Best Shawarma Recipes

CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• In a glass baking dish, mix together the malt vinegar, 1/4 cup yogurt, vegetable oil, mixed spice, cardamom, salt and pepper. Place the chicken thighs into the mixture and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, 1/4 cup yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, taste, and adjust flavors if desired. Cover and refrigerate.
• Cover the chicken and bake in the marinade for 30 minutes, turning once. Uncover, and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove from the dish, and cut into slices.
• Place sliced chicken, tomato, onion, and lettuce onto pita breads. Roll up, and top with the tahini sauce.

YOTAM OTTOLENGHI'S JERUSALEM LAMB SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Put the peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, fenugreek, fennel, cumin, star anise and cinnamon in a cast-iron pan set over medium-high heat and dry-roast them for a minute or two, until the spices begin to pop and release their aromas. Take care not to burn them. Add the nutmeg, ground ginger and paprika, and toss for a few more seconds, just to heat them, then transfer to a spice grinder. Process the spices into powder. Transfer to a medium bowl, and stir in the sumac, salt, fresh ginger, garlic, cilantro, lemon juice and oil, and stir to combine.
• Use a small sharp knife to score the leg of lamb in a few places, making half-inch-deep slits through the fat and meat. Put the lamb in a large roasting pan and rub the marinade all over it, using your hands to massage the meat. Turn the lamb fat-side up, cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it aside on a countertop for at least a couple of hours, or preferably, rest it overnight in the refrigerator.
• Heat oven to 350. Remove the aluminum foil, and place the lamb in the oven. Roast for approximately 4 1/2 hours, or until the meat is completely tender. After 30 minutes of roasting, add about a cup of boiling water to the pan, and use this liquid to baste the meat every hour or so. (Add more water, as needed, making sure there is always a little in the bottom of the pan.) After 90 minutes or so, cover the lamb with aluminum foil to prevent the spices from burning. Once the lamb is done, remove it from the oven, and leave to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving and serving.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Tip all the ingredients, except the chicken and lemon wedges, into a blender or a smoothie bullet with 1 tsp sea salt and whizz to a smooth paste. Pile the chicken into a bowl or large plastic container, pour over the paste and mix through so the chicken is completely coated. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hrs or up to 48 hrs - the longer, the better.
• Cooking on the barbecue: Light a lidded barbecue, and let the flames die down. Once the coals have turned ashen, pile them up on one side with a few coals scattered around the other. Starting and ending with half a baking potato, thread all the chicken onto two long metal skewers - so that both skewers go through each piece of meat - packing the thighs down between the potato halves so that they are really compact. Place the large chicken kebab to the side of the barbecue with only a few coals underneath. Pop the lid down and cook for 45-50 mins, turning every 15 mins, or until cooked through - prise the chicken pieces apart in the centre to check, or use a digital cooking thermometer; it should read 70C or more. Leave to rest for 5 mins.
• Cooking in the oven: Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. Sit the kebab across a roasting tin so it is suspended, or rest a wire rack over a roasting tin and place the chicken on top. Cook for 45-55 mins or until cooked through.
• Warm the naan on the barbecue or in the oven. Bring the kebab to the table to carve, wrap with warm naans, and serve with the other salads and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

OVEN-ROASTED CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Prepare a marinade for the chicken. Combine the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and red pepper flakes in a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Add the chicken and toss well to coat. Cover and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
• When ready to cook, heat oven to 425 degrees. Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to grease a rimmed sheet pan. Add the quartered onion to the chicken and marinade, and toss once to combine. Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade, and place on the pan, spreading everything evenly across it.
• Put the chicken in the oven and roast until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to rest 2 minutes, then slice into bits. (To make the chicken even more crisp, set a large pan over high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then the sliced chicken, and sauté until everything curls tight in the heat.) Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, pita, white sauce, hot sauce, olives, fried eggplant, feta, rice - really anything you desire.

