Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Make authentic Egyptian chicken shawarma at home — juicy, aromatic, and layered with bold Middle Eastern spices. This easy recipe brings the flavors of Cairo’s shawarma stalls to your kitchen, with oven and stovetop methods for perfectly charred, flavorful results.

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Recipe at a Glance 

Cuisine: Egyptian Cuisine
Primary Cooking Method: Stove Top or oven Chicken
Key Flavor: Warm, garlicky, and spiced with cumin, paprika, and vinegar
Skill Level: Easy to Intermediate

Every time I host friends from different cultures, I love setting up a chicken shawarma bar — warm rolls, garlicky sauce, pickles, and spice-perfumed chicken. It reminds me how shawarma isn’t just food, but a bridge between homes. For a deeper look at how shawarma has been adapted and embraced in Egypt’s street‐food scene, check out this piece: Egypt – The Shawarma Dispute by Orient XXI. 

Ingredients & Substitutions

Chicken Thighs

Spices

Minced Garlic

Buttermilk

• Chicken: Use deboned chicken thighs alone or mix them with chicken breasts — all thinly sliced for juicy, flavorful Shawarma.
• Spices: A fragrant blend of cumin, coriander, paprika, sumac, cardamom, and cinnamon that gives Shawarma its irresistible warmth and depth.
• Bread: Use tortilla, saj, or shrak bread to wrap and hold the filling beautifully. Alternatively, try a soft roll such as our San Giovannni bread recipe. 
• Garlic: Always use freshly crushed garlic for the boldest flavor.
• Sauces: Tahini sauce and toumiya (Egyptian garlic sauce) pair wonderfully with Shawarma.
• Buttermilk: Don’t have any on hand? Just mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar to make a quick homemade substitute.

Tips to Make the Best Homemade Chicken Shawarma

• Marinate Overnight: Let the chicken soak in the marinade for at least 3 ours to overnight to absorb all the spices and citrus notes for maximum flavor.
• Use Thighs for Juiciness: Chicken thighs stay tender and flavorful even after high-heat cooking — ideal for that authentic street-style texture.
• Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: Cook the chicken in batches so it sears beautifully and develops that signature caramelized crust.
• Oven Cooking Tip: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and also preheat the baking pan before adding the chicken. This ensures even cooking and helps the Shawarma develop a golden, slightly charred crust.
• Add a Smoky Finish: Infuse the cooked Shawarma with charcoal smoke for a few minutes to mimic the flavor of rotisserie-grilled meat.  

What to Serve With  Shawarma 

• Saj bread  (flatbread)
• Toum (garlic spread)
•  Pickles

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Yes, you can, but thighs are juicier and stay tender during high-heat cooking. Mixing both works well too.

2. How long should I marinate the chicken?
For best results, marinate at least 3 hours, but overnight in the fridge will give maximum flavor.

3. Can I cook Shawarma in the oven?
Absolutely. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and preheat the baking pan before adding the chicken to get a golden, slightly charred crust.

4. What bread works best for Shawarma?
Saj, shrek, or soft tortillas are ideal for wrapping; pita or flatbreads also work well.

5. Can I make Shawarma ahead of time?
You can prep the marinade and chicken a day ahead. Cooked Shawarma is best eaten fresh but can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.

6. What sauces go best with Shawarma?
Toum (Egyptian garlic sauce) and tahini are classic choices. You can also add a drizzle of yogurt or hot sauce if desired.

7. How can I get the smoky flavor at home?
Use the charcoal-smoke technique on a heatproof dish or lightly broil the chicken for a smoky, rotisserie-style flavor.

More Chicken Recipes 

• Negresco (Egyptian Chicken-Pasta Bake)
• Ferakh Bel Batates (Chicken-Potato Bake)
• Easy Spicy Chicken Pie 
• Roz Moa’mar Bel Ferakh (Chicken-Rice Bake)
• Keshk Almaz (Egyptian Savory Chicken Pudding)
• Air Fryer Zaatar Chicken 
• Chicken Shawarma
• Egyptian Lemon Mustard Chicken 
• Easy Duck a L’ Orange 
• Chipotle Turkey 

Best Homemade Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Nermine Mansour

Chicken Shawarma fills the air with the irresistible aroma of warm spices—garlic, cumin, paprika, and a hint of tangy vinegar. Each bite bursts with juicy, spiced chicken wrapped in a smoky char, offering a perfect balance of tenderness and crisp edges.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Broil Time 3 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 3 minutes mins

