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This easy chicken shawarma recipe has all the bold, savory flavor of the traditional dish with a fraction of the work! With a quick marinade and my skillet cooking method, the chicken is ready to eat in under an hour, with crispy bits and turns out SO flavorful.
A family-favorite, this chicken is gluten-free, dairy-free, high-protein, and super versatile!
What is Chicken Shawarma?
If you’re unfamiliar, chicken shawarma is a popular Middle Eastern street food. Traditional shawarma is made with spiced meats, such as lamb, mutton, and chicken, layered on a vertical rotisserie spit and cooked low and slow until tender and juicy. The meat is then shaved off the spit as it rotates and served warm in wraps or on plates with various sides.
Chicken shawarma is one of my favorite foods ever, but I obviously don’t have a meat spit in my kitchen and don’t have the time or patience to wait hours for the meat to cook. So, I sped up the cooking method, creating this super-easy chicken shawarma recipe in one skillet! It has all the warm, savory flavors of the traditional dish but is made with a handful of simple ingredients in a single skillet, making for a quick weeknight dinner guaranteed to impress your guests.
Ingredients and Notes
*Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient list!
- Chicken: I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this chicken shawarma recipe, because they stay tender and more flavorful than breasts. However, if preferred, boneless, skinless chicken breasts also work. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time as needed!
- Seasonings: I like to keep things simple with a homemade shawarma seasoning and salt. If needed, you can make a homemade chicken shawarma seasoning by combining pepper, garlic powder, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, chili powder, and dried oregano.
- Olive Oil: Use this in the marinade, the tomato oil mixture, and to cook the chicken. I don’t recommend substituting a different oil, or the flavor won’t be the same!
- Tomato Paste: This forms the base of a quick tomato oil mixture, replicating the deep, savory flavor of traditional shawarma recipes without the need for a long marinade in a yogurt sauce.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed is best! The acidity helps tenderize the chicken and brighten the flavor of the marinade.
Where I Buy My Chicken
- Wild-Caught Seafood
- 100% Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished Beef
- Free-Range Organic Chicken
- Humanely Raised Pork
Delivered to your door! The latest ButcherBox deal can be found right here.
How to Make this Easy Chicken Shawarma Recipe on the Stovetop
- Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, coat the chicken thighs in oil, salt, and shawarma seasoning, and set aside.
- Make the tomato oil mixture: Whisk olive oil and tomato paste in a small pot over medium heat. Add lemon juice, and cook to combine, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Combine: Pour the oil mixture over the marinated chicken, and toss to coat.
- Cook: Heat oil in a large skillet, and sear the chicken sides until golden brown on both sides. It’s okay if they aren’t fully cooked!
- Slice and cook: Slice the chicken into strips, and continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the pieces are crispy and browned.
- Serve: Garnish the chicken with flaky salt, parsley, and lemon juice, and enjoy!
Kitchen Tools I Use
My Favorite Ways to Serve
I typically serve my chicken shawarma in a pita bread wrap with tahini sauce or hot sauce for an extra kick of spice. I like to lay out a shawarma platter with various sauces and toppings for everyone to build their own wrap!
It’s also fabulous over turmeric rice with tzatziki or hummus and a tomato cucumber salad or pickled red onions, or on top of a salad.
How to Store
Once cool, I transfer leftover chicken to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days. Or, for a longer-lasting option, I freeze it for 2-3 months. To serve, I thaw frozen chicken in the fridge overnight and warm it in the microwave or in a skillet over medium heat. It’s great for meal prep!
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- One Pan Indian Chicken and Rice
- One-Pan Skillet Chicken with Mushroom Sauce
- Greek Chicken Kebabs
- One-Pan Paleo Cashew Chicken
Watch The Video
Skillet Chicken Shawarma
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (you can even do more!)
- 2 tablespoons shawarma seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for marinating
- ¼ cup olive oil for sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 lemon juiced, more for garnish
- Flaky salt for garnish
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken:
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and shawarma seasoning. Toss well to coat and let sit while you prepare the sauce.
Make the Tomato Oil Mixture:
- In a small pot over medium heat, whisk together ¼ cup olive oil and tomato paste until smooth. Add lemon juice and cook for 2–5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Combine:
- Once the oil mixture has cooled, pour it over the marinated chicken. Toss again to coat evenly.
Cook the Chicken:
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a bit of oil. When hot, add the chicken thighs and cook for 5–7 minutes per side, until golden brown. They don’t need to be fully cooked through yet.
Slice and Crisp:
- Remove the chicken from the pan and slice into thin strips. Return to the skillet and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until some pieces get crispy and browned.
Serve:
- Garnish with flakey salt, parsley, and extra lemon juice. Enjoy your shawarma-style chicken in a pita, over rice, or on top of a salad with your favorite toppings and sauces like hummus, tztiki.
Is there a way to adapt this to make with chicken breasts instead? My kids won’t eat thighs
Totally, we mention in the ingredients and notes section that chicken breasts totally work fine in this recipe too!