Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma

This Oven-roasted Chicken Shawarma recipe is a delicious and easy way to enjoy a Middle Eastern classic at home.

Shawarma is a popular Mediterranean and Middle Eastern meat dish. It’s made with spice-marinated meats like lamb, chicken, beef, or any combination of them that are stacked on a rotisserie machine or spit for cooking. While slow roasting for hours, the meat is basted in fat and its own juices until it turns golden brown. The meat is shaved from the surface into thin strips and served either alone or inside a flatbread with a sauce of your choice.

This recipe might be better labeled Shawarma-Style Chicken. Even though it doesn’t cook on a spit, it’s got all the flavor that you might expect from your local Middle Eastern restaurant! The chicken is marinated in a flavorful blend of spices, then roasted until it is cooked through and crispy on the outside.

But the best part? You can make a big batch of this oven-roasted chicken shawarma and enjoy it all week long. It’s perfect for meal prep or a quick lunch. And let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to eat like they’re on a Middle Eastern vacation every day? Happy cooking!

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs: boneless and skinless chicken thighs are a great source of protein, as they are juicy and tender.
• Cumin: adds complexity to the marinade while also providing antioxidants.
• Turmeric: provides an earthy flavor and has anti-inflammatory properties.
• Coriander: lends a mild citrus note.
• Garlic powder: enriches the marinade with its distinctive aroma, and also provides immune system support. If you prefer, you can also use fresh garlic minced very fine.
• Smoked paprika: offers a smoky flavor profile as well as color.
• Cinnamon: adds a hint of sweet warmth to the dish, along with helpful antioxidants.
• Cayenne: brings heat to the recipe while delivering vitamins C and A.
• Kosher salt: note that the sodium content of the dish may be lower than suggested by nutrition data due to some of the marinade being left behind in the bowl.
• Lemon juice: helps tenderize the meat and adds vitamin C.
• Extra virgin olive oil: this heart healthy fat that will coat the chicken for cooking.

Steps to make Chicken Shawarma in your oven:

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Helpful tips:

• You can replace garlic powder with fresh garlic minced very fine.
• For best results, marinate at least 30 minutes, but never longer than overnight or the meat will get a mushy texture.
• If you do not have time to let it marinate, you can skip this step. It will still be very flavorful.
• Cooking on the grill also provides excellent results. About 5 to 6 minutes per side is all it takes.
• Cooked chicken will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

How to serve Chicken Shawarma at home:

Chicken Shawarma makes a delicious and easy meal. Serve it with warm pita bread, topped with tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, and a sauce of your choice: garlic sauce (toum), tzatziki sauce or cilantro tahini sauce, for example.

But you can also serve it, as I usually do, as part of a Middle Eastern buffet that includes sides such as hummus, muhammara, baba ghanoush, mujadara, tabbouleh, tomato and cucumber salad… Your imagination knows no bounds!

Enjoy!

Other recipes to try

Cilantro tahini sauce

Tabbouleh

Hummus

Green Hummus

Muhammara

Bulgur mujadara (lentils & bulgur)

Creamy Baba Ganoush

Grilled Chicken with Blueberry Sauce