Name: Chicken Shawarma
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1.5 pounds chicken breasts; 4 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt; 2 Tablespoons lemon or lime juice; 2 Tablespoons olive oil; 3-4 cloves garlic (minced); 1 teaspoon EACH ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, salt; ½ teaspoon EACH all spice or 7 spice, ground cinnamon, garlic powder, black pepper; 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 2 Tablespoons tahini paste; 2 Tablespoons lemon juice; 2 cloves garlic (minced); Pinch of salt & pepper; 6-8 medium tortillas, thin pitas*, or saj bread; Pickled turnips or pickles (thinly sliced); Thinly sliced onion; Thinly sliced tomato* optional; Chopped parsley

My popular tender and juicy chicken shawarma is marinated in a warm spice blend, topped with garlic tahini sauce, and toasted to golden perfection. Serve these delicious shawarma wraps with creamy shawarma sauce in tortillas or pita bread for a delicious lunch or dinner!

What better way to kick off my 30-day Ramadan series than with these delicious chicken shawarma wraps? Everyone who has ever tried my chicken shawarma says it’s the best they’ve ever had. Yes, it’s that good! I’ve been tweaking and perfecting this recipe for the past 10 years and it just keeps getting better. It’s so good that I’m considering opening a shawarma restaurant but for now, I’m sharing my recipe with my loyal readers.

These chicken Shawarma wraps make the perfect weeknight meal the whole family will enjoy! They’re easy to prepare ahead of time and are ready in under 30 minutes. Juicy, intensely seasoned chicken chunks are served in a tortilla or pita with your choice of vegetable toppings. It’s a healthy, delicious, and satisfying meal!

Why you should make this recipe

So easy to make: This is an easy, straightforward recipe! Once the chicken is marinated it comes together quickly.
Healthy and filling: This meal is made with good-for-you ingredients filled with nutrients. The chicken adds plenty of protein while the veggies are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Super tasty: This homemade chicken shawarma is even tastier than what you’d get in a restaurant.
Great for meal prep: Make this chicken and sauce ahead of time and then use it throughout the week for quick meals.

Ingredients needed

This chicken shawarma recipe is made with a combination of simple ingredients to make the most flavorful, juicy chicken. It has a unique, wonderful taste that you’re going to love! Here’s everything that you’ll need:

Chicken breasts: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You’ll be slicing them into thin slices or small bite-sized pieces. You can also use boneless chicken thighs cut into small pieces or a mixture of thighs and breasts.
Greek yogurt: Makes the marinade super creamy and adds a tangy flavor to the shawarma. Sour-cream is a great replacement.
Lemon juice: Lemon or lime juice adds just enough acidity to the marinade to bring out all of the great flavor and tenderize the meat.
Olive oil: Helps the seasoning mix stick to the chicken, and ensures that it cooks perfectly in the pan.
Garlic: Minced garlic is a must for extra savory flavor in almost any chicken marinade.
Spices: A blend of ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, salt, ground cinnamon, garlic powder and black pepper seasons the chicken for such incredible flavor.
Shawarma sauce: To make a creamy sauce with a subtle tang, for drizzling over the chicken, mix sour cream or Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, tahini paste, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
For serving: We like to serve the chicken and sauce on tortillas, thin pitas, or saj bread. Feel free to add thinly sliced pickled turnips or pickles, onion, tomato and freshly chopped parsley.

How to make this recipe

Making this chicken shawarma is super simple, yet it’s infused with such wonderful flavor and textures. Here’s how it all comes together:

Marinate chicken: Slice chicken breasts into thin slices or small bite size pieces. To a large bowl, add the chicken breasts, yogurt, lemon juice, oil, garlic, and spice. Mix until well combined. You can also do this in a zipseal bag. At this point you can marinate up to 24 hours if desired.

Cook the chicken: Heat a large heavy duty pan over high heat. Add the chicken mixture to the pan and cook on high heat for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is browned and cooked through. You can also bake or air fry the shawarma too!

Make the shawarma white sauce: Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Be sure all chunks of garlic are completely blended. I find that making the sauce ahead of time works best. The flavors get better as they sit in the fridge!

Assemble: Lay tortillas or saj bread on a flat surface. I like to assemble on a parchment paper sheet. Add a good amount of chicken to each wrap. Top with pickled turnips or pickles, sliced onion, tomato, and a sprinkle of parsley. Generously drizzle a good amount of shawarma sauce and wrap tightly.

To Toast: This is an optional step but if you like the shawarma crispy, after wrapping the shawarma, brush with a thin layer of oil and toast in the same pan you cooked the chicken in. Don’t wash the pan as the shawarma will absorb the residual spices.

Expert tips:

Chicken thighs: You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs to make this recipe if preferred.
Marinating time: We recommend marinating the chicken for at least one hour before cooking it. This will ensure the meat is plenty flavorful and tender. This also works for the sauce. If you are going to be marinating the chicken from the night before, I highly suggest also making the garlic sauce ahead of time as well.
Bread varieties: If you are not able to find saj bread, use Labense-style pita bread. Separate the pita in half so you are using one side of the pita for each wrap. Tortillas also work great!
Make it cheesy: If you are a fan of cheesy sandwiches, add a generous sprinkle of cheese into the shawarma when assembling.
For low-carb: Use Mission or any other low-carb tortilla or make in a lettuce wrap.

Frequently asked questions

What is chicken shawarma made of?

Chicken Shawarma is a popular recipe in Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s made with pieces of marinated chicken that are marinated in a yogurt spice blend and then cooked to perfection. They are then wrapped in saj bread with different sauces, vegetables, and other toppings.

What does shawarma taste like?

Chicken Shawarma is wonderfully flavorful! The chicken is well-marinated in a mix of warms spices like ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, ground cinnamon, garlic powder and black pepper. They can be served in tortillas, flat pitas or saj bread, and are often topped with pickled veggies, which is a delicious contrast to the bold spices.

Can you make chicken shawarma ahead of time?

Yes! You can prepare the chicken, and marinate it for up to 24 hours. You can also go ahead and cook it! It can be cooked 1 to 2 days in advance. In addition, the sauce can be made a couple of days before you plan to serve it. Be sure to store everything in an airtight container in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, warm the chicken in a skillet over medium heat, and then assemble onto tortillas.

How to Make Air Fryer Shawarma

Air-frying chicken shawarma is a great option too. To air fryer the chicken for chicken shawarma, simply pre-heat your air fryer to 400F. Add the chicken and cook until charred, tender, juicy, and cooked through about 15 minutes.

More ways to serve

The traditional way to serve chicken shawarma is in pita pockets or wraps with pickled veggies and sauce. But the chicken is really versatile and can be used in a variety of different ways! Here are some more options:

Serve in a bowl over rice with roasted or pickled veggies and sauce drizzled over the top. These chicken shawarma bowls are another great option!
Replace the tortilla with lettuce for a low-carb keto-friendly version.
Use the chicken to increase the protein in your favorite salad recipe.
Pair the chicken with your favorite sides and use the sauce as a dip for the chicken.

Storage recommendations

You can actually store the chicken in the marinade before cooking, or store the fully cooked chicken:

Before cooking: Store the chicken and the marinade together in an airtight container or bag in the refrigerator 24 hours ahead of time. Then, cook as directed the next day.
After cooking: Once the cooked chicken has cooled completely, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To reheat: You can reheat the chicken in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

More delicious chicken wraps

Recipe by: Layla Atik // Gimme Delicious | Photography by: Eat Love Eats

Chicken Shawarma