YOGURT-MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• For the chicken shawarma: Combine the yogurt, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the cumin, coriander, paprika, onion powder, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric and 2 teaspoons salt and mix to combine.
• Add the chicken and toss to make sure every piece is fully coated and smothered in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours. Soak 3 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.
• For the toum: Meanwhile, slice the garlic cloves in half and remove any green sprouts. Place the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor and blend until it becomes a paste, scraping down the bowl as needed.
• With the food processor running, pour in 1/2 cup of the oil in a very thin stream; this should take about 2 minutes. Stop to scrape down the bowl. Turn on the processor again and stream in the lemon juice, then stream in another 1/2 cup of the oil very slowly. Add 1 tablespoon of the ice water and pulse to combine. Add another 1/2 cup of the oil, then the remaining 1 tablespoon ice water. Then add the remaining 1/4 to 1/2 cup oil until creamy and fully emulsified. The whole process should take about 20 minutes. The toum will keep, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 2 months. Makes about 2 cups.
• Preheat an outdoor grill to medium high and set it up for both direct and indirect heat. (For a gas grill, leave one or two burners on low or off; for a charcoal grill, bank the coals on one side of the grill.)
• For serving: Cut the onion in half and place one half cut-side down on a cutting board. Insert the wooden skewers in the onion, blunt side in. The skewers should be spaced apart equally from each other to form a triangle.
• Thread the pieces of marinated chicken onto all 3 skewers on top of each other with no space between them. When all the chicken pieces are threaded, top the skewers with the other half of the onion.
• Place the shawarma on the direct-heat side of the grill and cook, rotating every 3 to 4 minutes using a pair of sturdy tongs, until you achieve nice grill marks, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Move the shawarma to the indirect heat side of the grill, cover and cook, turning occasionally so it cooks evenly on all sides, until the meat feels firm to the touch and the internal temperature reaches 160°F, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer the shawarma to a cutting board. Cover the with a piece of aluminum foil and let it rest for 5 minutes. Uncover and hold the shawarma upright on a sturdy cutting board. Cut the chicken into strips from the top to the bottom of the stack using a sharp knife.
• Spread a lavash all over with toum. Place some lettuce, onions with sumac, tomatoes and pickles on the lavash and add the sliced shawarma and some French fries. Wrap tightly and serve.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA WITH TOMATO CUCUMBER RELISH AND TAHINI SAUCE

Steps:

• For the shawarma: Mix the cumin, paprika, allspice, chili powder and garlic together. Place the chicken inside a resealable plastic bag with the olive oil. Add the spice mixture and rub in until fully incorporated. Seal that bag and place it into the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
• After marinating, use the skewers to pierce the pieces of chicken through the center. Slide the pieces down leaving enough room for you to hold the skewer, about 3 pieces of chicken per skewer. Continue this process until chicken is all skewered. Sprinkle with salt and place on a hot oiled grill top for 4 minutes per side, or 8 minutes total.
• For the relish: Mix the oil, vinegar, oregano, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, onion, parsley and some salt and pepper.
• For the tahini sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the tahini paste, olive oil, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Season with salt.
• To serve, fill the pitas with the grilled chicken and serve with the cucumber relish and tahini sauce.

LAMB SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Place the yogurt, water, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, onion, and garlic into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the salt, black pepper, cumin, nutmeg, clove, mace, and cayenne pepper until evenly blended. Mix in the lamb strips to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator 12 to 24 hours (the longer the better).
• Heat a large skillet over high heat. Cook the lamb strips in a single layer in batches until the fat melts and the meat has browned and is no longer pink on the inside, about 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

SHAWARMA-SPICED CHICKEN PITA WITH TAHINI-YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, 2 Tbsp. oil, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, 12-15 minutes; wrap pitas in foil and warm in oven during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Meanwhile, mix yogurt, tahini, garlic, lemon zest, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a medium bowl until incorporated. Fold in 2 Tbsp. dill and 2 Tbsp. mint.
• Toss cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, remaining 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. oil, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in another medium bowl.
• Thinly slice chicken. Place 1 warmed pita on each plate and top evenly with chicken and tomato-cucumber salad. Drizzle each pita with 2 Tbsp. tahini-yogurt sauce; top with dill and mint. Serve remaining tahini-yogurt sauce alongside.
• Do Ahead
• Tahini-yogurt sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA WRAPS

