My Egyptian father’s recipe for meltingly tender, slow-roasted lamb shawarma, baked in the oven with fragrant shawarma spices. Use in wraps, bowls, or serve as a delicious main for special gatherings and holidays like Easter or Passover.
This lamb shawarma recipe is a delicious meal my Egyptian father would make on special occasions like birthdays and holidays, and to this day, the smell of lamb roasting in the oven brings me back to my childhood home with memories of him in the kitchen wearing his flowing white galabia. I like to remember him this way, in those peaceful moments, doing what he loved.
Why you’ll love this lamb shawarma Recipe!
Read all the reviews! The flavor of this dish is truly spectacular. I may be biased, but I love it.
It’s easy to make! With just 15-20 minutes of hands-on time, it slowly roasts to perfection in the oven for 3-4 hours until deliciously tender. As a chef and caterer, I loved making this lamb shawarma recipe because it could be made several days ahead, and reheated, and our shawarma spice blend really gave it the wow factor.
The flavor. The best part is how the leftovers taste better and better during the week, with so many ways to use them! Stuff the flavorful, tender meat into warm pita bread and make wraps, or serve with rice and make shawarma bowls!
Lamb Shawarma Recipe Ingredients
- Leg of lamb– use butterflied boneless lamb leg for the fastest cooking time or sub bone-in leg of lamb (see recipe notes) or feel free to use lamb shoulder. Don’t like lamb? Try beef chuck roast, or bottom round roast.
- Onion, Shallot and Garlic Cloves – for extra savory depth.
- Extra virgin olive oil – to create the shawarma paste.
- Shawarma Spices: cumin, coriander, sumac, paprika, turmeric, allspice, ginger, cinnamon, cardamon
- Kosher salt
How to Make Lamb Shawarma
Step One: Prep the lamb. Unwrap the lamb leg and pat dry. Score the fatty side of the lamb or trim it. I like to leave a little fat so the meat stays moist; you can drain excess after cooking.
Step Two: Make the Spice Paste. This recipe for Lamb Shawarma is truly all about the spices!
Place the garlic, shallot, and spices in a food processor with all the spices and olive oil to create a thick paste or rub.
Step Three: Rub the shawrma paste all over the lamb. Rub the shawarma marinade on all sides of the lamb. For the best flavor, let stand for 1-2 hours. TIP: You can do this ahead and refrigerate for up to three days.
Step Four: Bake. Roll the lamb back up and place it over a bed of sliced onions in a dutch oven or skillet with a little water in the bottom. Bake in a 350°F oven for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 160-165°F.
When it is done, it will literally fall apart and melt in your mouth. To get a nice crust on it, feel free to broil it with high heat, or sear it in a skillet when reheating. Spoon the juices over the top before serving.
Ways to Serve Lamb Shawarma
I love creating shawarma wraps with pita bread, tahini sauce, zhoug, tomatoes and cucumbers and pickled onions. Or create shawarma bowls with rice, tahini sauce, zhoug, and a salad or veggie! Serve with any of the following;
- Middle Eastern Rice
- Tahini Yogurt Sauce
- Best Baba Ganoush Recipe
- Homemade Pita bread
- Tahini Sauce
- Zhoug!
- Israeli Salad Recipe
- Lebanese Slaw (Salatet Malfouf)
Lamb Sharma Serving suggestions
Here is a lamb shawarma pita sandwich.
Or plate it up for a fancier presentation with tahini yogurt sauce, zhoug, rice, and roasted veggies.
Storing Lamb Shawarma
- Leftovers will keep 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator and actually taste better and better!
- Or seal tightly and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before reheating.
- To reheat shawarma, warm up in a skillet on the stovetop or in a 350F oven.
I am so excited for you to try my dad’s lamb shawarma recipe; I really hope you enjoy it!
MakE it ahead for a crowd
Lamb shawarma can easily be made ahead. You can marinate the lamb in the shawarma paste in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or alternatively, slow roast it ahead, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge (cooked) for up to 4 days, reheating it in the oven.
More Favorite Recipes
- Chicken Shawarma
- Harissa Roasted Leg of Lamb
- Turkish Lamb Wraps
- Roasted Leg of Lamb
- Oaxacan Lamb Barbacoa!
