This Chicken Shawarma is juicy, spiced chicken wrapped in flatbreads with a creamy, tahini dressing – perfect for hot or cold weather.
Sharwarma. Is it just me or does that word sound like something deliciously smoochy like a romantic slow dance outdoors, in a candlelit square of a beautiful warm country. With lots of wine. Hmmm. Maybe I need a holiday (don’t we all!). If I said Sharwarma to Chris on the other hand, he’d immediately think of Iron Man’s sharwarma quote in that Avengers film. Actually, that was the first time I’d ever heard of this dish, and if Iron Man thought it’d be good, then it was bound to be.What do we need?
- Chicken thighs are great for homemade shawarma as they hold up well to intense, high-heat cooking, whilst retaining their juiciness.
- Spices – give a smoky, spicy, warming flavour to the chicken
- Tahini – essential for a good shawarma sauce – mixed with that Greek yogurt, plus garlic, dill, lemon, cumin, salt and pepper
How to make this shawarma at home
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.- Place chopped chicken thighs in a bowl with oil, paprika, cumin, ground coriander, chilli powder, cinnamon and minced garlic. Stir, cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate.
- Cook the chicken pieces on a griddle (see notes section in recipe card for other cooking methods), turning a couple of times until slightly charred on the outside cooked through in the middle.
- Make the shawarma sauce by mixing together Greek yogurt, minced garlic, tahini, cumin, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Serve the shawarma in warm flatbreads with lettuce, red onion, tomatoes and cucumber and a drizzle of the yogurt tahini dressing.
What to serve with Chicken Shawarma:
Chilli Garlic Oven-Baked Fries
Veggie Buddha Bowls
Veggie Matchstick Fries
Falafel Salad Bowls
All the fixings from this Spicy Nourish Bowl (no need for the chicken)
More grilled chicken recipes:
- Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce
- Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers
- Cajun Chicken Noodle Salad
- Mexican Chicken Skewers with Picante Salsa
- Chicken Souvlaki with Homemade Tzatziki
- Easy Chicken Gyros
Watch how to make it
Chicken Shawarma
Ingredients
Chicken Shawarma:
- 8 chicken thigh fillets cut into bite-sized chunks
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- pinch cinnamon
- 1 clove garlic peeled and minced
Shawarma Sauce:
- 240 ml (1 cup) Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 ½ tbsp tahini
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried dill or 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- pinch black pepper
To Serve:
- 4 flatbreads warmed
- 1 romaine lettuce shredded
- ½ red onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 8 cherry tomatoes sliced into quarters
- ¼ cucumber sliced into rounds, then again in quarters
Instructions
- First, marinate the chicken. Place the chopped chicken thighs in a large bowl and add the rest of the shawarma ingredients.8 chicken thigh fillets, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/4 tsp chili powder, pinch cinnamon, 1 clove garlic
- Mix together, then cover and place in the refrigerator for an hour (or up to overnight).
- When you're ready to prepare the shawarma, place a cast iron griddle on the hob to heat up.
- Place the chicken pieces on the griddle and cook for 6-10 minutes - turning a couple of times until slightly charred on the outside cooked through in the middle. (see notes for alternative cooking methods)
- Whilst the chicken is cooking make the shawarma dressing by mixing all of the shawarma dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.240 ml (1 cup) Greek yogurt, 1 clove garlic, 1 ½ tbsp tahini, ½ tsp cumin, 1 tsp dried dill, 2 tbsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp salt, pinch black pepper
- Place the flatbreads onto serving plates and divide the lettuce, red onion, tomatoes, and cucumber between them.4 flatbreads, 1 romaine lettuce, ½ red onion, 8 cherry tomatoes, ¼ cucumber
- Place the cooked shawarma on top, then drizzle over the shawarma sauce.
- Roll up the flatbreads and serve.
Video
Notes
- Fry the shawarma pieces in a hot, lightly oiled frying pan (skillet) for 6-10 minutes, turning regularly until cooked through.
- Grill (broil) on a tray under a hot grill for 8-10 minutes - until cooked through. Brush with a little oil before placing under the grill (as using a grill dries the chicken a little more than frying/griddling) and turn once, halfway cooking.
- Place the chicken on skewers, and barbecue for 8-10 minutes, turning a couple of times during cooking, until cooked through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Nicky! I had to use sour cream in place of yogurt, it worked fine. Nice, easy recipe, thanks!
Hello,
I Love Love your recipe! Thank you for sharing.
I have a question in regards to one ingredient for the shawarma dressing: 1 ½ tbsp tahini- is this a dry seasoning or a paste?
Hi Teresa, thank you 🙂 tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. It’s usually found in the near the nut butters or in the world foods aisle in the supermarket.