Mouthwatering Middle Eastern Shawarma with the perfect spice
If there’s a recipe you’ll want to make over and over again, it’s going to be this Easy Oven Chicken Shawarma. Juicy chicken thigh fillets marinated overnight in the perfect shawarma spice blend, not only does it embody the addictive flavours of authentic shawarma, but the simple one-tray oven roasting technique makes it the perfect dish for cooks of all skill levels.
What is Shawarma?
Shawarma is the Arabic word used to describe a cooking technique used widely across the greater Middle East. Cuts of meat are piled on top of each other into an inverted cone shape, then slowly roasted for many hours on a turning vertical rotisserie (or spit). This shape and technique allows the natural fat to trickle down during cooking, continually basting and keeping the layers of meat nice and juicy.
Easy Chicken Shawarma Recipe
In this recipe, the traditional rotisserie technique has been adapted for home cooking, recreating the wonderful flavours in a way as close as possible to the original.
Always marinate chicken for maximum flavour
First and most important, the chicken is marinated overnight in a Shawarma Spice Blend, a mix of beautifully fragrant spices such as cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon and turmeric. Garlic and lemon juice play very important roles in the development of flavour and are combined with the spices. To learn more about Shawarma Spice Blend, click here
How to make Easy Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma
The interesting thing about this dish is the number of variations in shawarma spice blends, meat cuts and cooking techniques. Everyone has their own unique and favourite way of preparing chicken shawarma. In this version, the focus is on loading the meat generously with spice and ensuring it stays juicy and not dry.
Chicken thigh meat
For that reason alone it’s an absolute must to use fatty chicken thighs. The meat is cut into thick strips to allow more marinade and a larger amount of crispy edges.
A trick to ensure juicy tender chicken shawarma meat
Using chicken thigh fillets with the skin on is the best way to add extra much-needed fat, however, the trick is to remove the skin before chopping and marinating the chicken meat, slice it into strips and then combine it with the chicken meat and marinate overnight.
How do you keep shawarma juicy?
When it comes to laying the chicken on the roasting tray, the skin can be evenly nuzzeled in between chicken strips which during the cooking process will melt all its fat and add an extra layer of juiciness. Upon completion, the skin can then be removed and discarded.
Extra shawarma flavour
Under the chicken will be a good amount of juices and fat infused with spice. Toss the chicken strips around the tray and coat them with as much of the spiced pan juices as possible. The flavour will be amazing.
How is shawarma traditionally served?
The chicken is ready to eat as soon as it comes out of the oven, but the option to cut it a little finer is still there if you want that authentic shawarma look. Just take a large knife and roughly chop the chicken into strips.
What to pair with chicken shawarma?
Most people know shawarma meat as served in a warp, pita or laffa with salad, pickles and sauce. In the Middle East, chicken shawarma is typically served with garlic sauce, fries, and pickles. For a modern fusion, serve the shredded meat on top of rice with grilled vegetables, salad, pickles, tahini, yoghurt and hot sauce.
Shawarma Sauce
Sauces such as tarator sauce, yoghurt sauce, garlic sauce and various chilli sauces all go hand in hand with shawarma. In this recipe, a delicious Pickle Tzatziki Sauce is served alongside, taking a little fusion influence from Greek gyros (their own version of chicken shawarma) and combining pickles for crunch and tang.
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Easy Oven Chicken Shawarma
Juicy chicken thigh fillets marinated in a warm earthy shawarma spice blend. Roasted in the oven for an easy one-tray bake and served with Pickle Tzatziki.
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 – 40 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour + Marinating time
- Yield: 4 – 6 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Oven Roasting
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients
Shawarma Chicken
- 1kg chicken thigh fillets, skin on
- 1 x Shawarma spice blend mix (recipe here)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
Pickle Tzatziki
- 400g Greek yoghurt
- 250g shredded pickles
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon rind
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped dill fonds
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Remove skin from chicken thighs and cut into 1-inch strips. Next, cut chicken pieces into 1-inch strips.
- Combine shawarma spice blend with the olive oil and lemon.
- Transfer chicken meat and skin to a large bowl. Season with salt and then cover with the shawarma marinade, making sure each piece of chicken and skin is coated nicely. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and transfer to the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours or anywhere up to 24 hours to marinate. Obviously, the longer you leave it the better it will taste.
- Pickle Tzatziki: As an option, this can also be made the night befor, after marinating the chicken. Again, the longer it rests, the more time flavour has to develop: Grate pickled cucumbers using the large-holed side of a box grater. Combine with the remaining tzatziki ingredients. Taste and season with salt and pepper or lemon juice if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with extra olive oil.
- Cooking the chicken shawarma: Remove chicken from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes – 1 hour. When ready to cook, heat the oven to 200°C.
- Rub a little olive oil onto a roasting tray, then spread chicken pieces onto the tray, keeping them together without gaps. Divide the chicken skin evenly throughout the meat, pushing it gently in between chicken pieces. Transfer to the oven and roast for approximately 30 – 35 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and still juicy.
- Remove the tray from the oven. Discard chicken skin. Squeeze over a little extra lemon juice, then toss the chicken around in the pan juices and fat, coating each piece as evenly as possible. Transfer to a chopping board and using a large knife, chop strips roughly into small strips. Taste, and season with salt if needed.
- To finish: Serve chicken shawarma on a large plate with the pickle tzatziki and side dishes of your choice.
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