Lebanon • Regional Dish • Snack

Lebanese Chicken Shawarma

Lebanese chicken shawarma pairs juicy spiced chicken with toum, pickles, and soft flatbread for one of the region's great street-food sandwiches.

Servings6

Prep Time20 min

Cook Time25 min

DifficultyEasy

Print Recipe

Ingredients

US Metric

2 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs

4 garlic cloves, finely grated

1/2 cup plain yogurt

3 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp Lebanese seven-spice or baharat

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/4 tsp fine salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

For serving

6 pita breads or Lebanese flatbreads

1 cup toum or garlic sauce

1 cup sliced pickled cucumbers or turnips

1 small onion, thinly sliced

2 tomatoes, sliced

1 cup shredded romaine lettuce or chopped parsley

1 kg boneless skinless chicken thighs

4 garlic cloves, finely grated

120 g plain yogurt

3 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp Lebanese seven-spice or baharat

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1¼ tsp fine salt

½ tsp black pepper

For serving

6 pita breads or Lebanese flatbreads

250 ml toum or garlic sauce

250 ml sliced pickled cucumbers or turnips

250 ml onion, thinly sliced

2 tomatoes, sliced

250 ml shredded romaine lettuce or chopped parsley

Instructions

Slice the chicken thighs into thick strips and place them in a large bowl.
Add the garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, tomato paste, paprika, cumin, seven-spice, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Mix very well until the chicken is fully coated.
Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight for a deeper flavor. Yogurt, lemon, garlic, and warm spices are common features in Lebanese-style chicken shawarma marinades, though exact spice balances vary by household and recipe.
Heat a large frying pan, grill pan, or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer, working in batches if needed.
Cook for 5 to 7 minutes on the first side until browned in spots, then turn and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and lightly charred at the edges.
Lower the heat slightly and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring once or twice, so the marinade clings to the chicken and the edges deepen in color. Chicken thighs are commonly preferred for shawarma because they stay juicier and more tender than breast meat.
Warm the pita breads briefly. Spread each with toum, then fill with the chicken, pickles, onion, tomato, and lettuce or parsley. Toum is a classic Lebanese garlic sauce commonly served with shawarma.
Fold and serve immediately, or plate the chicken with bread and accompaniments on the side.

Cultural Context

In Lebanon, shawarma is part of everyday food life, from quick lunches to late-night sandwiches. Traditional shawarma is cooked on a rotating vertical spit, then shaved into warm flatbread with toum, pickles, and simple vegetables. At home, cooks usually adapt the flavor rather than the equipment, leaning on marinade, high heat, and a little charring to get close to the same character. The spice mix varies, but garlic, lemon, warm spices, and a savory, slightly tangy marinade are common themes.

That’s what gives the chicken its familiar shawarma personality, even without the big spinning meat tower looming in the background like a delicious monument.

Fun Fact

The word shawarma comes from a Turkish term meaning "to turn" or "to rotate," a nod to the vertical spit that defines the classic method of cooking it.

Cook’s Tip

Chicken breast can work, but thighs stay more tender and give a more typical shawarma result. A grill pan adds nice color, but a regular skillet does the job just fine.

Pickled turnips or cucumbers are especially good here and add the sharp bite that helps balance the rich chicken and garlic sauce.

Trivia

In Lebanese sandwich shops, chicken shawarma is often paired with toum rather than tahini, which is more commonly associated with some other shawarma styles.

About This Recipe

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Lebanese Chicken Shawarma

Instructions

Cultural Context

Fun Fact

Cook’s Tip

Trivia

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