My family recipe for chicken shawarma, baked in the oven. Turn this into shwarma wraps or bowls! A delicious sheet pan dinner loaded with healthy veggies, perfect for busy weeknights. Vegan-adaptable with tofu.
Here’s my Egyptian father’s recipe for Chicken Shawarma that can be baked in the oven. Juicy and flavorful, bursting with Middle Eastern spices, this recipe turns out delicious every single time. Just read all our 5-star reviews! Growing up, his chicken shawarma was one of my favorite meals, and it always brought me right back to the streets of Cairo, where shawarma is often served as “street food.” He had a secret blend of spices that resulted in shawarma that was wildly flavorful and juicy.
As a chef and caterer, I’ve turned to his recipe heavily in our catering business and at home, always with rave reviews! My dad’s recipe is even featured in Men’s Journal- it’s that good! Prefer to grill it? Try our Grilled Chicken Shawarma recipe, which is perfect for grilling weather!
What is Chicken Shawarma?
Chicken shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish (often served as street food) made by slow-roasting stacked pieces of meat, such as chicken, lamb, or beef, on a vertical spit, and then thinly slicing it for use in wraps, gyros, and mains.
Oven Chicken Shawarma Ingredients
- Chicken breast or thighs– boneless and skinless for the quickest preparation. Or sub tofu for a vegan option!
- Optional Veggies: Onion, Red bell pepper, and cauliflower to add to the baking sheet. Feel free to substitute others!
- Shawarma Marinade: salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic, and olive oil.
How to make Shawarma Chicken in the oven
Step one: Mix the marinade in a small bowl. 
Step two: Brush the chicken (or tofu) with the marinade and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Use any extras for the veggies. As you can see, I’ve used both chicken and tofu on the sheet pan- on opposite ends. Both vegans and meat-eaters are happy! 
Step three: Bake! While this bakes, make the sides and sauces. Here, I’ve made Israeli salad, Green Tahini Sauce, and Tahini yogurt. So yummy!
Chicken Shawarma Sauce Ideas
Any of the following sauces are delicious with chicken shawarma!
- Tahini Yogurt Sauce
- Homemade Tzatziki
- Green Tahini Sauce
- Zhoug (Or zhoug yogurt)
- Easy Tahini Sauce
- Baba Ganoush
- Skordalia
What to Serve with Shawarma Chicken
You can create bowls, wraps or salads!
- Israeli Salad
- Lebanese Slaw (Salatet Malfouf)
- Quick Pickled Onions
- Middle Eastern Rice
- Homemade Pita Bread
Of course, you don’t have to do it all…but I do recommend at least one sauce! OK?! 
If making shawarma wraps fill with greens, pickled onions, cucumber and Everyday Tahini Sauce. So simple, healthy and full of flavor!! 
Storage and Make Ahead
The shawarma will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge or can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in a warm oven or on the stovetop. If making ahead or meal prepping, marinate the chicken in a sealed container for up to 48 hours. 
More Favorite Shawarma Recipes
- 25 Simple Sheet-Pan Dinners!
- Cauliflower Shawarma
- Slow-Roasted Lamb Shawarma
- Easy Grilled Chicken Shawarma Recipe
Have a great week! xoxo Sylvia
WATCH How to Make Chicken Shawarma
Shawarma Chicken Recipe (Vegan adaptable!)
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 Bowls
- Category: chicken, baked, adaptable
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: middle eastern
Description
Quick and flavorful Baked Chicken Shawarma can made with either chicken or tofu (or both!). Turn it into healthy Shawarma Bowls, then repurpose into Shawarma Wraps. Vegan and gluten free-adaptable!
Ingredients
- 1– 1 1/2 pounds chicken ( breast or thigh) or tofu or a mix of both ( like 1 pound chicken and 8 ounces tofu)
- 1 onion
- 1 red pepper- optional
- 1 cauliflower – optional see notes
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 tablespoons olive oil
Wrap Options:
- 4 x 10-12 inch wraps or pita bread
- Cucumber, radish, or tomato, Everyday Kale Slaw or Isreali Salad or greens like arugula or spinach
Shawarma Bowl Options:
- cooked grain ( rice, quinoa, barley) or roasted, “riced” cauliflower ( see notes)
- roasted cauliflower or other roasted veggies
Serve both with Everyday Tahini Sauce, Zhoug, or Zhoug Yogurt, Baba ganoush and optional Isreali Salad.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F
Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl.
On a large parchment lined sheet-pan, place chicken breasts, tofu filets, and any vegetables that you want to use. Brush the chicken and tofu very liberally with marinade. For the other veggies, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and a little lemon zest is nice. 🙂 Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
If making a grain bowl, cook the grains now. You could also roast “riced” cauliflower at the same time, on another sheet pan. Season it with olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest, perhaps some cumin – toss it every 10 minutes or so until cooked with a few nice crispy bits.
Check chicken after 20 minutes ( breast will cook faster). Toss veggies, and cook until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender. Tofu takes 30 minutes to get a nice crust.
Cut chicken and assemble bowls or make the wraps. Drizzle with Tahini sauce and/or Zhoug yogurt.
If making wraps, use a warm tortillas or warm pita. Add greens, pickled onions, crunchy veggies, greens or kale slaw, and spoon tahini sauce over top. Zhoug yogurt is nice too!
Prepare for happy mouths.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: -4 Bowls - calculated with chicken breast and "riced" cauliflower. No sauces.
