This easy Grilled Chicken Shawarma recipe is bursting with middle eastern flavors. Fast and simple to make, it comes together in less than 30 minutes and it’s one we use a lot at home. During hot summer evenings, I love it best served over a bed of a chilled Israeli Salad, a salad made of very finely diced summer vegetables and fresh herbs. The combination of hot grilled juicy chicken, together with the chilled Israeli salad is refreshing and delicious. Look for the Israeli salad recipe here in the next couple days. For heartier appetites, fold the tender flavorful chicken into pita, with tahini sauce along with this Turkish Cucumber Salad, or simply serve with rice…..the flavors will not disappoint.
{A little side note- I recently opened a very small kitchen store with my good friend Jill filled with a few things I love to use at home in my own kitchen. It’s called Bowl and Pitcher….take a gander when you get a chance!! }
The chicken starts with a marinade, made with a combination of spices that I’ve been tinkering with for a while now. It finely tastes, just right. Use whole seeds or ground spices, either is fine.
Stir the spices with garlic and oil into a paste and rub all over the chicken. For this recipe, I use boneless, skinless thighs, as thighs end up being extra tender and juicy. I haven’t tried the marinade on tofu yet, but my guess is it would be delicious, lathered up on tofu slices and baked on a sheet pan, in the oven.
Place chicken on a hot grill, getting nice char. Once nicely charred, either turn heat down and cover, to cook through, or place into a 350 F oven until chicken is cooked through. The nice thing about thighs is it’s very hard to overcook them.
Chop the chicken up and place over a salad, or serve them whole along side rice and salad.
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Grilled Chicken Shawarma Recipe
Easy flavorful recipe for chicken shawarma Serves 4-6
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4-6
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients
- 2 lbs to 2 ¼ lb chicken thighs (boneless and skinless, or skin on)
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 8 cloves minced garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoon allspice
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except chicken in a bowl and mix, or pulse in a food processor to make a paste.
- Rub chicken on all sides with the marinade and let sit 20 minutes (or up to 24 hours refrigerated).
- Grill chicken on a pre-heated BBQ, on medium high heat, closing the lid to the BBQ, until all sides have nice grill marks, about 8 minutes each side. Finish chicken in a 350 F oven until cooked all the way through, about 10 minutes.
- Enjoy the chicken over Israeli salad, or with rice and veggies.
Looks so delicious!
http://youtube.com/addalittlefood
This looks incredible, Sylvia, LOVE those flavors!!
Thanks for visiting Matt. Love your blog!
Delicious! My favorite kind of food! : )
Hi Sylvia,
I found your recipe on Pinterest, and we made the chicken last night for dinner, along with an Israeli Salad and grilled sweet potatoes. The chicken was super moist, flavorful, and so easy! This is definitely one of my favorite new recipes – it’s SO GOOD!! thank you! 🙂
I don’t see many recipes online for homemade shawarma. This one looks excellent though, and really straightforward, thanks for sharing!
Made this last night, along with the tahini sauce and some roasted potatoes and grilled leeks/zucchini. It was really excellent, however we all found it way too salty. Maybe it’s just our preference, but next time I’ll use 1/2 the amount of salt. But there definitely will be a next time.
Thanks for the feedback. I think it may actually be a typo…I will fix. Sorry about that!!
Just made this chicken…it’s on the grill as we speak. So glad I misread the amount of salt. I added 1 1/2 t. It should be perfect.
Looks so perfect!!
We’re making this tomorrow night Sylvie!
This was amazing.We had it with your salad for dinner last night. I knew it would be good while I was marinating the chicken. The smell was incredible! I also served grilled baby potatoes and corn on the cob. The flavor was perfect. It was the perfect seasonal summer meal. I am looking forward to the left-overs for lunch!
Im so glad you enjoyed and thank you for sharing!
This is delicious.. but unfortunately its very expensive for most people where I come from..
Thanks for this lip-smacking recipe. I love this.
I’m about to try your chicken shawarma here in Philippines and from the ingredients and the process of cooking I can judge it’s so good and delicious. I’m glad that we can prepare shawarma this way because what i saw in foodcourt is a rotating pile of sliced chicken or beef grilled near a flame. Thanks for the recipe.
Lovely recipe, but that is not an Israeli salad. It would be nice to give tribute to the actual origin of this food, which is clearly Palestinian.
Thanks for the info….I had no idea!
That’s what I thought too. This salad along with hummus and falafel are Palestinian foods that are so often mistakenly named after an illegal occupying country. Couscous is another one. Couscous originated in Algeria and Morocco and is not Israeli.
