The marinade for this Chicken Shawarma has to be the very best marinade I’ve ever made. Ever. It’s so good that I want to use it on everything! If you’ve never had a shawarma wrap before, the flavor is an interesting mix of savory garlic and sweet spices, topped with a tangy yogurt sauce and wrapped in soft flatbread. It’s pure magic and much easier to make at home than you think.
What Is Chicken Shawarma?
Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish traditionally made from marinated meat that’s slow-roasted on a rotating spit. Lamb is a popular choice, but for my recipe, I use chicken because it’s a more accessible and budget-friendly option. I don’t have a rotating spit at home (and I’m assuming you don’t either!), so my take on this traditional recipe involves marinating the chicken and then cooking it on a grill. Mix warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves with yogurt, and let the chicken marinate in it for AT LEAST 4 hours. I even use the marinade in my roasted potato wedges with shawarma sauce recipe—so good!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this grilled chicken shawarma recipe:
- Chicken Breasts: I used 2 large chicken breasts as that’s what I had to hand, but chicken thighs will also work! The fattiness of the thighs will make these wraps taste a little more like the traditional rotisserie version, too. The marinade will work for about 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Garlic: Adds the best flavor to the marinade and yogurt sauce.
- Plain Yogurt: For marinating the chicken.
- Greek Yogurt: This makes the sauce that goes on top of your chicken and veggies. It’s tangy and creamy and compliments the spices in the marinade perfectly.
- Seasonings: The seasoning for chicken shawarma can vary slightly depending on who you ask, but for this recipe, I use cinnamon, dried oregano, salt, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves. I also use a sprinkling of dried dill in the yogurt sauce to give it a tzatziki-like flavor.
- Lemon Juice: A must for tenderizing the chicken and adding some acidity to the marinade.
- Naan, Pita, or Flatbread: Use whatever you can get your hands on, but I love the soft and chewy texture of naan.
- Salad: Romaine lettuce, cucumber, and Roma tomatoes are my favorites for these wraps.
Serving Suggestions
I made this grilled chicken shawarma with the intention of making sandwich wraps, but then I started topping salads with it and eventually just snacked on the chicken plain. It’s just that good. I even divided the ingredient list in case you want to use the marinade for something else because even if you don’t want the wrap, you NEED to at least try the chicken.
That said, here are some delicious sides to pair with your wrap:
- Grilled vegetables
- White bean hummus
- Quinoa tabbouleh
- Cumin rice
- Air Fryer French fries
- Baba ganoush
Do I Need to Use a Grill?
Don’t worry if you don’t have a grill; this chicken comes out just as delicious when cooked in a skillet. It won’t have the char marks, but it’ll still taste amazing. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and cooked through!
Storage Instructions
Leftover cooked shawarma chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, pop it back in the grill or pan until heated through. The yogurt sauce can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I’d store everything separately and assemble when ready to eat.
Chicken Shawarma Recipe
Servings 4Ingredients
CHICKEN & MARINADE
- 2 large chicken breasts (1.25 lbs) ($2.48)
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt ($0.25)
- 1 Tbsp garlic, minced ($0.36)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.32)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon ($0.03)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.03)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves ($0.03)
YOGURT SAUCE
- 7 oz cup plain greek yogurt ($1.59)
- 1/4 tsp garlic, minced ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp dried dill ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
SANDWICH
- 4 homemade naan, pita or flatbread ($0.64)
- 1/2 head romaine lettuce ($0.80)
- 1 medium cucumber ($0.69)
- 2 medium roma tomatoes ($0.63)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the marinade (yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cinnamon, oregano, salt, nutmeg, and clove). Add chicken to the marinade, coat well, cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours. If desired, slice the chicken into strips before marinating to maximize the flavor.
- Prepare the yogurt sauce for the sandwiches. Open a 7 oz. container of plain greek yogurt and stir in the garlic, dill, and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- After marinating the chicken, grill until cooked through (I use a George Foreman, cooked for about 7 minutes).
- After it's grilled, let it sit for a few minutes to let the juices redistribute and then slice it into strips (if not already sliced).
- To make the yogurt sauce for the sandwich, stir some dried dill, minced garlic, and salt into a container of plain greek yogurt.
- (Optional) Refrigerate the sauce to allow the flavor to soak into the yogurt.
- Prepare the vegetables for the sandwich. Chop, rinse, and drain the lettuce in a colander. Wash and slice the cucumber and tomato.
- Build the sandwiches. Spread the yogurt sauce on your flat bread, top with the chicken and vegetables. Roll the sandwich closed. You can wrap the sandwich in foil to help it stay closed as you eat.
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Nutrition
Scroll down for the step by step photos.
Pictured with Marinated White Beans.
How to Make Chicken Shawarma – Step By Step Photos
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the marinade (1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp ground clove).
Add 2 large chicken breasts to the marinade, coat well, cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours. If desired, slice the chicken into strips before marinating to maximize the flavor.
After marinating the chicken, grill until cooked through (I use a George Foreman, cooked for about 7 minutes).
After it’s grilled, let it sit for a few minutes to let the juices redistribute and then slice it into strips (if not already sliced).