- Moroccan Braised Lamb Shanks with Pomegranate
- Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Herb Salad and Yogurt Sauce
- Grilled Lamb Chops with Salsa Verde
Lamb Shawarma Recipe
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Category: main, lamb, dinner idea
- Method: roasted, baked
- Cuisine: middle eastern
Description
The best recipe for Lamb Shawarma- tender, juicy, leg of lamb, slow roasted in the oven with Middle Eastern Spices until falling apart. Serve this with rice and veggies, or in a pita or wrap!
Ingredients
- 3 lb leg of lamb, boneless (see notes for bone-in or shoulder)
- one large onion, sliced into thick 1/2 inch slices
- 1 cup water
Shawarma Marinade
- 8 garlic cloves, whole
- 1 shallot, quartered
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamon
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F ( Plan on full 4 1/2 hours baking time, but check at 3 ½ hours)
- Place marinade ingredients in a food processor and pulse into a paste, scraping down sides to incorporate well.
- Place onion slices in the bottom of a dutch oven or cast iron skillet to create a base for the lamb.
- Pat the lamb dry and coat all sides really well with the paste, including the inside where the bone was removed. Roll it back up and place it on the bed of sliced onions, seam side down, fatty side up. Let this marinate on the counter until the oven is hot, or up to 2 hours. You could also wrap it up and refrigerate for 24-72 hours.
- Pour 1 cup water into the bottom of the dutch oven (to the side of the lamb) and cover with a heavy lid or double wrap with foil and place in the oven for 2 ½ hours.
- Uncover the roast to let the top get golden, and continue cooking for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Check the roast. If the pan seems dry, add another ½ cup of water. If the crust seems like its getting too dark, tent lightly with foil.
- Continue cooking until the lamb pulls apart easily with tongs or two forks, possibly another hour. If it’s still feeling tough, continue roasting and basting, until it is tender, checking every 30 minutes, making sure the top is not getting too dark or that there is enough liquid in the bottom.
- Let the lamb roast rest 15 minutes before serving.
- Serve with your choice of Middle Eastern Rice, Pita bread, simple roasted veggies, labneh, tahini sauce, zhoug yogurt, tomatoes, and/ or cucumbers.
Notes
If using bone-in leg of lamb, increase cooking time: a 4 -4 ½ lb roast will require 4 ½-5 hours roasting time total (with 1 hour uncovered) A 5-5 ½ lb roast will require 5 ½ hours total (with 1 hour uncovered).
A 3-4 lb lamb shoulder will take roughly 3 hours, covered, then uncover to get a golden crust 30-60 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 241
- Sugar: 1.1 g
- Sodium: 837.6 mg
- Fat: 8.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35.9 g
- Cholesterol: 108.9 mg
Wondering if you have any advice on using a pressure cooker for this recipe? I love making your middle eastern lamb stew and would love to add this to my meal rotation! 🙂
Hi Katie! I feel like it would work- but haven’t personally tried it and the timing would be different.
Is it possible to roast lamb in advance then possibly freeze and reheat?
Yes, Debbie- I think this should work fine!
Fabulous, I will try it out.
I’ve been using this recipe for a couple years now. So worried that it would disappear from the internet I hand wrote the exact recipe, and keep it in a personal cook book. It’s one of the best ways to prepare lamb that I’ve ever tried. It has now become an annual dish on my moms birthday because she loves it so much. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It’s honestly a blessing. I came back to the sight to see if it was still here to pay my respects after cooking it so many times.
Awww… thanks Quincey- appreciate you coming back and rating it. ❤️
This recipe has become a regular at my table, my personal favourite. I’ll use any cut of lamb for the recipe.
So incredibly delicious & easy! Thank you Sylvia!
Thanks so much Heather!
I used this recipe as a starting point, but sous-vide the leg of lamb at 140 for 4 hours before finishing it at high heat on the grill. Turned out fantastic. So good that I bought a few more on sale and vacuum sealed them in the marinade to do again. I add a bit extra sumac and squeeze a lemon in the marinade as well for a bit more acid.
Great idea! Glad this worked!
