All the Delicious Shawarma Spices in an Easy One-Pot Stew
This easy stovetop shawarma chicken stew, infused with aromatic warming spices, takes a fraction of the time of a traditional slow-cooked dish. Made with a homemade shawarma spice blend (recipe on Flaevor here), it delivers the deep, savoury flavour of classic chicken shawarma, but with the comforting feel of a hearty stew.
The cooking begins by gently softening the onions until sweet and sticky, before frying the chicken and letting its juices infuse the spices to create a rich, fragrant sauce. Finished with a generous spoonful of thick garlic yoghurt, this shawarma-inspired chicken is perfect served with fresh green leaves, fluffy rice, or crunchy coleslaw.
If you enjoy shawarma spice recipes, you might also like this Homemade Chicken Shawarma in the Oven (Easy & Juicy) or Shawarma Roast Potatoes with Homemade Hot Sauce
Explore More Recipes on Flaevor
Easy Stovetop Shawarma Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 500g chicken thighs
- 1 large onion
- 1.5 tbsp shawarma spice blend recipe here: Shawarma Spice Blend
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 250ml light chicken stock
- 2 lemons
- Chopped parsely for garnish
Garlic Yoghurt
- 250ml thick Greek yoghurt
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
Instructions
- Combine yoghurt with crushed garlic and a pinch of salt. Combine and place in the fridge until needed.
- Season the chicken thighs with salt on both sides.
- Heat oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and sear on both sides until lightly browned. Do not cook them all the way through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside
- In the same pan, using the chicken fat, add the chopped onions and cook until soft and have some colour, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic to the onions and cook for 1 minute. Next, add the shawarma spice blend, smoked paprika and chili flakes. Stir everything together for another minute until the spices become fragrant
- Return the seared chicken to the pan, skin side up, along with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil then cover with a lid, turn to simmer and let it bubble away for 20 – 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened nicely
- Cut the lemons in half. Heat a dry frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Place the lemon halves cut-side down in the pan and let it cook, undisturbed, for 2–3 minutes until the surface is caramelised and lightly charred. The juice will be sweeter, smoky, and less sharp.
- To serve: Transfer the chicken and sauce to a serving platter. Season with freshly ground black pepper and squeeze over half the lemon. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with the remaining charred lemon pieces on the side.