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Finely chopped salads are Palestinian in origin, but are known in the US as “Israeli Salad”. According to a cooking show I’ve seen, what makes a salad distinctly “israeli” is that it’s based on chopped tomatoes and cucumbers in equal amounts, as in this recipe. If it’s not, it won’t simply be called a “salad” but a “_____ salad” (cucumber salad, lettuce salad, etc)
Couscous is from Morocco and Algeria, but what’s sold in the US as “Israeli Couscous” is actually a form of pasta, similar to Orzo. Israelis have a different name for it, they don’t call it Couscous.
Thanks for the info Amir!
Would you mind describing how you made the vegetable mix that is pictured with the chicken in these photos? This is right up my alley! Thank you.
Sure. The chicken is served over the Israeli Salad… see the link at the top of the post. 🙂
oh, my! mea culpa! Sorry to have bothered you–I assumed Israeli salad meant a Israeli cous cous (pearl) salad. This is perfect and you are so sweet. Many thanks!
After pulsing the ingredients, the instructions say “make a paste.” What do you use to make a paste, add olive oil or water?
The ingredients with the oil will naturally make a paste 🙂 sorry my directions aren’t clear!!
Sylvia – I made this last night and it was fantastic.
I will be adding it to my favorites for sure!
thank you
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Oops I meant to give that 5 stars!
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Thanks so much Leeann! It’s one of my favs too 😉
Loved the spice mix and the chicken was so flavorful.
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just made this tonight on the grill and it was awesome!! it stayed so moist on the inside and nice and charred on the outside. the flavor combo was really great.
so great to hear… thanks for sharing!!
I tried this recipe on the weekend with Israeli Salad.
Absolutely Amazing!!!
This will be a weekly go to recipe during the summer.
I made the Israeli Salad with lime juice instead of lemon, as I prefer the refreshing taste of lime.
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Oh Thanks for sharing…glad you liked it. Such a refreshing healthy salad!
My neighbour could smell this on grill last night, so I gave him a taste and then had to go print a copy of the recipe for him too!
That’s hilarious! Thanks for sharing Patricia!
Made this along with the Israeli salad and it was all fantastic! This is going into the regular rotation for sure!
Hi Sylvia, I made this for a dinner party recently and it was such a huge hit. Like your other recipes I’ve tried it really exceeded my expectations! I wanted to make this recipe for another group of friends this weekend but some don’t eat chicken. Do you have a recommendation for using fish? Have you tried it with tofu yet? Many thanks for your feedback!
Thanks Ashely! You know…I can’t picture this with fish, but it might be good? I have had with tofu and liked it. 🙂
sooooo good!!! Perfect with the Israeli salad!! The chicken was moist and so flavorful!! Thank you
Hi,
I am trying to subscribe but it’s not accepting my email address -is there a problem with this section of you site?
Hi Mary- sorry about that! Are you subscribing at the top right of the page….in the box? Or in the post itself?
The ingredient list does not specify ground or fresh ginger could you elaborate i really want to try this with a cilantro lime farro i am trying.
Ben, it is ground.
thanks
Made this tonight and it was a huge hit. thanks so much for posting it.
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Thanks for the feedback Ben…happy it turned out!
This recipe is fabulous! Thank you so much!
Thanks Debra…So glad you liked it!!
This was one of the most flavorful and most tender grilled chicken i have ever had. Used breasts instead of thighs. thank you so much. I think I am going to try your creamy sun dried tomato pasta dish tonight.
Fixed the chicken tonight and was very impressed. I made it with breasts and split them horizontally and they took chicken to a new level. Will make the Israeli salad tomorrow night to have with the leftover chicken. Thanks for a very interesting and delicious recipe.
Hi there—beautiful blog and gorgeous photos, but that is not Israeli salad, it is Palestinian salad (and thank God you didn’t call it Israeli shawarma cause you would get all kinds of angry mail) . Cultural appropriation of Palestinian food is unfortunately all too common. This salad existed centuries before the state of Israel even existed in 1948! It would be a good idea to give credit where it is due, it is sort of like saying Mexican lasagna–just because a Mexican family makes and Italian lasagna, does not make it Mexican. While Israelis enjoy Palestinian food, it does not magically make it Israeli food. Culinary credibility is literally shot–and the continuation of cultural appropriation continues with this spreading of misinformation.
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Hi Alison, I appreciate the information, thank you.
