This Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma is juicy, flavorful, and bursting with warm Middle Eastern spices! Inspired by my Egyptian father’s recipe, this easy oven-baked dinner features chicken and colorful vegetables. Serve in warm pita wraps or nourishing shawarma bowls. Vegan-adaptable with tofu!
The secret to incredibly juicy, flavorful Chicken Shawarma? My Egyptian father’s fragrant blend of Middle Eastern spices! Growing up, his shawarma was one of my favorite meals, bringing me right back to the bustling streets of Cairo, where shawarma is a beloved street food.
Over the years, I’ve adapted his recipe into this easy Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma, roasting the chicken and vegetables together in the oven for a simple, satisfying dinner. It’s become a staple in my catering business, always earning rave reviews, and my dad’s original recipe was even featured in Men’s Journal!
Serve it in warm pita with creamy tahini sauce and crunchy vegetables, or turn it into a colorful shawarma bowl over rice. You can even substitute tofu for a delicious plant-based version. Prefer to cook outdoors? Try our 5-star recipe for Grilled Chicken Shawarma!
It's a party night everytime I make chicken shawarma! My kids(all adults)always ask to invite friends- it's my son-in-laws favorite meal I make. And my book club asked for it every summer. Thank you for this amazing recipe and of course the Israeli salad is always made with it!!!🤗
Why you’ll love this Baked Chicken Shawarma
Incredible flavor. My Egyptian father’s aromatic spice blend makes this chicken shawarma wonderfully fragrant, savory, and delicious.
Easy sheet-pan dinner. Roast the chicken and vegetables together for a simple meal with minimal cleanup.
Juicy and tender. The flavorful marinade keeps the chicken moist while it roasts.
Versatile and customizable. Make shawarma wraps, rice bowls, or salads, and substitute tofu for a plant-based option.
Perfect for meal prep. Prepare the marinade ahead of time and enjoy leftovers throughout the week.
Baked Chicken Shawarma Ingredients
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts both work. Thighs are especially juicy and forgiving in the oven. For a vegan version, substitute firm or extra-firm tofu.
- Cauliflower: Roasts beautifully alongside the chicken, becoming tender and golden around the edges.
- Red bell pepper and onion: Add sweetness, color, and flavor. Feel free to substitute other roasting vegetables.
- Spices: Cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garlic bring earthy warmth and aromatic depth- we make a quick shawarma seasoning!
- Olive oil: Helps distribute the spices and keeps everything moist while roasting.
How to make Shawarma Chicken in the oven
Step one: Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix the marinade in a small bowl.
Step two: In a medium bowl, toss the veggies with 1 tablespoon of the marinade and add a little more olive oil, salt, and pepper to coat them well. Spread the veggies out on an extra-large, parchment-lined sheet pan.
Step three. Toss the chicken with the remaining marinade in the same bowl, coating it well, then nestle it on the same sheet pan in a single layer.
Step four: Bake! Place on the middle rack in the preheated oven. Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized. Toss the veggies after 20 minutes. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Step five. While the shawarma roasts, prepare your favorite sauce and toppings. Serve in warm pita with crunchy vegetables and tahini sauce, or over rice for a hearty shawarma bowl.
Chef’s Tips
- Use chicken thighs for extra juiciness. Boneless thighs stay wonderfully tender and are especially forgiving when roasting.
- Cut vegetables into similar-sized pieces. This helps everything cook evenly and encourages beautiful caramelization.
- Give everything room to roast. Avoid overcrowding the sheet pan, which can cause the vegetables to steam rather than brown. Use two pans if necessary.
- Marinate ahead. For deeper flavor, season the chicken a few hours before cooking and refrigerate until ready to roast.
- Make it vegan. Substitute pressed, extra-firm tofu for the chicken. Coat generously with the marinade and roast until golden.
- Don’t skip the sauce! Creamy tahini sauce or tahini yogurt adds the perfect finishing touch to the warm, fragrant shawarma.
What to Serve with Chicken Shawarma
Make shawarma wraps: Tuck the warm chicken and roasted vegetables into Homemade Pita Bread with crunchy cucumbers and tomatoes, Pickled Red Onions, and a generous drizzle of Tahini Sauce.
