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.
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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
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!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.
My thirteen year old loved it and ensured there were no leftovers of your naan bread or this chicken recipe.
This is a great recipe, it would be great to see Beth update it with new photos and the slight adjustments she sometimes makes to old recipes! ;)
This one is definitely on my list! ;)
This is by far the BEST recipe I have tried from Pinterest. I’ve made this so many times that I can’t count. I was just coming back on for the recipe to marinate the chicken for tonight’s dinner. My family loves this so much! I like to serve it with your yougurt sauce and a side salad of tomato and cucumber tossed with a little vinegar and oil, topped with feta if we have it. Sometimes we do your naan or without when cutting carbs, which is great for keto! Love, love, love this, thank you!!
Tasted delicious! My only problem (which is solely my problem because I drifted from the directions), was that the marinade fell off from the chicken when I cooked it. But this was my experience cooking it on a skillet. Still, the flavor was there, but the next time I attempt this recipe I’ll use my bbq!
We paired it with your pita bread, which was a trial by error, but overall delicious! Such a great meal that felt homemade and yet simple. :)
i have ras el hanout – how much would you recommend using in place of the spices in the recipe? thanks!
This looks really good but my grocery store doesn’t sell small pots of plain yogurt, only giant tubs. Can I substitute Greek yogurt for the marinade with the same result?
Yes you definitely can. You can also freeze yogurt in portions too if you won’t make it through the larger tubs.
Sour cream works to,buttermilk
The marinaded chicken is sooooo good! Like really good! I took one bite, and instantly knew this was going to be a go-to, easy chicken recipe for me. The flavors from the different spices play so well, together; don’t be intimidated. I don’t have a grill or a George Foreman Grill, so I sauteed them in a pan, and they turned out juicy and lovely! I made these into bowls with rice for my meals this week, and I already know I won’t get sick of them by the end of the week. I added extra garlic to my yogurt sauce, which is also A+++. Thanks for a great recipe for regular old chicken breasts! I think this would be even more delicious with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which I will be trying soon, too!
If you are on the fence as to whether this recipe is your jam, don’t make it. All you can taste is the cinnamon. There is nothing subtle about it. Trying to save others the expense/effort in getting rid of the chicken because nobody will eat it.
You put to much cinnamon. This recipe is 👍🏾. I suggest you try it again make two one without and 1 with and compare.
This was so good! I don’t have a grill so I just heated it in a pan and shredded the chicken. Came out great! I had just made Tzatziki so I used that instead of the sauce here… but it’s very similar to what the recipe says (easy swap!). Will definitely be making this again.
This is awesome, we loved it. Beth never disappoints us, I always look thru her recipes first when I’m creating my shopping list.
What would you do if you don’t have a grill? Could you use an oven or a skillet?
Yes, you sure can. :)
Hi Beth! I’m just wondering how to make this dish if you didn’t have access to a grill or a George Foreman — would one use a sauté pan, or could perhaps one bake it instead? What would the proper steps be? Thanks so much, I’m really looking forward to making this!!
I would do it in a skillet. You can just cook the chicken on each side until browned and cooked through (the total time will depend on the size of the chicken pieces and your cookware, so you’ll have to play it by ear a bit). I would just use medium heat, but again every stove top is a bit different, so you may need to play around with it a bit. :)
I rarely comment on blogs or recipes but I am so obsessed with this dish, I have made it multiple times and it comes out delish each time. LOVE LOVE LOVE! the naan recipe is awesome too. Thank you!
Do you heat up the pita/naan?
You certainly could if you wanted to.
I normally wouldn’t comment on a recipe so old, but I just had to here! The marinade for the chicken is so good that I’ve started to make it weekly to include in my lunches. This week, I used thighs instead of breasts, though, and I have to say that, as someone who lived in the Middle East, that really made it VERY close to shawarma instead of just an insanely good marinade. Since shawarma is usually made with dark meat, I was surprised I hadn’t thought of it before. So, I definitely recommend boneless skinless thighs for a more “authentic” (I try not to use that word, especially in regard to Middle Eastern cuisine, but I don’t have a better one) dish. :)
Keep up the good work, Beth! I love the blog!