Chicken Shawarma
A comforting Middle Eastern chicken built around boneless chicken thighs, plain yogurt and ground coriander β roughly 65 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for grill / broiler and frying pan / skillet. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (5)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- In a large bowl whisk together the yogurt, crushed garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken thighs, turn to coat thoroughly in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight for the deepest flavour.
- Heat a heavy skillet or grill pan over medium-high and cook the chicken for about 6 to 7 minutes per side until well charred and cooked through to an internal temperature of 74C.
- Transfer the chicken to a board, rest for 5 minutes, then slice into thin strips against the grain.
- Warm the flatbreads briefly in the hot pan until soft and pliable.
- Pile the sliced chicken into the flatbreads with your choice of garlic sauce, tomato, pickles and crisp lettuce, then roll up tightly and serve at once.
You'll use: Grill / broiler Β· Frying pan / skillet Β· Pan Β· Whisk Β· Grill pan
Ingredient substitutions
- Lemon
- lime Β· 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
What to serve with Chicken Shawarma
Tips & common questions
How long does Chicken Shawarma take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 6 steps and 13 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of lemon?
Try lime. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Chicken Shawarma is an original Middle Eastern recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Chicken Shawarma preparation in Thiruvananthapuram.jpeg by Shagil Muzhappilangad, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.