Easy Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Easy chicken shawarma with bold spices and 5-minute prep makes tender, flavorful chicken that's perfect for grilling or baking.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Chill 4

Total Time 4 25

Servings servings

Calories 326kcal

Stir together the marinade ingredients in a nonreactive, resealable container.
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, Juice of 1 lemon, 4 cloves garlic, 1½ teaspoons ground cumin, 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Add the chicken breast to the marinade, turning to cover.
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
Cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
Uncover, discard marinade, and grill until chicken reaches 165F. It takes about 20 minutes (or 10 minutes per side) for me.
Let the chicken rest for about 5-10 minutes before cutting into slices and serving.
Serve in warm pitas topped with garlic sauce (toum), sliced cucumber, diced tomato, sliced red onion, or your favorite toppings.

Olive oil: I like to use extra-virgin olive oil, but a similar oil, like avocado oil, would also work.
Lemon juice: I recommend using fresh lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice can have an off flavor to it, so I recommend fresh when possible.
Salt: If you don't have kosher salt or sea salt, use half the amount of table salt.
Baking in the oven: If you would prefer to bake the chicken, preheat oven to 425 F. Add the chicken and marinade to a baking dish. An 11×7-inch dish works well for 1-1.5 pounds of chicken. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken over, and continue to cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken registers 165F. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition values are estimates.