Get your taste buds dancing with our grilled chicken shawarma flavored with lemon, garlic, and aromatic spices. You’ll love this quick and easy twist!
Grilled chicken shawarma is one of my favorite recipes. It’s insanely delicious and fills my house with the most amazing aroma — think warm, spicy, earthy. Tim and the boys are constantly on the hunt for protein, so what better way to provide the catch than with grilled meat?
While doing research on chicken shawarma, I was overwhelmed by how complicated most other recipes were. The long lists of spices, endless steps, confusing techniques… you probably don’t have a vertical rotisserie in your kitchen, and if you do — can we be friends? I wanted to make my recipe simple and accessible enough for all of us home cooks. It may not be the most authentic, but my grilled chicken shawarma tastes phenomenal and is so easy that even my teen boys can make it! If grilling isn’t an option, you can make this sheet pan chicken shawarma instead!
What Is Chicken Shawarma?
Chicken shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish made by slow-roasting chicken on a vertical rotisserie spit (a long rod). To serve, the cone of meat is usually brought tableside and slices of meat are shaved off the spit. The meat is incredibly tender and has a warm, smoky flavor from the wide assortment of spices in the marinade.
Shawarma translates to “turning” in Arabic. This dish originated during the rule of the Ottoman Empire and quickly became a popular street food. It is typically made with lamb, chicken, or beef.
How To Make Grilled Chicken Shawarma
My chicken shawarma recipe is made in three easy steps and uses a few basic ingredients — I call that a win! Set aside an hour for marinating the chicken, then fire up the grill and get cooking.
- Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, mix together the chicken thighs, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and spices. Cover and marinate in the fridge for one hour (or up to overnight).
- Preheat the grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (375-400°F).
- Grill the chicken: Drain the marinade and place the chicken thighs on the grill grates. Grill for 6-8 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Hot tip: If you’re pressed for time, skip the marinating period. I highly recommend marinating the chicken for at least an hour to boost the flavor, but it’s not essential.
Tips From the Kitchen
Do you want to know the secret to simplifying the process of chicken shawarma but retaining those incredible flavors? Tune in and I’ll give you a run-through of the tips that helped me.
- Make a bangin’ shawarma marinade. There’s nothing quite like a grilled chicken shawarma marinade. It infuses so much flavor (don’t skimp on the garlic!) and results in tender, juicy meat. If you’re craving even more flavor, add thinly sliced onions, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, or red pepper flakes to the marinade.
- Use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Dark meat is the most tender and flavorful — plus, it cooks more quickly than chicken breasts.
- Avoid overcooking the chicken. A characteristic trait of chicken shawarma is succulence. The meat should be so juicy that it drips as you cut in, which means the internal temperature should not exceed 165°F. In my experience, an instant-read thermometer is a lifesaver — the meat turns out perfectly cooked every time!
Hot tip: Prepare chicken shawarma up to three months in advance by freezing the marinated meat. Thaw the meat in the fridge overnight, then cook as directed.
Ways To Serve
Grilled chicken shawarma is the star of the show, but I LOVE dressing it up with sides. I don’t know about you, but I need a good sauce to go with my chicken. I serve chicken shawarma with tahini sauce, garlic yogurt sauce, hummus, or tzatziki sauce (my personal fav). To get our veggies in, my family loves air fryer potato wedges and cabbage cucumber salad. While I have the grill out, I’ll usually make grilled zucchini and squash as a pairing too. Another beautiful pairing is this chickpea salad.
Want to step it up a notch? Make a classic Arabic pita pocket or wrap by stuffing sliced chicken shawarma, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles (or pickled red onions), and sauce into fresh pita bread. Or, create a bowl with the chicken over a base of rice or greens, and add your favorite toppings. Ohh… my mouth is watering already!
Storage & Reheating
I love grilled chicken shawarma so much that I’ll never pass up an opportunity to eat it. Lucky for me (and you!), the leftovers store and reheat wonderfully.
- Refrigerator: To store for 3-4 days, place the cooked and cooled chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: To store for up to three months, transfer the chicken to an airtight container or bag in the freezer. Thaw the chicken overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: For fresh and flavorful results, reheat the chicken on the stove or in the oven (covered with foil) at 400°F.
More Grilled Chicken Recipes
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken — Easy and finger-lickin’-delicious
- Grilled Chicken Kebabs — Marinated bits of chicken and onions threaded onto skewers
- Cilantro Lime Chicken — Zesty and fragrant with just a handful of ingredients
- Grilled Chicken Wings — If you love ranch dressing, these wings are for you!
- Grilled Huli Huli Chicken — Hawaiian chicken made with pineapple juice, garlic, and ginger
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs boneless & skinless
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 6 garlic cloves pressed
- 1/2 tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt adjust to preference
- 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the chicken thighs and the rest of the ingredients. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour and up to overnight.
- When you're ready to cook, preheat the grill to medium-high heat (around 375-400°F). Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and place them directly on the grill.
- Grill the thighs for about 6-8 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Serve warm with your favorite sides and enjoy!
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. Also like your grilled chicken with ranch!
Thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe. And I'm glad you liked the grilled chicken with ranch too—it’s one of my favorites!
Super easy and turned out really flavorful! I marinated it for only about 3-4 hours and it was great! Also didn’t have turmeric, but it came out fine without it!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for sharing your experience and adjustments!