Make shawarma bowls: Serve over fluffy Middle Eastern Rice with Greek salad, Israeli Salad or Lebanese Slaw.
Favorite Shawarma Sauces
Our Tahini Yogurt Sauce is especially delicious with chicken shawarma. For a dairy-free option, try Green Tahini Sauce, or add a spoonful of spicy Zhoug for a little heat. Other options include:
Storage and Make Ahead
- Make ahead: Marinate the chicken up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate in a covered container. You can also chop the vegetables and prepare the sauces ahead of time for easy assembly.
- Refrigerate: Store leftover cooked chicken shawarma and roasted vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze cooked chicken shawarma for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. For the best texture, freeze the chicken separately from the vegetables.
- Reheat: Warm in a 350°F oven, covered loosely with foil, until heated through (165°F internally). You can also reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water to keep the chicken moist.
More Favorite Shawarma Recipes
Watch How to Make Sheet Pan Shawarma Wraps
Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: 30 minute Dinner, Baked, Chicken, one pan meal, sheet pan dinner, weeknight dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, low carb, Low-Carb
Description
This easy Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma is inspired by my Egyptian father’s recipe! Juicy chicken and colorful vegetables roast together with fragrant Middle Eastern spices. Serve in pita wraps or rice bowls with creamy tahini sauce. Vegan-adaptable with tofu!
Ingredients
- 1– 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs ( boneless, skinless) – *see notes for tofu.
- 1 onion, sliced into wedges
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 cauliflower, cut into florets
Quick Shawarma Marinade:
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic (or two cloves, finely minced)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
Optional Serving Suggestions:
- Serve over basmati rice with pickled onions and tahini sauce, or make sraps with ptiat bread or warm tortillas with cucumbers, tomatoes, tahini sauce and pickled onions.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Marinate. In a medium bowl, toss the veggies with 1 tablespoon of the marinade, adding more olive oil and salt to coat well.
- Assemble. Spread veggies on a large parchment-lined sheet pan. Then toss the rest of the marinade with the chicken in the same bowl, coating it well. Nestle the chicken into the veggies.
- Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender. Check breasts at 20 mins, and toss the veggies. Breasts cook faster than thighs, so feel free to remove them when they reach 165°F and keep cooking the veggies (or thighs until 175F) until tender.
- Serve over rice with any of the suggested toppings or make wraps or pita sandwiches.
Notes
To make this vegan, use tofu. Pat 1-2 blocks or extra-firm tofu dry. Slice into ½ inch thick pieces, brush both sides with marinade, and bake in a single layer for 30 -40 minutes or until the edges get slightly caramelized. Season with more salt to taste.
Leftovers can be kept for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to 3 months. Feel free to marinate up to 3 days ahead. Bring to room temperature before baking.
Feel free to sub other veggies for the caulilfower and bell pepper- just make sure to toss with olive oil, salt and pepper before roasting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 ounce Chicken Breast and 1 cup veggies
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 4.9 g
- Sodium: 106.4 mg
- Fat: 12.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.3 g
- Fiber: 3.4 g
- Protein: 41 g
- Cholesterol: 124.1 mg
It’s a party night everytime I make chicken shawarma!! My kids(all adults)always ask to invite friends it’s my son-in-laws favorite meal I make. And my book club asked for it every summer. Thank you for this amazing recipe and of course the Israeli salad is always made with it!!!🤗
I love it Brooke! All those spices are hard to resist. 🙂
This dish is so simple and delicious. My family loved it and it is a keeper. I am so happy to have discovered you Silvia! Thank you
Thanks Susan! We are so happy you found us. Glad you enjoyed this and thanks for corcling back nad rating it for us!
This is so delicious and easy to make, I love it! No need to go out for chicken shawarma.
I just love your recipes Sylvia.
My very first recipe with you was the sour dough starter, then the sourdough bread, and I have tried many more of your recipes with great success, and this one will not be my last. Thank you Sylvia for all your encouragement and guidance on everything!!! I appreciate you sooooo much!
