Lamb Shawarma

 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.

This lamb shawarma is a delicious dinner recipe any time of year, but it’s especially lovely for the holidays -Thanksgiving dinner or your Christmas main dish.

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 Lamb Recipes

• Chicken Shawarma
• Harissa Roasted Leg of Lamb
• Turkish Lamb Wraps
• Roasted Leg of Lamb
• Oaxacan Lamb Barbacoa!
• Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks Recipe
• Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Herb Salad and Yogurt Sauce
• Grilled Lamb Chops with Salsa Verde

Lamb Shawarma Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 47 reviews

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 4 hours
• Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x
• Category: dinner idea, lamb, Main
• Method: Baked, roasted
• Cuisine: Middle Eastern

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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!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1/2x1x2x

• 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

Serve the lamb shawarma family style with Fluffy Basmati Rice ( the middle Eastern Version), roasted veggies, warm pita bread, yogurt, Labneh or Everyday Tahini Sauce , and my favorite, zhoug!

Or wrap it up in a pita for a delicious wrap!

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F ( Plan on full 4 1/2 hours baking time, but check at 3 ½ hours)
2. Place marinade ingredients in a food processor and pulse into a paste, scraping down sides to incorporate well.
3. Place onion slices in the bottom of a dutch oven or cast iron skillet to create a base for the lamb.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Let the lamb roast rest 15 minutes before serving.
9. Serve with your choice of  Middle Eastern Rice, Pita bread, simple roasted veggies, labneh, tahini sauce, zhoug yogurt, tomatoes, and/ or cucumbers.

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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