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 4.9 g
- Sodium: 282.3 mg
- Fat: 13.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.2 g
- Fiber: 5.4 g
- Protein: 50.5 g
- Cholesterol: 148.9 mg
Delish, I made a Buddha bowl with tofu, roasted red peppers, asparagus, beets, eggplant, and pickled red onions along with the tahini sauce. Endless variations.
Ok, made this 3 times along with Israeli salad, pickled red onions, Zhoug sauce and tahini sauce. What can I say, it is a home run every time. I wouldn’t change anything. Thanks for the excellent recipes.
I used the tofu variation and let me just say, Sylvia, I love you. Lol, thank you for your site. I have made so many recipes on here and they’ve all been WONDERFUL.
Seriously, THANK YOU!
Awwwww, thanks Elijah! So happy they are working for you!
would the marinade work well with turkey breast instead? Thanks.
I think so! I don’t see why not!
This was great! I made both sauces and they were the perfect accompaniment. I put a little of the marinade on the veg (I used the ones from the picture) and it was delicious. Family is already asking when we can have it again!
I made the tofu Shawarma with roasted cauliflower, onions and red peppers. I also made the Israeli salad, the pickled onions and the Zhoug. Ha, ha! It was so complex, every bite was like having a different meal! My husband, the reluctant vegan, was happily surprised at how good it was and had seconds. Thanks for another taste sensation!
Since we haven’t eaten inside a restaurant since March of 2019, I’ve been making a lot of your recipes at home. The sheet pan chicken shawarma is as good or better than any that I’ve had in a restaurant. I followed your suggestions about serving it with the everyday tahini sauce, zhoug, Israeli salad, kale salad and rice. It is truly a feast at home. Thank you so much for sharing recipes and cooking tips. I like to say, when complimented on the meal, “Oh, this is one of Sylvia’s recipes!” 😊
Thanks So much Carrie.
This is so good! We’ve been putting the marinade on cauliflower and roasting it until lightly charred. We eat it as a bowl over rice alongside israeli salad, hummus, zhoug and chopped pickles. It’s so flavorful. Thank you for a delicious recipe.
Sounds so good!
Delicious! We did a wrap version with chicken, tahini sauce, spinach, tomato, cucumber and pickled onion. So tasty!
Our favorite go-to dinner!!! WE MAKE THIS WITH TOFU!
Served this with Zhoug yogurt, Baba Ganough and Israeli Salad- excellent!
This recipe was too freeform for me – too many choices when I just wanted a tried and true dish. I went for a tofu bowl with quinoa, cauliflower, and red bell pepper. The tahini sauce didn’t really go with it, and I dreaded eating the leftovers. Mediocre.
Sorry about that Alex. Not sure what happened here, but sorry it didn’t work out for you.
i love soy foods and thanks for this post
As usual, another amazingly delicious recipe and so worth the prep work! Loved the spices & the Zhoug sauce – we like the heat. We also made your Vegan Green Goddess dressing. Both were DELICIOUS! We grilled our veggies, gees so much flavor! My husband and I love trying all of your recipes because they are always perfect. We are such a fan! Thank you!
Thanks so much- you are so kind!
Made this and everyone loves me now! Used chicken thighs. Made the Zhoug Yogurt and the tahini sauce. This made me even cooler in everyone’s eyes!!! Love this!!!
Haha! Love it! this is why I love my job so much!
De-lic-ious!
Made some tweaks but was great.
-Did a quick pickle to the onions to bring some sweetness in. Little vinegar and sugar.
-Cut the chicken in to tantalizing little bites of goodness so more of the spices would get all over.
– I chose to make a tzatziki instead of tahini. Love tahini but tzatziki made an awesome flavor profile.
Lastly, broiled everything for a few minutes to get a little char.
Thanks
Make a load of the chicken on a Sunday evening, and have great lunches all week. Thank you.
Great to hear! Thanks!
I have made this, both with chicken and tofu, and it is delicious! I’ve had it with brown rice and also with farro, and it is so hearty. Also, I could drizzle the tahini sauce on cheesecake, I love it that much! (Slight exaggeration;) )
Im so glad you like it!!!
Amazing recipe! Loved the flavors!
: ( Oh… I gave my email because I thought this was a Vegan site.
Hi Kat- no not totally vegan, sorry, but a good selection – probably half of the recipes are vegan or vegan adaptable.
Oh my goodness I made this tonight along with the tahini sauce and it was so delicious! It was beautiful too since I had purple cauliflower and red and green bell peppers from the farmers market. And super easy. This is going to be on regular rotation!
Thanks Mary, Im so glad you enjoyed it~!
Another winner of a recipe from your site! With quinoa and a drizzle of your tahini sauce, this is my lunch for the week.
Awww, perfect Carrie! Thanks and glad you liked it!
Hello, i realy like this variation of recipes but i have one question: Do you make the wraps by yourself? And if so, how do you make them (which flour and milk/water etc)
Thank you and lots of love
No Christine, I buy them. Trader Joe’s has these very thin, whole wheat wraps/tortillas that I like.
Simple & delicious! I made this for my lunches this week along with the Everyday Kale Slaw. Loved everything about this BUT would recommend one adjustment to recipe: add salt to either the marinade OR as a step in the instructions.
Oh my goodness Rachel, THANKS I left out the salt by accident. Fixed it. Thanks so much….really appreciate you telling me!!!
I find all these recipes very inspiring and I love Feasting at Home but cucumbers, radishes and tomatoes in March?!
I know. 🙂 In March we don’t even have a farmers market in our area that is going. Our streets are still covered in snow. Everything is getting shipped in at this point so it’s really hard to stay seasonal this time of year, since nothing here is growing. So I tend to buy what looks good.