Had this for dinner tonight, but I subbed pork chops for chicken. It definitely would be better with a fattier dark meat like chicken thighs but it was great this way, too. Amazing flavors. I cubed the pork, put it on skewers and broiled it on a rack on a cookie sheet. Gets it that nice grill flavor without a grill 🙂
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I was expecting 6 people for dinner and a couple of hours before we ate, it grew to 10. I had plenty of appetizers, so wasn’t concerned. I had marinated the suggested amount of chicken overnight, and just added more thighs to the baggie with the paste and it was just barely enough – whew! Served with the Israeli Salad and Turkish Cucumber Salad along with quinoa cooked in chicken broth. Two thumbs up all around for ease of prep (though the chopping took me a while), moistness of chicken and delicious flavors. Thank you for sharing and for making me appear to be a carefree hostess.
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I’m so glad it turned out Sabrina! Thanks for your comment!
I have made this a few times, and it is one of my favorites – fantastic!! I use chicken breasts & cook it on the grill, big green egg, and the combination of the spices and smokiness is wonderful. My husband and kids love this too, and those kids are picky… Making for Mother’s Day. Thank you for this great recipe.
Thanks Sherri- love that you’ve made it your own!
This recipe is a new favorite-delicious!!
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I just want to say how fantastic this recipe turned out! I made it with the Israeli salad and it was the perfect accompaniment to the chicken. I did use chicken breast instead of the thighs as I already had it on hand. This meal was so flavorful and wonderful, so happy I tried it out! Can’t wait to make it again!
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I’m so glad!!!
Hi delicious
By the way i don’t think it’s Israeli or Palestinian salad…
It’s originally Jamaican salad so please all you political folks fighting over the right to the salad….give credit to where credit is due..
Jamaica…
It would be nice to give tribute to the actual origin of this food, which is clearly Palestinian. This recipe is a new favorite-delicious!!
I am just now getting around to leaving a comment, however I have been making this recipe now for about a year.
I cannot tell you how many times in a week my husband and children ask if I can make this. It’s easy and incredibly flavorful! It is my go to for larger crowds as well because of the simplicity of it. Everyone raves about it!
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Thanks so much Krista! I’m so happy you and your family have enjoyed these! And thank you for leaving a comment and rating! Always appreciated!!!
I made this tonight with the salad, gluten free paleo pita and a Lebanese garlic dill sauce all wrapped up in the pitas! So so good! I will keep this recipe in my make again file!
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Sounds Delicious! thanks for sharing- and love that you put it in a pita! Great idea!
Hello, I understand that it is an old post but I came across it and would like to mention couple of things. It is a great recipe for sure. You can never go wrong with the spices that you’ve used in the recipe. But please don’t call this a “middle eastern” cuisine. It’s Indian. Of course these spices are used all around the world but they’re originally from India.
Oh and btw, I am NOT talking about the salad. I am talking about the chicken. Your chicken is definitely Indian cuisine.
Recipe was delicious and I don’t care what country it originated from!
Fantastic recipe! My husband thinks this was the best chicken I’ve ever made. Thank you! It’s juicy, flavorful and so aromatic.
Excellent recipe! The chicken shwarma and Israeli salad was well received even though I did over cook the chicken a bit.
Thanks Tim, glad you liked it, and I overcook chicken all the time. Oh well. 😉
I made this last night for a group of friends. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs.. It was outstanding, and so simple to make . Along with the Israeli salad I added naan and an eggplant curry to round it out. Not a bit of leftovers. This one will stay in my summer grilling rotation:)
I really love your posts and appreciate the alternative suggestions, to make it vegetarian or vegan as I like to mix it up.
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Thanks so much Kathleen, so happy you all enjoyed it! Eggplant curry sounds delish!
Made this recipe for dinner last night and it is amazing! I blended the spices in a foods processor and rubbed on chicken breasts then let them sit for about 30min then grilled. The smoky flavor transported us to the Mediterranean! I will make this again – thank you so much for posting!
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Great to hear Kristi! Thanks for the comment and rating and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!xoxo
I made this with the israeli salad tonight for a healthy dinner party and it was such a hit!!!! I used chicken thighs because that’s what I had and they turned out super juicy and delicious. I marinated for a couple hours to really get the flavours going. This was my first time checking out your blog and I have found quite a few things I will definitely try. Yum!!!!
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Awesome Whitney- appreciate you rating and leaving a comment- and glad you like the salad and chicken- 2 of my personal favs! Welcome to the blog- happy you are here!