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close up of chicken shawarma in naan with cucumber, onion, and garlic sauce.
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5 from 3 votes

Chicken Shawarma

Chicken Shawarma will slap your taste buds with a flavor so intense, it will send you straight to shawarma paradise. (That's a thing.) Chicken Shawarma is a sandwich gone rogue—juicy, garlicky, and spiced like it’s been on a tour of the Middle East...but actually made in your kitchen in 45 minutes, tops. The lettuce, cucumber, and pickled onions offer the perfect crispy foil to the tender, juicy, perfectly grilled chicken. Wrap it all up in fluffy Homemade Naan and slather with the garlicky white sauce of your dreams.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
Servings: 6 shawarma
Calories: 807kcal
Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

For the marinade

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 lemons zested and juiced
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 small yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric optional
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

For the pickled red onion:

  • 1 large red onion sliced
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar for pickling red onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • black pepper to taste

For the white sauce:

  • 3/4 cup plain yogurt full fat
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 large clove garlic smashed and minced
  • 1/2 lemon juiced, about 1-2 tablespoons
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • pinch chili powder optional
  • fresh dill optional

To assemble shawarma:

Instructions

  • Naan. If you are really dedicated, make Homemade Naan before you start. There is nothing better than fresh Naan with legit shawarma.
  • Make the marinade: To a food processor or blender, add 1/3 cup olive oil, zest from 2 lemons (I love to use my microplane grater for this) juice from 2 lemons, 6 cloves garlic, 1 small onion (roughly chopped first), and 1 tablespoon tomato paste (I love the tubes of tomato paste so I don't have to open a whole can).
  • Add all the spices to the blender as well: 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon cardamom, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon cumin. Whew! Blend or process the onion and spice mixture until it's smooth.
  • Marinate. Add 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs to a bowl and pour the marinade over the top. Rub it in a little bit, and let the chicken marinate for 15-30 minutes, or up to 48 hours.
  • Make the pickled red onions. Do this now so they have a few minutes to pickle and tone down. Slice the red onion and add to a small bowl. Cover with 1/2 cup red wine vinegar. Add more if necessary, to make sure the onions are mostly covered. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir together. Set aside, but come back to stir every 5 minutes or so, dunking the onions in the vinegar, until you are ready to serve.
  • Make the white sauce. In a small bowl, add 3/4 cup full fat yogurt and 1/4 cup mayonnaise. Smash and mince 1 large clove of garlic and add it to the bowl. Juice half a lemon and add it in. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch of chili powder, if you're feelin spicy. Add some fresh dill if you've got it. Combine thoroughly. Taste it and see if you want more of anything.
  • Prep the veggies. Slice the tomatoes and lay out on a plate or bowl for serving. Use a veggie peeler to peel alternating stripes on the outside of your cucumber, if you want. Slice the cucumber into rounds, and add to a serving bowl. Clean and dry your lettuce, then shred it into bite size pieces. Add to a serving bowl.
  • Preheat your grill to high heat. (See notes for oven OR air fryer instructions.) Oil the grill grates so your chicken doesn't stick. I usually dip a crumpled paper towel in a bit of vegetable oil and rub it on, using tongs, see photos.
  • Grill the chicken. Let the marinade drip off the chicken a bit as you lift it out of the bowl. Add the chicken to the grill with plenty of space around each one. Close the lid and cook for 4-5 minutes, depending on how big the thighs are. Open the lid and carefully flip the chicken. Cook for another 5-6 minutes.
    The chicken is done when an instant read thermometer reads 155° F. The chicken might reach temperature before you get any nice grill marks, so sometimes I leave it on a little longer to get blackened marks. Don't let the internal temperature go much above 160°. The chicken will continue to rise in temperature even after you take it off the grill.
  • Remove the chicken to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest 5-10 minutes so the juices have a chance to reabsorb.
  • Slice the chicken against the grain.
  • Assemble the Shawarma. Slather a naan bread with a generous amount of white sauce. Top with sliced chicken, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and pickled onions. If you know what's good for you, dollop some extra white sauce on top (this is why I always double the sauce!!). Wrap up and devour while moaning.
  • Storage: Keep everything separate. Store the white sauce covered in it's own container, refrigerated. Store the chicken covered in the fridge. Store the veggies in the crisper. Store the pickled onions covered in the fridge including the liquid. They will keep for 1-2 weeks before going weird on you.
  • Freezing: You can freeze extra chicken for a later meal, in a sealed ziplock. Naan freezes excellently. The white sauce should not be frozen, but will keep in the fridge for a good long while, at least 2-3 weeks, although we always dip and salad it away before then.

Notes

Double the White Sauce: I love to double the sauce and use the leftovers as my condiment of the week, for everything from salad to sandwiches to dunking my carrots, cucumbers, and potato chips in it. 
Make this chicken in the oven: Preheat your oven to 425. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade, letting the excess drip off into the bowl, and lay the thighs on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil and sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake at 425 for 14-16 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thickest chicken thigh is 155. Remove from the oven and tent with tinfoil. Let rest for 10 minutes, then slice and add to the naan with veggies and plenty of white sauce.
Make this chicken in the air fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 400. Spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray, or add a disposable liner. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade, letting excess drip off into the bowl. Add the thighs to your air fryer. Air fry at 400 for 7-8 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thickest chicken thigh is 155. Remove from the oven and tent with tinfoil. Let rest for 10 minutes, then slice and add to the naan with veggies and plenty of white sauce.
Make this chicken on the stovetop: Follow the chicken searing instructions on my Chicken Alfredo recipe. Scrape off as much of the marinade as you can before searing. 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 807kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Potassium: 853mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 3153IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 195mg | Iron: 3mg