The Best Chicken Shawarma Recipe (Simple, Generous & Full of Flavour)

The Best Chicken Shawarma Recipe (Simple, Generous & Full of Flavour)

A juicy, deeply spiced chicken shawarma that’s simple enough for midweek and generous enough to share. Serve with warm pita, fresh herbs and zhoug.

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Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 10

Servings:

Calories: 589kcal

Author: Nellie Kerrison | Relish Mama

Cost: 20

Equipment

Large mixing bowl
Sharp knife
Chopping board
Large frying pan or skillet
Tongs or spatula
Small food processor or mortar and pestle (for zhoug)
Serving bowls and platter

Ingredients

For the chicken

700 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 large brown onion cut into thick wedges
3 cloves garlic finely grated
1 lemon zested (reserve juice for later)
2 tsp ground cumin toasted
2 tsp ground coriander toasted
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp allspice or a pinch of ground cloves
1½ tsp sea salt flakes
Good grind of black pepper
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt

Fresh chopped salad

2 ripe tomatoes diced
1 Lebanese cucumber sliced lengthways and sliced
½ small red onion very finely sliced
A small handful approx. 20 g of parsley, roughly chopped (or use dill)
2 tsp sumac
1 lemon juiced (reserved from earlier)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

Zhoug (optional but highly recommended)

½ bunch coriander approx. 30 g
½ small bunch parsley approx. 20 g
1 –2 green chillies de-seeded (to your taste)
1 clove garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp caster sugar
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ lemon juiced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

To serve (suggestions)

Warm pita or flatbread storebought or homemade
Hummus
Greek Yoghurt
Salad leaves
Extra lemon wedges

Instructions

1.Marinate the chicken

Cut each chicken thigh into large diced pieces.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, onion, garlic, lemon zest, spices, salt, pepper, olive oil and yoghurt. Mix well so everything is coated evenly.
Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight if you have the time as it only gets better).

Make the salad

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and herbs.
Add the sumac, lemon juice, olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Toss gently and set aside.

Make the zhoug (if using)

Place all ingredients, with the exception of the oil, into a small food processor or mortar and pestle.
Blend or crush the ingredients. Drizzle the olive oil in to make a spoonable sauce. Taste and adjust — it should be bright, a little spicy and slightly sharp. I used 1 chilli but add another if you fancy it hotter.

Cook the chicken

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat with a good splash of olive oil.
Add the chicken and onions in a single layer (cook in batches if needed). Let it colour deeply before turning — this is where the flavour builds.
Cook for 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is caramelised, slightly charred in places and cooked through, and the onions are soft and golden.

To serve

Spread hummus onto your warm pita, pile on the chicken and onions, spoon over the fresh salad and finish with yoghurt & zhoug if using.
A squeeze of lemon at the end brings everything to life.

Notes

This is a wonderfully flexible recipe. For a quicker midweek version, you can skip the zhoug and simply add extra herbs and a generous squeeze of lemon — it will still be full of flavour.
If you have the time, marinating the chicken overnight will deepen the flavour beautifully, but even 30 minutes will give you a lovely result.
Don’t rush the cooking of the chicken. Letting it colour and caramelise properly in the pan is where so much of the flavour develops.
This is a perfect dish for sharing. Lay everything out on the table and let people build their own — it’s relaxed, generous and always well received.
For my vegetarian family members, we also served a big bowl of falafels and then the rest of the spread, is vegetarian friendly.
Leftovers (if you have any) are excellent the next day tucked into wraps, added to salads or served warm over grains.

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