Spiced, marinated chicken thighs cooked until caramelised and served in warm flatbread with garlic sauce and pickles, the most popular street food in the Middle East.
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Introduction
Chicken shawarma is the street food that has conquered the world. Originally from the Levantine region of the Middle East, it has spread globally through Middle Eastern immigration and is now one of the most eaten fast foods internationally. The combination of heavily spiced, caramelised chicken, creamy garlic sauce, pickled vegetables, and warm flatbread produces a flavour and texture experience that is simultaneously rich, sharp, creamy, and satisfying.
The key to shawarma’s extraordinary flavour is the spice blend used in the marinade. Cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, and allspice combined produce a warm, complex, deeply aromatic profile that is unlike any other spice combination in global cooking. When the marinated chicken cooks in a hot pan and the edges caramelise, these spices develop and intensify, producing the characteristic deeply flavoured, slightly crispy pieces that define great shawarma.
This stovetop version produces results that are genuinely close to the rotating spit original. The secret is cooking the chicken in a very hot dry pan without moving it until the edges have caramelised and darkened, then slicing thinly and serving immediately while still hot and fragrant.
History and Background
Shawarma takes its name from the Turkish word cevirme meaning turning, a reference to the rotating vertical spit on which the meat is traditionally cooked. The dish developed in the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century and spread throughout the Middle East with Ottoman influence. Different regional variations emerged across Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Egypt, and beyond, each adapting the spice blend and accompaniments to local tastes.
The vertical rotating spit method of cooking meat, which shawarma shares with the Turkish doner kebab and the Greek gyros, produces a unique result through the combination of heat from multiple directions and the self-basting effect of the fat from upper layers dripping onto lower layers. Home and restaurant stovetop versions approximate this through high-heat cooking of thinly sliced or small pieces of marinated meat.
Shawarma spread internationally through Middle Eastern diaspora communities in the late 20th century and became mainstream street food in European, American, and Australian cities through the 1990s and 2000s. It is now one of the most searched street food recipes globally.
Chicken Shawarma
4
servings15
minutes15
minutes1900
kcalIngredients
600g boneless chicken thighs
3 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
0.5 tsp cinnamon
0.5 tsp cardamom
0.5 tsp allspice
0.5 tsp chilli powder
Salt and black pepper
For the garlic sauce: 4 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 garlic cloves minced, 1 tbsp lemon juice
To serve: flatbreads, sliced tomato, cucumber, pickled chillies, fresh parsley
Directions
- Combine olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and all spices. Add chicken thighs and coat thoroughly. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
- Mix mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice for the garlic sauce. Refrigerate until needed.
- Heat a large frying pan or griddle over high heat.
- Cook chicken thighs for 6 to 7 minutes per side without moving until deeply caramelised and cooked through.
- Rest for 3 minutes then slice thinly across the grain.
- Warm flatbreads in the pan for 30 seconds each side.
- Spread garlic sauce over each flatbread.
- Add sliced chicken, tomato, cucumber, pickled chillies, and parsley.
- Roll tightly and serve immediately.
Tips
- Do not move the chicken while it is cooking on the first side. The caramelisation happens through sustained contact with the hot pan and disturbing it prevents the darkened, flavourful crust from forming.
Cook on high heat. Medium heat steams the chicken rather than caramelising it and produces a pale, less flavourful result.
Slice the cooked chicken thinly across the grain immediately before serving. The thin slices in a warm wrap is what produces the authentic shawarma experience.
Marinate overnight in the fridge for the most flavourful result. Even one hour makes a significant difference over no marinating.
The garlic sauce is essential and should be very garlicky. Do not reduce the garlic quantity.
Pickled chillies or turnips are the traditional accompaniment and provide the acidic contrast that balances the rich, spiced chicken.
Toum, the Lebanese garlic cream made by emulsifying garlic with oil, is the traditional garlic sauce and is worth making if you have a food processor and 10 minutes.
Variations
Variations
Make a lamb shawarma version by replacing chicken with thinly sliced leg of lamb for the more traditional meat version. Serve over rice instead of in a wrap for a shawarma rice bowl. Make a shawarma salad by serving the sliced chicken over a base of lettuce, tomato, and cucumber with garlic sauce as dressing. Add hummus inside the wrap alongside the garlic sauce for a more substantial filling. Make a shawarma pizza by using the spiced chicken as a topping on flatbread with garlic sauce as the base instead of tomato.
Storage and Serving
Serve shawarma immediately after slicing while the chicken is still hot and fragrant. Wrap tightly in foil or parchment for the most authentic street food experience and eating method. Serve with extra garlic sauce, hot sauce, and pickled chillies on the side. Cooked chicken keeps in the fridge for 3 days and reheats excellently in a hot pan for 2 minutes. The marinade can be prepared up to 48 hours ahead. Marinated raw chicken keeps refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking.
FAQs
Q: What is the difference between shawarma and doner kebab?
A: They share the same rotating spit cooking method but use different spice blends and accompaniments. Shawarma uses Middle Eastern spices and garlic sauce. Doner uses Turkish spicing and is typically served with chilli sauce and yoghurt.
Q: Can I use chicken breast?
A: Yes but thighs are strongly recommended for their juiciness. Breast meat can become dry with the high heat cooking method required for caramelisation.
Q: Where do I find flatbread for shawarma?
A: Any large flatbread works including pitta, lavash, or flour tortilla. Pitta is the most authentic. Large flour tortillas are the most practical.
Q: Can I make this in the oven?
A: Yes, roast at 220C for 25 to 30 minutes. You will not get the same caramelised edges but the flavour from the marinade is still excellent.
Q: Is shawarma the same as gyros?
A: They are closely related. Gyros is the Greek version using similar vertical spit cooking but with different spices, typically oregano and lemon, and served with tzatziki.
