Homemade Chicken Shawarma
Overview
Chicken Shawarma is one of the most popular street foods across North Africa and the Middle East, made from chicken marinated in a bold blend of warm spices, cumin, turmeric, coriander, allspice, cinnamon, and paprika, then cooked until golden and served in flatbread with garlic sauce, pickles, and fresh vegetables. While shawarma is traditionally cooked on a rotating vertical spit, this homemade version uses an oven or grill pan to achieve the same caramelised, spice-crusted exterior. The result is remarkable for its depth of flavour, the marinade creates multiple layers that build on each other, making this far more complex and satisfying than it has any right to be given how simple the preparation is.
AFN Heritage Note
Shawarma evolved from the Ottoman doner kebab tradition and spread across the Arab world through the 19th and 20th centuries. In North Africa it became firmly embedded in Egyptian, Libyan, and Tunisian street food culture, adapted to local spice preferences and serving styles. The North African version uses a spice profile distinct from the Levantine version, with more warming spices and less emphasis on herbs.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
In a small bowl, add the sugar, warm water, and yeast together. Stir to combine well. The yeast should be activated when it becomes foamy, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Mix the flour, yeast mixture, yogurt, and oil, knead the dough until the surface becomes smooth and shiny, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place. The dough should double in size, about 1 hour.
- 3
Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll the dough to a 8” circle using a rolling spin.
- 4
Heat up a skillet (cast-iron preferred) over high heat and lightly grease the surface with some oil to avoid the dough from sticking to the skillet. Place the dough on the skillet. When it puffs up and bubbles and burnt spots appear, flip it over and cook the other side. Repeat the same until all dough are done.
- 5
Brush the naan with the melted butter, serve warm.
- 6
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- 7
In a large bowl, add chicken, cumin, paprika, salt, garlic powder and ginger. Pour in the lime juice. Massage onto chicken until coated. Set aside.
- 8
Cut onion in half and place one side down in the center of a rimmed baking sheet. Place a large bamboo skewer in the center of the onion. Layer the chicken up the skewer and top with remaining half of onion.
- 9
Lay out sliced mushroom, onion and peppers on the baking sheet and drizzle with salt.
- 10
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cooked through.
- 11
Remove from oven and slice the meat.
- 12
Add meat to a warmed previously made bread. Top with peppers and onions and garnish with cilantro and fresh lime juice.
Africook’s Notes
- Pound Chicken. Whether you use chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this Chicken Shawarma recipe, you will want to pound the chicken to an even thickness. Pounding chicken to an even thickens not only helps tenderize the chicken but ensures the chicken cooks evenly. Even cooking eliminates dryness caused from overcooking the chicken in order to make sure the thickest part is cooked at the peril of the thinnest.
- Use chicken thighs. For the juiciest, most flavorful chicken with greater caramelization, use chicken thighs.
- Marinate chicken. The longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it will become but don’t marinate longer than 24 hours.
- Use a meat thermometer. Always use a meat thermometer so you don’t undercook, OR overcook the chicken.
- Let chicken rest. After chicken is finished cooking, transfer it to a cutting board and let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing so it has time to reabsorb the juices that have pushed towards the outside of the chicken. If you cut into the chicken immediately after cooking, valuable, moisture-giving juices will run out.
Reviews
3 reviews
the flatbread puffed up so nicely on my cast iron skillet, those little burnt spots give it the exact taste i wanted. took a bit longer than 1 hour for my dough to double though, house was cold today in toronto sha. seasoned the sliced chicken with the ginger powder and paprika like listed and it sweet no be small thing o
Chiamaka, I feel your pain! Minneapolis cold does the exact same thing to my dough. Next time, just put the bowl inside your oven with only the oven light turned on, it will rise much faster sha. That cast iron skillet really gives the best charred spots o.
Chale, you didn't include the step for cooking the chicken with the cumin, paprika and ginger powder oo! I just mixed the spices with a bit of oil, marinated the thin chicken slices, and pan fried them. The dough itself with the plain yogurt came out so soft paa. Used Kroger flour here in Columbus and it worked fine.