Main Dishes

Chicken Shawarma

Posted on by Jake Berry

This easy, healthy homemade chicken shawarma is delicious! Best of all, you do not need a special rotisserie or spit. You just need a sheet pan to make it right in the oven!

The secret is in the shawarma spice mixture, made of warm spices including cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika and a pinch of cayenne, as well as EVO3 Olive Oil, which makes all the difference.

Serve it in pita pockets with tahini sauce and a Greek salad, and call it dinner!

Dish Type: Main Dish
Season: All Year
Yield: 6 Shawarmas

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time:  30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1½ cup quinoa
  • 2 cup vegetable broth
  • ½ cup EVO3 Olive Oil
  • ¾ tbsp ground cumin
  • ¾ tbsp turmeric powder
  • ¾ tbsp ground coriander
  • ¾ tbsp garlic powder
  • ¾ tbsp paprika
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper, more if you prefer
  • Salt
  • 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 large lemon

Served With

  • 6 pita pockets
  • Tahini sauce or Greek Tzatziki sauce
  • Baby arugula
  • Pickles and/or olives

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic powder, sweet paprika and cloves. Set aside the shawarma spice mix for now.
  2. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt on both sides, then thinly slice into small bite-sized pieces.
  3. Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add the shawarma spices and toss to coat. Add the onions, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss everything together again. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight (if you don’t have time, you can cut or skip marinating time)
  4. When ready, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Take the chicken out of the fridge and let it sit in room temperature for a few minutes.
  5. Spread the marinated chicken with the onions in one layer on a large lightly-oiled baking sheet pan. Roast for 30 minutes in the 425 degrees F heated-oven. For a more browned, crispier chicken, move the pan to the top rack and broil very briefly (watch carefully). Remove from the oven.
  6. To serve, open pita pockets up. Spread a little tahini sauce or Tzatziki sauce, add chicken shawarma, arugula, and pickles or olives, if you like. Serve immediately!

Enjoy!