Learn how to make this easy oven roasted chicken shawarma recipe with tahini sauce just like you get in the Middle East and make your own out-of-this-world chicken shawarma wraps.
Easy Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma
In the many years I've lived in the Middle East- Qatar and Dubai- shawarma wrap is our go-to fast food. It's one of the popular food in Middle Eastern cuisine. Shawarma was easily available and you'd find a shawarma joint in every street corner. It's so cheap too, so I never attempted to make it at home. After I moved from Dubai I started making chicken shawarma at home and this is the closest I got to recreating the authentic Middle Eastern Chicken Shawarma recipe.
The chicken is marinated in spices, baked, and thinly sliced. This flavorful sliced chicken is then served in pita bread or rice with different sauces. This is an easy weeknight meal your whole family will love!
What is Shawarma?
Shawarma is meat, chicken, or lamb marinated in spices and skewered on a spit- a long solid rod that holds the meat while it's cooked and grilled. You'd find vertical spits cooking the meat in all the shawarma restaurants. The meat is then sliced off and placed in a wrap or rice along with tahini sauce or garlic sauce. For us home cooks, the best way to cook the shawarma is to grill or cook in the oven.
Ingredients for Chicken Shawarma
- Chicken - Chicken thighs will be best but chicken breasts can be used in a pinch
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Plain yogurt
- Shawarma seasoning
- Kosher Salt
- Tahini sauce to serve
Shawarma Seasoning
You need a solid, flavorful shawarma seasoning to make the best chicken shawarma. The spices used are pantry staples.
- Ground Cumin
- Ground Coriander
- Turmeric
- Garlic powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Chili powder
- Ground Cloves
How long to marinate the chicken
Can I make chicken shawarma if I have only an hour to get dinner on the table? Absolutely.
You can marinate the chicken for 30 minutes or in the fridge overnight. The more time it spends in the marinade it develops extra flavor. But 30-minute chicken is equally delicious too. You can meal prep the chicken the day before.
Or if you are short on time, just do a 30-minute marinade.
How to make oven roasted chicken shawarma
This is my quick and easy method for you to get dinner on the table pretty fast.
- In to a large bowl, add chicken thighs, shawarma seasoning, olive oil, yogurt and kosher salt.
- Mix until chicken is well coated with the spices.
- Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425F. Place the chicken in a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
- Broil for additional 4 minutes to get a charred, caramelised top.
- Once out of the oven, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.
- Cut the chicken into thin slices, and serve with bread or rice.
What's the best meat for shawarma
Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for maximum flavor. If you are using chicken breast cook until the inner temperature of the meat reaches 165F.
How to serve chicken shawarma
Slice the chicken and serve on top of a bed of lettuce on pita bread or khubz(Arabic flatbread). Top it with pickled onions or vegetables, fresh cucumber, and tomatoes. Finish off with a drizzle of tahini sauce, hummus or yogurt sauce.
My kids love to press the wrap in a panini press for a warm crunchy wrap.
You can also serve the shawarma on a bed of rice with all the toppings or rice pilaf.
How to make Tahini sauce
I love tahini sauce on top of my shawarma, just the way it's served back in Dubai. To make the Tahini sauce you'd need the following.
- Tahini
- Lemon juice
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
- Kosher salt
- Water
Whisk all the ingredients together until you get a smooth runny sauce.
Common questions about oven roasted chicken shawarma
How long should I bake my chicken in the oven?
Bake the chicken in a preheated oven at 425F for 25 minutes.
Are chicken Shawarmas healthy?
Yes, they are healthy. They are normally baked or cooked in a spit without much oil. And served with fresh vegetables.
What is shawarma chicken made of?
It's made of marinated and sliced chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
How do you reheat chicken shawarma in the oven?
To reheat chicken shawarma, place them on a baking sheet and heat them at 375F for 5 to 10 minutes until warm.
How to store chicken shawarma
If you have any leftover shawarma chicken, place them in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3 days.
Reheat in the oven or microwave.
You can freeze the chicken shawarma in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
More easy chicken dinners you'll love
If you love this easy oven roasted chicken shawarma recipe I’d love to know. Tag me #loveandotherspices on Instagram and follow me there. Follow me on Pinterest and pin my image.
Easy Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma
Ingredients
- 7 to 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs around 2.5 lbs
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
Shawarma Seasoning
- 2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder OR 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
Tahini Sauce
- ½ cup tahini
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder OR a garlic clove minced
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F
- Mix all the ingredients for the seasoning. In a large bowl toss the chicken thighs with seasoning, salt, olive oil, lemon juice and yogurt. Marinate for 30 minutes.
- In a sheet pan, arrange the chicken thighs and bake for 25 minutes. Broil for 4 minutes to char and caramelize the top.
- Take the chicken out of the oven, let it rest for 5 minutes and slice.
For the Tahini sauce
- Mix tahini, paprika, garlic powder and salt in bowl and whisk to combine.
- The sauce will thicken to be more like a paste. Add water bit by bit and whisk until you get a smooth consistency.
Chicken shawarma wrap
- Place the sliced chicken on a pita bread and top with your favorite toppings- lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, pickled onions and/or other vegetables and drizzle with tahini sauce.
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