Course lunch

Cuisine Egyptian

Servings 6 people

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Equipment

• Non stick baking Pan
• Cast Iron Griddle

Ingredients

  

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• ▢ 1 Kg deboned chicken thighs only or along withchicken breasts , cut into 1-inch strips

For the Marinade

• ▢ ½ cup buttermilk, or 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
• ▢ ½ cup olive oil, or avocado or canola oil
• ▢ ¼ cup lemon or lime juice
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon mild pepper paste, optional
• ▢ 1 teaspoon harissa, optional
• ▢ ½ cup orange juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses or date molasses , optional
• ▢ 1 tablespoon orange zest
• ▢ 1 tablespoon onion powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Himalayan salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or white pepper
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon curry

For assembling the Shawarma Wrap

• ▢ 1 medium red onion , thinly sliced
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• ▢ ¼ cup tomato, seeded and sliced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sumac
• ▢ Saj bread, Shrek bread or tortilla , flatbread
• ▢ Toum (garlic spread), recipe follows
• ▢ cucumber pickles
• ▢ French fries

Toum (aka toumeya)

• ▢ 1 ½ cup water
• ▢ ½ cup cornflour
• ▢ 5 whole gloves garlic
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more if needed
• ▢ ¼ to ½ cup canola oil or vegetable oil

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Instructions

 

Step 2: Marinade the Chicken

• Add all the marinade ingredients to the container of a food processor and blitz a few times until the marinade has the consistency of a paste. Add the marinate to the chicken. With gloved hands, thoroughly coat the chicken pieces with the marinade. Cover the marinated chicken with plastic film and place it in the fridge for three hours and up to one day. See notes for a tip.

Set 2: Cook the Chicken

• Place a griddle over medium heat on the stovetop and brush or spray it with canola oil. Once hot, add the chicken in a single layer. Avoid flipping the chicken until it releases easily from the griddle.

  Alternatively, you can cook the marinated chicken in the oven. Transfer it to a preheated nonstick baking pan and bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for another 15 minutes. Finally, broil for 2–3 minutes until lightly charred, then remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Step 3: Infuse the Shawarma with Smoke

• For an authentic shawarma experience, spread the cooked shawarma on a large, flat dish, leaving space in the center. Heat a piece of charcoal until it becomes red-hot or turns ash gray, and warm some vegetable oil separately. Place the charcoal in the center of the dish, then carefully drizzle the hot oil over it. As soon as the charcoal begins to release smoke, quickly cover the dish with foil and let the chicken absorb the smoky flavor.

Step 4: Assemble the Shawarma Warp

• Mix well he thinly sliced onions with the sumac and parsley.
• Customize your wrap however you like. Traditionally, spread toum evenly over the bread, then arrange the chicken shawarma near one edge and add the pickles and the French fries. Roll the wrap tightly, then slice it in half with a sharp knife. Place each half, seam side down, in a panini press and cook until you hear a satisfying sizzle and see golden grill marks. Flip and toast the other side until evenly crisp and charred.
• Serve: Chicken Shawarma is best served hot almond with all  the trimmings.

Make the Toum Spread

• In a deep, heat-resistant pan, dilute the cornflour in water. Place the pan over low to medium heat and stir continuously until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency. Allow it to cool completely.

  Add the garlic and lemon juice to a blender and blend until the garlic is fully pulverized and well incorporated into the juice. Add the cooled cornflour mixture and continue blending. While the blender is running, slowly drizzle in the oil to emulsify it into the cornflour base. Once the spread becomes completely smooth and reaches a mayonnaise-like consistency, stop the blender. Transfer the toum to a deep serving bowl using a spatula and set aside.

Nermine's Notes

1. Use chicken thighs for juiciness: Thighs stay tender and flavorful, even when cooked at high heat. You can mix in some chicken breast for a leaner balance.
2. Marinate overnight: The longer the chicken sits in its yogurt, lemon, and spice marinade, the deeper the flavor. Two to three hours is good — overnight is best.
3. Preheat your pan ond oven: Starting with high heat helps mimic the sear and char of shawarma cooked on a vertical spit.
4. Slice the chicken thinly: Thin, uniform slices absorb the marinade better and cook evenly, creating that signature shawarma texture.

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Keyword chicken recipes, chicken shawarma