Thanks Janet! Really nice to hear you are enjoying. Appreciate you taking th time to let us know!
How would you suggest adjusting this recipe for shrimp?
Hi there, shrimp cooks so quickly, I would add it to the baking sheet after the other veggies are almost done cooking. Either that, or just pan sear them in the marinade.
Thank you
What a flavor explosion this was! Recipes like this are why I love this site so much.
Everything was wonderful! I made the chicken thighs with the bell peppers, onions, and cauliflower, and served it all on a bed of basmati rice. I also made the tahini and zhoug sauces. I’m definitely going to try it with wraps or pita bread sometime soon.
I agree with you, your Israeli salad goes very well with this. So does your lemony kale slaw.
Nice Jennifer, so great to hear you enjoyed!
It sounds delicious. l will try it. Iam vegetarian and till now after a good recipe for tofu .
Let us know how you like it!
Great flavors but I don’t think just tofu (without chicken) works very well here in terms of texture….I would use falafel in the future instead for a vegetarian option!
That is a great idea Amanda!
This is delicious!! I think next time I will double the Marinade!
thanks Jan!
Oh my goodness. Sylvia, you did it again. This was so good! Even my 2 and 4 year olds devoured it. We used whole wheat tortillas and dredged them in the cooked chicken marinade before “searing” each side. Added the chicken, rice, red peppers, onions, pickled red onions and feta. Will be on the monthly rotation now.
Great to hear!
This is a delicious meal and one of my go-to’s! One of the best pansheet meals, which I love for week night dinners! It is really easy to make. I’ve made it with chicken thighs, breasts, and tofu and all are delicious. Thank you!!
Great to hear Lindsey!
This was absolutely delicious!
I’ve had a pretty negative relationship with food for many years, and I’m so sick of feeling lethargic from not eating the right stuff. This meal made me feel like a million bucks! It’s the most nourishing thing I’ve eaten in weeks, and my mood got a nice boost from it as well!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, it’s exactly what I needed today 🙂
Love this Rigby- glad this helped! ❤️
I was skeptical but I loved this.
Flavor explosion!
My hubby is a beef lover. How would this taste with beef?
Hi Robyn- there is a Lamb Shawarma Roast on the blog- I would follow that recipe as a guide using a beef roast instead of Lamb. I bet that would turn out great!
Thank you! I will try it!
I made this with tofu that I sliced thinly and it was amazing!! Thanks for the recipe.
I always love your recipes but this one I am addicted to. I make up multiple little containers of the spice mix to keep in my pantry and then pull one out for a quick dinner. Tonight I cut up chicken breast into cubes, tossed with the spices and olive oil and popped it in the oven. Made some basmati and sautéd young turnip greens just picked and I can’t wait until it’s done!
Sounds perfect Judy!
This is so yummy!
I have made this recipe a few times now using chicken and assorted vegetables along with the recipe for basic hummus – topped with olive oil and sumac, and the everyday tahini sauce. So very good with fresh vegis added too. I also made a batch of saffron rice and added red potatoes to the sheet pan vegis since I recently was diagnosed with Celiac disease and crave a little starch. These recipes are wonderful and better than the Mediterranean restaurant I used to visit that is no longer the best option for me. And trust me, you’ll want to make the full recipe and enjoy leftovers as my husband and I do.
Sylvia, I am so thankful for your many recipes that are adaptable and support my new food journey and good health! 🌺
Awwww. Thanks so much Diane- glad you are finding the blog useful!
I made this with chicken, tofu, and veggies, wrapped it in pitas with the kale salad and pickled onions, and added some leftover tzatziki that I had on hand. So good! My 13-year-old said it was the best of “all the weird wrap things you make.”
Amazing! Made last night with the Israeli salad, tahini and yogurt zhoug. It was so good. My only regret was not making more to have more lunches this week
I make this with the tofu option… never fails!
I made the chicken shawarma with just veggies (no tofu) and served with the Israeli salad and some brown rice. I never comment on recipes I find online but this was absolutely outstanding. Some of the best chicken I’ve ever had. And the Israeli salad is fresh, crunchy, colorful, and lovely. Thank you for such an excellent couple of recipes!!