Simple delicious Grilled Chicken Shawarma – bursting with Middle Eastern Flavor! Grill it or bake it and try serving it with super refreshing Israeli Salad.Â
This easy Grilled Chicken Shawarma recipe is bursting with middle eastern flavors. Fast and simple to make, it comes together quickly and it’s one we use a lot at home and in catering. The flavor is out of this world!
During hot summer evenings, I love it best grilled, and served over a bed of a chilled Isreali 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.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE Grilled Chicken Shawarma!
During the cooler months, feel free to bake this chicken shawarma in the oven. For heartier appetites, fold the tender flavorful chicken into homemade pita, with tahini sauce or baba ganoush, along with Israeli Salad or simply serve with fluffy basmati rice and grilled veggies… the flavors will not disappoint!
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.
Give this EASY Grilled Chicken Shawarma recipe a try! You will loooooooove it.
xo
Grilled Chicken Shawarma Recipe
Simple delicious recipe for chicken shawarma that can be grilled or baked – full of Middle Eastern flavor. Serve over Israeli Salad.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Main,chicken, paleo
- Method: grilled
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Scale
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.  ( Alternatively you can  bake the chicken thighs in a 375 F oven for 30-40 minutes)
- Enjoy the chicken over Israeli salad, or with rice and veggies.
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I must sound like a broken record when I comment on Sylvia’s recipes….quick, flavorful, delicious! Another family favorite! A tad salty, will cut back a bit next time.
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thanks Theresa~
Delicious!! Made it in the oven instead of the grill. Convection roasted at 425 for about 30 minutes. MAde the Israeli Salad to go with it. Fed a crowd and everyone loved it. A keeper for sure!
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We have made this recipe (no changes necessary) countless times and LOVE it!
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Awww, thanks Paige, appreciate the comment! xoxo
SO, SO good!! Really flavorful and great with the Israeli salad recipe and naan! 🙂
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Awesome Virginia- thanks! xo
Favorite chicken shawarma I’ve found. Super easy and delicious. Great with tzatziki, quinoa, tomato, spinach, and cucumber as a Mediterranean bowl. I sear both sides of the chicken in my cast iron pan for a few minutes oh high and then turn to med-low to cook through. Absolutely delicious and will be making again and again.
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Made this for my gf and I with your Turkish Tomato salad (which included ground sumac) and it was a BIG hit!
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This was so good. Made it in the oven with sliced onions, mushrooms and green peppers
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Great to hear! Thanks!
Love this recipe! Have made it with chicken thighs a lot but wondering if you have any tips on making it with salmon fillets??
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Best chicken ever!!!! My family begs to make
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Was very happy with this. Now I don’t have to go to my halal spot anymore
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Came out perfect !! I used the stovetop grill pan. And added sumac as well. Thankuu
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I have made this recipe several times now and every time I get rave reviews. The flavor is amazing and the chicken so moist and tender. It is now a family favorite.
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Delicious. A bit salty but otherwise fantastic.
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This has to be one of the best chicken recipes I’ve ever tried. So delicious. I served it with Israeli couscous
Awesome! Glad you liked it!
This is an incredible recipe, so easy to makeand very delicious. Thanks
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Made the chicken and Isreali salad with your naan recipe, too–such a fabulous summer meal! Great flavor and so easy!
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OMG! Sub’d cayenne with paprika, turmeric with cardamom, awesome!!! Greek yogurt with crushed garlic, squeeze of lemon, salt & pepper. Topped all with cilantro & za’atar. I’m obsessed!
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Hi, I just subscribed to your blog. I love your recipes and photos and your instructions are so clear. I have a question about the paste in the Grilled Chicken Shawarma recipe: is there paste left over or is the entire amount supposed to be rubbed on the chicken? And if left over, can the paste be refrigerated?
yes, of course it can be refrigerated and used again!
This look amazing can you give me the recipe for the who’s in the picute with the chicken please.
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I thin you mean the Israeli Salad ??
Absolutely love this recipe, we make it every few weeks lately. So good with the Israeli salad.
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So glad you are enjoying it! Yes, love it with the Israeli Salad!