This easy Chicken Shawarma is roasted in the oven and full of our favorite Middle Eastern spices! Serve the chicken shawarma as a pita wrap or in a salad or rice bowls!
This Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma recipe is one of my most frequently made meals. It is so easy to make because the chicken is roasted in the oven and then finished off with a quick broil after sliced. My whole family loves this chicken.
Serve this chicken shawarma with my other favorite Middle Eastern dishes like hummus, rice, baba ghanouj, tzatziki and tabbouli for a lovely mezze platter that you could turn into a delicious rice bowl! Or, simply throw the chicken into a salad bowl dressed with your favorite vinaigrette. This chicken shawarma can be used in so many ways! We even love placing it into a pita to eat as a wrap!
How to make Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma
This recipe uses boneless skinless chicken thighs. I like to grab the fillets from Kroger because after I trim them with my kitchen shears they are the right size to just lay out on a baking sheet and roast. It’s possible I trim too much of my chicken because I get grossed out easily, whether it’s thighs, breasts, etc. but I’m trying to get better! ha!
After prepping your chicken thighs, you only have a few more steps to make your chicken shawarma:
- Combine all spices into a mixing bowl, then mix in olive oil.
- Add the chicken and toss to evenly coat.
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours to allow flavors to blend. (I like to prepare mine the night before)
- Roast the chicken on a foil lined baking sheet.
- Slice the roasted chicken.
- Broil the sliced chicken.
After roasting the chicken in the oven, you’ll cut into thin slices and return it back to the oven on the broil temperature. This finishes off the chicken with golden edges for that grilled effect.
What spices are used for Chicken Shawarma
You will use the following spices for this recipe. If you do not have all of them, go and get them because you will want to make this recipe over and over again!
- paprika
- cumin
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- allspice
- turmeric
- cinnamon
- cayenne
- salt
- pepper
The only other ingredients you need for this chicken shawarma recipe are olive oil and the chicken!
My family’s favorite way to eat this oven-roasted chicken shawarma is on a platter with other favorite middle eastern dishes. Try this chicken shawarma with my other middle eastern recipes:
Hummus
Tzatziki
Tabbouli
Baba Ghanouj
BONUS: This Chicken Shawarma served alone is Whole30 compliant.
This easy Chicken Shawarma is roasted in the oven and full of our favorite Middle Eastern spices! Serve the chicken shawarma as a pita wrap or in a salad or rice bowls!
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 lb boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets, trimmed
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In a large bowl, combine the spices. Pour in the olive oil and use a whisk to make a paste.
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Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to evenly coat. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
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Remove chicken from the refrigerator and preheat oven to 400°F. Line extra large rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray.
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Remove chicken pieces from bowl and place in an even layer on prepared baking sheet. Do not overcrowd. Bake for 15 minutes on top middle rack.
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Remove chicken from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Slice chicken in thin pieces and place back on baking sheet in single layer. Meanwhile, preheat oven to high broil. Broil chicken for 8-10 minutes until browned.
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Serve as a wrap with pita, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. Or, serve with salad, hummus, rice, and flatbread.
Recipe adapted from Chew Out Loud
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Lacey says
June 6, 2019 at 12:11 PMThis looks so good! I love these posts ❤️
Nikki Gladd says
June 6, 2019 at 2:10 PMThank you, Lacey!! I’ll be making this soon for a certain sweet family…. 😉
Martina says
June 7, 2019 at 5:47 AMHey, Nikki, thanks for the great recipe! May I ask what exactly is the temperature for the broiling part?
Nikki Gladd says
June 7, 2019 at 2:05 PMHi Martina. My oven has a “broil” button that I use. I believe the temperature is around 550. Some ovens, like mine, have both a “hi broil” or “low broil” and I always use hi. Hope this helps!
Celeste says
June 6, 2019 at 5:30 PMI can’t wait to try this! Who knew it would be fairly simple as far as ingredients. Thanks for sharing! Your pictures are always so “delicious” looking!!
Nikki Gladd says
June 6, 2019 at 7:00 PMThanks, Celeste! You will love this recipe! 🙂