomato, red onion, and cucumber and fresh greens or lettuce.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
Chef Antoine Davis
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