To make the yogurt sauce for the sandwich, stir 1/4 tsp dried dill, 1/4 Tbsp minced garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt into a 7 oz container of plain greek yogurt.
(Optional) Refrigerate the sauce to allow the flavor to soak into the yogurt.
Prepare the vegetables for the sandwich. Chop, rinse, and drain 1/2 head Romaine lettuce in a colander. Wash and slice the 1 medium cucumber and 2 medium Roma tomatoes.
Build the chicken shawarma sandwiches. Spread the yogurt sauce on your flat bread, top with the chicken and vegetables. Roll the sandwich closed. You can wrap the sandwich in foil to help it stay closed as you eat.
Just made this. While I was eating, I was trying to figure out what was missing…and then it hit me FETA! Next time :)
This is my favorite recipe!! Thank you so much for it! :)
I live in Dearborn, MI (aka shawarma capital of the West), and I can’t get over how good this recipe is. I used Greek yogurt for both steps, added a bit more salt and fresh dill to the sauce, and added some sliced pickles to the wraps like the local restaurants do. My husband is eating seconds and has already asked me to make this again. This is so much less expensive than carry out, and just as tasty.
Making this for the millionth time! We love this! We use De-boned chicken thighs for ours and I griddle them and then finish them off in the oven 😊
Great weeknight meal
Hi Beth! This website is such a godsend, thank you so much for making such consistently delicious recipes so cheap!
I have a quick question. I’ve made this recipe in the past and it was amazing, but this time I want to bake it rather than grill it. If I cut the chicken breast into strips to marinate, do you have any guidance as to how long and at what temperature I should bake them? I’m having a hard time googling an answer to this question, and I trust your instinct.
Thank you!
It definitely depends on the size of the strips, but I’d say 375 for maybe 15-20 minutes? At least start checking it at around 15 to see how firm they are. You’ll probably need to use a meat thermometer or cut one open just to be sure.
Just an update:
I ended up cutting the chicken into cubes and cooking it as you suggested at 375 for 15 minutes, followed by about 5-ish minutes under the broiler. They were perfect! Thank you so much!
Great!! I’m glad it turned out well. :)
Yum! Just marinaded my chicken and it smells lush already. Going to serve it with pilau rice and homemade flatbread. No dill so our sauce will be a minty cucumber concoction 😊
Hi Beth!
Love your website and all the recipes I’ve tried to far. I really want to try this, and I know it’s an old recipe but I have a stupid question.
So, I buy normal yogurt and then greek yogurt? two different types of yogurt? just wanted to make sure, i’m a bit slow in the kitchen.
If you don’t want to buy two different types of yogurt, you could probably get away with using Greek for both the marinade and the sauce. :)
thanks Beth! I am happy to buy 2, just wanted to be sure :) can’t wait to make this! thanks for responding :)
Look like a great recipe missing Cardamom, turmeric, and paprika though. Chicken thighs do work in not a slow cooker just throw them in a pot with water with a good amount of lemon juice and turns out amazing.
OMGZ! I had Chawarma for the first time at a Lebanese place up the street and had to figure it out because I was instantly hooked. This was excellent. I made mine with chicken thighs because that’s what I had and yeah, deliciousness!
Hi Beth,
Your website was a revelation for my girlfriend and I as we do not have a lot of time or money on our hands so thank you! I always wonder, what kind of garlic do you use for most of your recipes? Do you mince your own fresh or do you just go for the jar of the pre-minced stuff?
I’ve gone back and forth over the past six years. I started using fresh garlic and mincing it myeself, then for a while I used minced garlic from a jar because it was just easier and slightly more mild, now I’m back to using fresh. I like them both for different reasons. :)
Made this for the third time yesterday, and it turned out great. I followed the recipe to a T. In the past I had let the chicken marinade for a few hours, but this time I let it sit over night. There was a noticeable difference in the flavor. Thanks for another wonderful recipe, Beth!
Sooooo good and nicely healthy too! We threw the chicken on the grill and this made for a good summer meal.
Our almost 3 year old approved too! He ate a deconstructed version and loved dipping in the sauce (glad I doubled that!)
Up until recently, I had never heard of chicken shawarma and thought that it sounded good. I did an internet search and found your recipe, so I recently gave it a try. My family and I loved this recipe so much! I didn’t have chicken breasts, so I substituted chicken thighs and it was awesome. This recipe is a keeper, and I don’t even like cucumbers, but they were good in this recipe.
I LOVE chicken thighs, so I will have to try that next time. :-)
Hi there! Sorry to comment on a really old post! Wondering if you have any suggestions for how to cook this chicken in a crockpot?
I don’t think this one would work well in a crock pot because slow cookers are too moist. It definitely needs the dry, high heat of a grill or even a hot skillet. If cooked in a slow cooker it would probably turn a bit soupy.
Thanks, Beth! Took your advice and used a George Foreman instead of my slow cooker. This marinade is off the chain! I used about half as much greek yogurt total (10 oz total for the marinade and the sauce) b/c it’s what I had, and only used 1 lb of chicken (again b/c it’s what I had). I really liked the way this came together and can’t wait to make it again!