Chicken Shawarma

This Chicken Shawarma recipe is one of my favorite easy chicken dinner recipes to make. The chicken is perfectly seasoned with shawarma spices and marinated in garlic oil then grilled to perfection. 

Chicken Shawarma can be served in wraps, pita bread or tossed with a green salad, but I personally like to serve it with wilted spinach on a bed of mashed potatoes and garnished with pan roasted tomatoes, capers and cilantro.

This is my riff on the Wood Fired Chicken at Pita Jungle.  I fell in love with it the very first time we met, which was at lunch one day, and I was so infatuated with it that I went back that night to have it for dinner too. The layers of flavors are incredible, and I’ve come pretty darn close to nailing the flavors on the head with this Chicken Shawarma recipe.

It all begins with this  simple lemon garlic olive oil base and Shawarma seasoning which is what really makes this dish exceptional.  Then tomatoes are quickly cooked in a pan with the Garlic Oil and a pinch of the Shawarma Spice Blend with a few capers and sprigs of cilantro  tossed in for good measure giving you a tomato sauce with a combo of flavors that is…in a word…Heaven!

What is Chicken Shawarma

Shawarma is a popular Middle Eastern street food made of marinated meats that are slow-cooked on a vertical rotisserie. When the meat is cooked through, shavings are cut off of the stack of meat for serving while the remainder of the meat stays on the rotisserie. The actual meaning of “shawarma” comes from the Turkish word “cevirme” which means “spinning or turning”.  Shawarma meats are marinated in a mixture of warm and savory spices (Shawarma seasoning) that makes the most tender, juicy and exotic flavored meats. It’s actually popular in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions. For this easy Shawarma recipe, we just marinate the chicken then grill it.  

Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Though this recipe calls for lemon garlic oil and shawarma spices, once those are made this is really one of those easy chicken dinner recipes you’ll want to make time and time again.

• 2 boneless chicken breasts, flattened thin (1 to 1-1/2 pounds)
• Garlic Oil
• Shawarma Spice Blend

Lemon Garlic Oil

I use this Lemon Garlic Oil to make this recipe.

• Olive oil 
• Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• Garlic, smashed with the back of a knife
• Sea salt

Shawarma Spice Blend

I use this Shawarma Seasoning to make this recipe.

1.  Ground paprika
2.  Dried thyme
3.  Ground cumin, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg
4.  Allspice
5.  Cayenne pepper
6.  Cracked black pepper

How to Make Chicken Shawarma

As I mentioned, after you toss together the shawarma spices and blend the garlic oil, this is one of those easy chicken dinner recipes that you’ll love to make. It’s easy, delicious and always a crowd-pleaser!

1. Add your chicken breasts to a bowl, baking dish or large freezer bag. Mix the Lemon Garlic Oil and Shawarma Seasoning together, then pour over the chicken and turn over to coat both sides.  Cover with plastic wrap or seal your freezer bag and place in the refrigerator to marinate for a minimum of 1 hour.
2. Grill the chicken on both sides for 4-5 minutes each or until no longer pink inside (I used my Le Creuset grille)

How to Make Lemon Garlic Oil

1. Mix all of the ingredients in a blender until creamy in texture and the garlic is minced into fine pieces.

How to Make Shawarma Spice Blend

1. Add all of the ingredients to a jar and seal the lid tightly.  Shake to blend.

How to Serve Shawarma

Traditional chicken shawarma is served in wraps or pita bread and served with a generous amount of tzatziki or dill sauce. However, my favorite way to serve chicken shawarma is with wilted spinach on a bed of mashed potatoes, then garnished with pan-roasted tomatoes and freshly chopped cilantro.

Looking for more easy chicken dinner recipes to serve?

• Filipino Chicken Adobo
• Lemon Chicken Piccata
• One Pan Italian Chicken
• Italian Chicken Skillet
• Enchilada Style Baked Chicken
• French Chicken Stew
• Mexican Avoado Chicken Burgers

Want more ideas? Check out all my healthy dinner recipes.

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Yield: 2 servings

Chicken Shawarma

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

This Chicken Shawarma recipe is one of my favorite easy chicken dinner recipes to make. The chicken is perfectly seasoned with shawarma spices and marinated in garlic oil then grilled to perfection. 

Ingredients

• 2 boneless chicken breasts, flattened thin (1 to 1-1/2 pounds)
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup Garlic Oil
• 1 teaspoon Shawarma Spice Blend

Garlic Oil

• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 10 cloves garlic, smashed with the back of a knife
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Shawarma Seasoning

• 1-1/2 tablespoons ground paprika
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

How to Make Garlic Oil

1. Mix all of the ingredients in a blender until creamy in texture and the garlic is minced into fine pieces.

How to Make Shawarma Seasoning

1. Add all of the ingredients to a jar and seal the lid tightly.  Shake to blend.

How to Make Chicken Shawarma Marinade

Mix 1/4 to 1/3 cup garlic oil and 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoon Shawarma seasoning

How to Make Chicken Shawarma

1. Marinate the chicken breasts for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
2. Grill the chicken until no longer pink inside 4-5 minutes on each side (I used my Le Creuset grille)

Notes

Pan-Roasted Tomatoes

2 Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup Lemon Garlic Oil
1/4 teaspoon Shawarma Seasoning

How to Make Pan-Roasted Tomatoes

1. In a large saucepan heat 1/4 cup Garlic Oil over medium high heat.
2. Add 1/4 teaspoon Shawarma Spice Blend and swirl the pan.
3. Add the chopped Roma tomatoes and quickly cook until the tomatoes begin to soften. Stir so the tomatoes are evenly cooked.
4. Add the capers. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Immediately spoon the pan-roasted tomatoes over the cooked chicken. Garnish with cilantro.
6. Serve on a bed of wilted spinach and mashed potatoes or serve with basmati rice.

Serve chicken on bed of wilted spinach and mashed potatoes. Garnish chicken with with pan-roasted tomatoes, 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped and 1 teaspoon capers.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1425Total Fat: 131gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 107gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 615mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 8gSugar: 7gProtein: 43g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations.