Easy, delicious homemade chicken shawarma! Chicken thighs are marinated in a shawarma spiced yogurt then baked to perfection. Serve as a wrap or a salad!
Chicken shawarma is definitely in my top 10 of takeout favourites. I am completely obsessed with everything about it from the flavourful spit-roasted meat, to the toppings like tahini sauce and fresh veggies and salad.
I ALWAYS want more shawarma in my life, and that's why there's this homemade chicken shawarma.
Reasons I love this dish (and why you will love it too!):
- It's so flexible. Serve it as a wrap, or on top of a salad!
- Minimal fussing: just marinade, bake, slice and broil
- This homemade version is SO much healthier for you than the takeout version (less fat) but doesn't compromise on flavour.
- This big batch holds up well in the fridge and makes for easy meals during the week.
How to make chicken shawarma
First, mix up the Greek yogurt, red wine vinegar, onion, minced parsley, cumin, garlic, paprika, cinnamon and sea salt in a large bowl.
Add the chicken thighs and mix thoroughly until all the chicken is covered with the marinade.
Place the marinated chicken into a large sealable plastic bag and then store in your fridge for at least 6 hours.
When it's time to cook, heat your oven to 400℉ then taking a large baking sheet and cover with a baking rack.
Remove the chicken thighs from the bag one at a time (shaking off the excess marinade as you do then place then on the rack in a single layer.
Bake the chicken in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh is 165℉.
Pull the chicken out of the oven, then slice the thighs into half inch pieces before placing on a clean baking tray.
Set the oven to high broil and adjust the top rack to the highest position, then broil the tray of chicken for about 5 minutes - or until the top of the chicken has crisped up a bit. This step is optional but recommended for the most authentic shawarma experience.
To make the parsley tahini sauce, whiz up the parsley, tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic and sea salt in a food processor or blender.
Serve the chicken with pita, lettuce, tomatoes and onion drizzled with the tahini sauce, or on top of a salad like fattoush for a complete meal.
Dietary Considerations and Accommodations
This recipe for chicken shawarma is suitable for the following diets:
- gluten free
More recipes you’ll love!
If you like this chicken shawarma recipe, you might want to check out some of our other awesome globally inspired chicken recipes:
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Baked Chicken Shawarma
Equipment
Ingredients:
Chicken Shawarma
- 3 pounds chicken thighs - boneless and skinless
- 1.5 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 onion - diced
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup minced parsley
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 6 cloves garlic - crushed
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Parsley Tahini Sauce
- ¾ cup tahini
- 1 cup water
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup coarsely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Mix together the yogurt, onion, red wine vinegar, minced parsley, cumin, garlic, smoked paprika, cinnamon and sea salt to make the chicken shawarma marinade.
- Toss the chicken thighs in the marinade until all pieces are well covered.
- Place the chicken in a plastic bag or other storage container and keep in the fridge to marinate for 6-12 hours.
- Heat your oven to 400℉Place a wire baking rack over a large baking sheet then place the chicken on top of of it in a flat single layer.Bake for 20-25 mins then remove from the oven.
- Set the oven to broil.Remove the chicken from the baking sheet to a large cutting board and cut the thighs into strips.Place the cut chicken on the baking sheet and put under the broiler for 5-10 minutes, or until the top of the chicken begins to crisp a bit.
To make the parsley tahini:
- Put the tahini, water, garlic, salt, lemon juice and parsley in a blender or food processor.
- Blend until smooth then serve with the chicken shawarma
Nutrition
* nutritional information is calculated by online tools and may not be 100% accurate.
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