Be prepared to fall in love with the most amazing version of Chicken Shawarma! This recipe for Chicken Shawarma features the most amazing marinated chicken, fresh and vibrant tomato and cucumber salad, and a rich and tangy lemon tahini sauce. Serve this chicken shawarma and all the glorious toppings as a wrap, over rice or over greens.
I adore, and I mean adore my recipe for Grilled Chicken Gyros made with marinated Greek chicken and homemade Tzatziki sauce. But I may have a new favorite chicken wrap.
Introducing my version of Chicken Shawarma Wraps! Made with intensely flavored marinated chicken shawarma, a fresh and vibrant tomato and cucumber salad, and a tangy lemon tahini sauce, all wrapped up in a soft pita or Naan bread, these wraps are my new obsession! And if you love Middle Eastern flavored recipes, you are going to flip for this recipe for Chicken Shawarma as well!
Reasons to Love this Chicken Shawarma Recipe
- Amazing Flavor. From the Middle-Eastern flavored crispy chicken to the fresh tomato, cucumber, and herb salad to the bright and creamy lemon tahini sauce, this Chicken Shawarma recipe is the ultimate flavor experience.
- 20 Minute Prep. While there seems to be a lot of steps and components involved to make Chicken Shawarma the toppings for a wrap or bowl, the hands-on prep is less than 20 minutes.
- Easy to Find Ingredients. You don’t need to visit any specialty grocery store to make this recipe for Chicken Shawarma! It uses simple, everyday ingredients to make an insanely delicious Middle Eastern-inspired dish.
- Versatile. Not only can you serve this chicken shawarma and toppings as a wrap, bowl, or salad, but I have provided instructions for grilling, pressure cooking, or baking the chicken shawarma.
Notes On Ingredients
- Marinade: The marinade is made with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, and dried spices. In order to replicate the flavor you know and love in chicken shawarma, I don’t recommend omitting any of the spices.
- Lemon Tahini Sauce: This sauce is magic! It comes together with tahini paste, fresh lemon juice, ground turmeric, garlic and olive oil. I always make extra because if is fabulous to drizzle over salads or veggies later in the week.
- Cucumber and Tomato Salad: Use a seedless (AKA hothouse) cucumber, grape or cherry tomatoes, red onion, parsley, lemon juice, and salt to make this fresh topping.
- Flatbread: If you want to serve the chicken shawarma and toppings as wraps, use Naan bread, flatbread, or pita bread for assembling.
How to Make Chicken Shawarma Wraps
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Marinate the Chicken
The marinade is key when it comes to making chicken shawarma. By letting the chicken sit in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, and spices, the chicken will not only absorb amazing flavor, but the marinade will help to tenderize the chicken. I recommend marinating the chicken for 30-60 minutes, and no longer than 90 minutes. After 90 minutes, the acidity from the lemons can cause the chicken to become mushy.
Prepare Toppings
While the chicken is marinating, use that time to prepare the lemon tahini sauce and cucumber tomato salad. This will not only maximize your prep time and allow the salad time to absorb flavor as well.
Cook the Chicken Shawarma
Once the chicken has marinated, you can opt to grill, bake, or pressure cook the chicken shawarma (and I have included detailed instructions for each in the recipe card!) Personally I prefer grilling the chicken, to get that crispy, slightly charred chicken with a bit of smokey flavor.
∗ How to Serve Chicken Shawarma ∗
My FAVORITE way to serve Chicken Shawarma is over warmed pita with copious amounts of the tomato cucumber salad and lemon tahini sauce. That said, it is pretty tasty served over rice or greens as well.
- Chicken Shawarma Wrap: Use toasted flatbread, Naan bread, or pitas to make a hearty and delicious chicken shawarma wrap.
- Chicken Shawarma Bowl: Serve the chicken and toppings over Instant Pot jasmine rice or brown rice. Or keep it low-carb and serve over cauliflower rice.
- Chicken Shawarma Salad: Serve the sliced chicken and tomato cucumber salad over a Copycat Panera Greek Salad, swapping out the balsamic dressing for the lemon tahini sauce.
Storage Instructions
- Chicken Shawarma Store leftover cooled chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the chicken by sautéing it in a dry skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cucumber Tomato Salad: Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Any longer, the cucumbers and tomatoes will become watered down and mushy.
- Lemon Tahini Sauce: Store the sauce an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Use it to drizzle over rice, roasted vegetables, fish, etc.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
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Chicken Shawarma
This recipe for Chicken Shawarma Wraps features the most amazing marinated chicken shawarma, a fresh and vibrant tomato and cucumber salad, and a rich and tangy lemon tahini sauce. Serve as a wrap or over rice.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 305kcal
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Instructions
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Marinate Chicken. In a large mixing bowl or gallon-size storage bag, combine ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons cumin powder, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and 4 cloves minced garlic. Add chicken thighs to coat evenly in the marinate. Cover and refrigerate for 60-90 minutes.
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Make the Tahini Sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup tahini, ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water, ½ teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and the minced garlic until combined. Drizzle in ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
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Make the Cucumber Salad. In a medium bowl, combine the diced English cucumber, minced red onion diced, quartered grape tomatoes, minced parsley, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
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Pan-fry or Grill Chicken. Brush a sauté pan, grill pan, or grill grates with olive oil then preheat to medium-high heat. Once heated, place chicken on the pan/grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until nicely browned and slightly charred. Flip the chicken and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes.
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Rest and Slice Chicken. Remove chicken from the pan and cover loosely with foil. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Slice the chicken into long strips.
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Toast Bread. If serving with flatbread, brush with oil and toast in the sauté pan/grill pan/grill for 1 minute per side until browned lightly.
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Serve. Serve the chicken on top of flatbread along with cucumber salad and tahini sauce and enjoy as a wrap.. Alternatively, serve the chicken, salad, and sauce over rice or quinoa.
Notes
Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma: Add 1.5 cups chicken stock to the inner pot. Transfer the marinated chicken into the inner pot. Close and lock the lid. Set the Instant Pot to the Manual/Pressure Cook setting and set the timer to 8 minutes on high pressure. Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes. Remove the lid from the instant pot, remove the chicken using a slotted spoon. Shred or dice the chicken. If desiring crispy chicken shawarma, heat a bit of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 1-2 minutes until crispy and browned.
Storage: The chicken, salad, and tahini sauce should all be stored in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. The chicken should be used within 3 days, the salad within 2 days, and the tahini sauce will last up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 341mg | Potassium: 745mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1346IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3mg