Steps:

• Combine Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, cinnamon, oregano, salt, nutmeg, and cloves in a plastic container or resealable bag. Add chicken strips and shake until ingredients are evenly combined and chicken is well coated. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
• When you are ready to make the sandwiches, heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add marinated chicken, and sear until golden brown on both sides and no longer pink in the centers, 8 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness of the chicken pieces.
• While the chicken is cooking, combine Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl or small resealable container, stir well to blend. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
• Once chicken is cooked and sauce is prepared, assemble sandwiches by dividing meat, lettuce, cucumber, and tomatoes between your pita. Add a generous smear of the yogurt sauce (to your taste preference).

LEBANESE CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl. Mix in chicken strips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Remove chicken from the bowl and arrange in a single layer on a broiling pan. Discard excess marinade.
• Broil chicken, turning once, until juices run clear, about 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

SHAWARMA SEASONING

Steps:

• Mix garlic powder, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, chili powder, oregano, salt, and cloves together in a bowl.

EASY BEEF SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beef, shawarma seasoning, allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, turning occasionally, until beef is browned and tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Whisk tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl until creamy.
• Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons tahini sauce in the center of each tortilla. Divide beef slices, tomato slices, and onion slices evenly among tortillas. Roll up tortillas.
• Preheat a panini press according to manufacturer's instructions. Press rolled tortillas seam side-down until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes. Cut each tortilla into 4 to 5 pieces.

SHAWARMA BURGERS WITH TAHINI-YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Gather your ingredients.
• For the sauce: Peel a clove of garlic with a crack of knife against the heel of your hand. In a small bowl, whisk up yogurt, tahini, the juice of 1 lemon and cumin. Then grate the garlic into the sauce with a zester or paste it with a knife (add a fat pinch of salt). Whisk sauce again.
• For the burgers: Preheat a cast-iron skillet or heavy griddle or frying pan over medium to medium-high heat.
• Place ground lamb or chicken in a mixing bowl. Season the meat with salt and pepper, cumin, coriander, paprika, sumac if using, turmeric, cardamom, crushed red pepper, allspice and nutmeg. Crack 2 cloves garlic and grate them into the bowl or finely chop. Peel the onion and grate about 3 tablespoons of it into the bowl. Finley chop the mint and parsley then add them to the lamb. Combine all the ingredients and mound up. Score meat into 4 equal portions and form 4 patties, thinner at the center for even cooking.
• To prepare the burgers, add EVOO, 1 slow turn of the pan, to skillet (a thin layer to just glaze the surface). Add patties and cook about 7 minutes for lamb, a minute or two longer for chicken, turning occasionally. If cooking lamb, press down with spatula when you turn the patties -- lean ground lamb tends to tighten as it cooks more so than other ground meats.
• When you remove the patties they can be served as such but for a more authentic facsimile of shawarma, we rest the patties and very thinly slice them on a bias. Regardless, while the burgers cook, prepare your toppings of choice.
• Assemble burgers: bun bottoms, sauce, patty or thinly sliced shawarma, lettuce, hot cherry peppers, cucumbers, herb leaves, dressed fennel and onions, bun top. OR split a pita and fill with giardiniera and Israeli pickles.
• Poke with a couple of toothpicks and split burgers down the middle. Serve burgers with chips.

DUBAI STYLE SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Combine all of the ingredients listed above the chicken/lamb. Marinate the chicken in mixture and set aside for an hour or two.
• Heat a non stick pan on medium to high heat and add the marinated chicken. Stir fry the chicken/lamb until it has cooked through and is dry-less than 10 minutes. Make sure you break up the chicken/lamb with a wooden spoon and keep stirring as it cooks.
• In a separate bowl, mix together all the dressing ingredients.
• To assemble the shawarma, heat the pita bread on a skillet to warm it. Divide the salad amongst the six pita breads. Top the salad with the chicken.
• Drizzle the yogurt dip over the chicken and add a dash of Tabasco sauce. Roll the pita bread tightly and wrap in baking paper. Serve immediately.

SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, pepper sauce, vinegar, onion, black and cayenne pepper, mace, and salt.
• Add meat and marinate overnight.
• (at least 12 hours-stir a few times) Grill the meat until done or broil in oven.
• Combine the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and parsley.
• Whisk well.
• Add water if needed.
• To make the sandwich slice open a pita, spread some tahini sauce on the bread and add some lettuce and sprouts, tomato, onion and meat.
• Pour on a little tzatziki and chow down.

SHAWARMA-SPICED TOFU PITA WRAPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss onion and vinegar in a small bowl to coat; set aside.
• Squeeze tofu over a medium bowl, gently at first, then more firmly to expel as much water as possible (like squeezing out a big sponge). Don't worry if it starts to crack apart. When no more liquid comes out, tear tofu into 1" pieces. Arrange in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss with oil, then add coriander, paprika, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, and 1 tsp. salt. Toss well to coat. Roast tofu, turning once or twice, until crispy around the edges and well browned, 20-25 minutes (the tofu will get crispier as it cools, so don't be tempted to take it too far and dry it out in the oven).
• Stir yogurt and garlic in a small bowl; season with salt. Assemble by dividing yogurt among pitas, followed by tofu, cucumbers, drained pickled onion, and a handful of mint.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Combine the tomato paste, vinegar, garlic, paprika, red pepper, coriander, cumin, oregano, sumac, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1 cup water in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.
• Put the chicken in a large bowl and pour the marinade over the chicken; mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Fillet open the chicken thighs, making them as thin as possible. Stack the chicken vertically on a skewer, pushing it down as you go to make it as tight as possible.
• Place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes per side. Slice the chicken into thin pieces and serve with Zaytoon Garlic Sauce.
• Add the potatoes, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon salt, 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1 cup ice to a 20-cup food processor. Process until smooth and creamy.

NADIYA HUSSAIN'S CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Essential Kit: 900g loaf tin (Roughly 2lb)
• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350F) / fan 160°C (320F) and lightly grease a 900g loaf tin.
• For the shawarma, mix together the cornflour, salt, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cloves, cayenne and cinnamon.
• Put the oil into a bowl, then add the chicken and stir it around. Add the dry spice mix and stir to coat all the chicken pieces well. Layer the pieces of chicken in the loaf tin and press down, then bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the slaw. Put the broccoli into a large bowl.
• Put the yoghurt into a second bowl and heat the oil in a small pan. As soon as the oil is hot, add the mustard powder and seeds - when the seeds begin to pop, pour the oil and seeds over the yoghurt, add the salt and stir. Pour this dressing over the broccoli, then mix in the parsley.
• When the shawarma is ready, leave it in the tin for 10 minutes so that all the juices can go back into the chicken.
• Tip it out of the tin and slice your shawarma. We like to eat this piled into flatbreads with the slaw. Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge, or frozen for the next time you need your shawarma fix.

EASY CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Mix vinegar, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic paste, ginger paste, salt, and pepper together in a shallow dish. Add chicken breasts; turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat 2 inches oil in a heavy pot to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Fry potatoes in batches until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove chicken breasts from the marinade and cook until browned and no longer pink in the center, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board; slice into thin strips.
• Mix remaining 1 teaspoon garlic paste with mayonnaise in a bowl.
• Spread garlic mayonnaise inside pita breads. Fill each pita with French fries, chicken slices, and pickles.

SHAWARMA MARINADE FOR CHICKEN

Steps:

• Zest lemons until you have 1 tablespoon zest. Juice both lemons.
• Combine lemon zest and juice with olive oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, salt, turmeric, pepper, and cinnamon in a glass jar. Seal jar with a lid and shake vigorously to combine.