Wow. I am never having turkey for Thanksgiving ever again. I marinated the roast overnight in the spice rub. Your timing for roasting was spot on. I made gravy with the drippings in the Dutch oven (and some leftover mushroom broth). Served it with zhoug, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, the traditional (but totally from scratch) green bean casserole, salad, etc… Oh my!!! My adult kid raved about it, even my daughter in law who does not typically like lamb. The zhoug was a hit! This is really so delicious, and easy!! I am looking forward to leftovers. Thank you for a new holiday tradition.
I’m so glad you tried this one Mert! xo
Exceptional. I followed to the letter. Highly recommend!
Hillary-I’m so glad you enjoyed this!
If you have the time this is an amazing dish!
thanks Britt, glad you enjoyed it!
This is delicious! We had a 2 lb. boneless leg of lamb and found a total cooking time of 3 hours was enough.
I have made this recipe numerous times using a boneless leg of lamb which I butterfly. Each time I have marinated in a plastic bag in the fridge it over night massaging it periodically to make sure the marinade is distributed evenly. I roast it per instructions in a cast iron pot covered with foil and cast iron lid. This recipe has never failed to produce the most delicious lamb I have ever eaten. Everyone loves it. It is unbelievably flavorful and tender.
Awesome! glad it has been working for you!
Hi – purchased a grass fed boneless leg but just over a pound – about half inch thick – can I make your recipe work for such a smaller piece? thanks
I don’t think this cut would work here? Would get pretty dried out?
I used leftover lamb and modified the cooking time (2 1/2 hours) and temp accordingly, 275F. The aroma filled the house and the savory flavor was divine. I normally roast and eat lamb rare so I wasn’t sure I would like throughly cooked lamb. I loved it and so did my family. This is now a go to dish for leftover lamb…
Awesome 🙌
This sounds great. Will it be OK to freeze after cooking?
It should freeze just fine!
Instructions were so easy to follow. Turned out perfect. So yummy Thank you
Sounds amazing Sylvia, and thank you for sharing. Can this be made with the shoulder instead? If so, what adjustments would I need to make in terms of oven temperature and cooking times please? Thanks
Absolutely- I would just check it often, especially if smaller, may not take as long, not sure of the size?
this is by far one my favorite dishes (mostly because it brings back memories). I can’t wait to try it as soon as i can!! my mouth just waters and my stomach makes noises from looking at those pictures i-
Best lamb dish I have ever eaten, and made at home. Thank you
Awwww thanks!
So I can make this medium rare by upping the heat and cooking less? I really dislike lamb well done. Thank you
Hey Wendy for this cut of lamb, cooking to medium rare will render the meat extremely tough. This is like a “roast”. That being said, feel free to try. 🙂
Followed directions exactly even though I am Middle Eastern and it was AMAZING. My dad and husband both loved it. Wouldn’t change a thing.
Thanks so much, glad you all liked it!
Holy cow this recipe is amazing!! I mean mouth watering and beautiful to look at. I made your roasted veggies, basmati rice and the zhoug as well. This is such a dreamy recipe for a cold Sunday in Chicago. I marinated the lamb for the 24 hours prior to roasting it. There was a very happy household with overly content bellies. I am so very happy I found this website. Thanks ~BTW I have never cooked rice like this and it’s a game changer for sure.
Thanks so much Nicole!
I prepared this marinade for lamb, it made my whole house smell amazing!
I prefer my leg of lamb medium rare, so I made the oven 400 degrees F and did not cook it very long. My market doesn’t sell lamb shoulder, but I bet this slow cook recipe would be amazing.
I think this would be an excellent recipe to use to make beef chuck roast, maybe even top round, which I find tricky to prepare.
Wow, another delicious-sounding recipe to add to my must-make list! Do you have any recommendations for making this in a slow cooker instead? Thanks!
I think it would turn out- but unsure of cooking times. I don’t have a slow cooker, I’m so sorry. Maybe someone else out there would know??
I use this recipe in my slow cooker often. It always turns out beautifully. You can cook it on either low or high, you just need to adjust cooking times.
Thanks Jess, good to know!
Amazing flavors- turned out perfect.
Ten stars. Excellent!
This looks amazing! Do you have a recommendation for adapting the recipe to cook the lamb in an Instant Pot?