My go-to Chicken Shawarma recipe for busy weeknights. It’s juicy, packed with flavour, perfect for meal prep, and so versatile you’ll never get bored of it.

Introduction

If there’s one marinated chicken you’ll always find in my freezer, it’s chicken shawarma! I never seem to get tired of it because it’s incredibly versatile, perfect for meal prep, and tastes SO good. I usually make a big batch, then keep portions ready for easy lunches and dinners throughout the week.

This chicken shawarma is one of my go-to recipes because it utilises a common Asian spice to effortlessly pack it with flavour without needing a full pantry! I included directions to cook this in three ways — oven roasted, air fried, or pan fried on the stovetop — so you can use whichever method suits you best.

Serve it over rice, noodles or pastas, build your own shawarma bowls, pile it into wraps, toss it into salads… even works as a tasty high protein snack!

My favourite way of course is to enjoy it is as a chicken shawarma rice bowl: a halal-cart inspired rice bowl with yellow rice, fresh salad, creamy white sauce and spicy red sauce — which is why this recipe includes an easy yellow rice recipe as well!

Chicken shawarma rice bowls are also becoming one of my dishes to serve whenever people come over. The recipe scales up beautifully, the prep is easy, and everyone customises their own bowls! Somehow my guests always ask to take home a marinated container (or two!) for their own freezer.

I’ll show you exactly how to build a rice bowl further down in this post as well.

Jump to Recipe

What is Chicken Shawarma?

Chicken shawarma is a popular Middle Eastern dish made with thinly sliced, marinated chicken that is traditionally cooked on a vertical rotisserie. The chicken is seasoned with a fragrant blend of spices, then slowly roasted until tender before being shaved into thin slices.

You may also hear similar dishes referred to as doner kebab or simply kebab. While they are often used interchangeably, there are some differences:

Shawarma: A Middle Eastern style of vertically roasted, marinated meat, typically seasoned with warm spices, garlic and aromatics.
Doner kebab: The Turkish version of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, traditionally seasoned and shaved into thin slices.
Kebab: A broader term that refers to many different types of grilled or cooked meat dishes across the Middle East, Central Asia and beyond.

Since most of us don’t have a shawarma spit at home, this recipe utilises everyday cooking methods. Whether you roast it in the oven, cook it in the air fryer, or pan fry it on the stovetop, you’ll still end up with juicy, flavour-packed chicken that’s perfect for wraps, salads and rice bowls.

I included a chicken shawarma rice bowl version here (my fave way of serving these!). It’s the perfect all-in-one meal: juicy chicken, aromatic rice, and contrasting sauces that balance heat, creaminess, and acidity… all in one satisfying bowl.

The seasoning is wonderfully flexible too. I’ll show you my easy weeknight shawarma spice blend made with pantry staples I always have on hand, as well as a more traditional-inspired spice blend if you happen to have a better-stocked spice cabinet. Though one might argue there isn’t one definitive shawarma spice mix anyway… every region, family and shawarma shop has their own take!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Easy to make at home: No rotisserie or special equipment needed. Choose between the oven, air fryer or stovetop depending on what you have!
Big street food flavour: Juicy, smoky, spiced, and aromatic… every bite is comforting.
Perfect for meal prep: Make a big batch once and enjoy it throughout the week for quick lunches and easy dinners. Keeps beautifully for a few days and reheats well.
Feeds a crowd with ease. This recipe scales up beautifully, making it ideal for family dinners, gatherings and entertaining. Crowd-pleaser too!
Incredibly versatile. Stuff it into wraps, serve it over rice, add it to salads, or build your own halal cart-inspired chicken shawarma rice bowl.

Key Ingredients

Chicken

I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the juiciest, most flavourful results. They stay tender during cooking and reheat beautifully, making them perfect for meal prep.

If you prefer a leaner option, boneless, skinless chicken breasts work well too; just be careful not to overcook them. I like to use a mix of both to get a balance.

“Can I use bone-in chicken?” Of course, but do note to extend the cook times to fully cook the chicken.

Base Marinade

Olive Oil: Adds richness to the marinade and helps the spices coat the chicken evenly while encouraging better browning during cooking.

Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the chicken its bold savoury flavour. Don’t be shy here! Alternatively garlic powder works just as well.

Onion Paste: Completely optional, but it adds another layer of savoury sweetness to the marinade. I use it whenever I have some on hand. Alternatively use onion powder.

Tomato Paste: One of my favourite additions. It adds a subtle rich tang, enhances the colour of the chicken, and helps create caramelised, lightly charred edges. If you’re up for a deeper, roasted, spicier flavour, use dried chilli paste instead.

Plain Yogurt: Use only a small amount here. It helps tenderize the chicken to let the spices absorb better. Do not add too much otherwise it will prevent proper seasoning absorption, and prevents the chicken from searing or roasting well. In short: too much yoghurt = tasteless chicken that won’t brown!

Lemon Juice: Brightens the entire marinade and balances the richness of the spices.

Honey: Not a common ingredient, but it balances the acidity from the tomato paste and lemon while helping the chicken caramelise beautifully. The amount here won’t make the chicken taste overwhelmingly sweet; it simply rounds out all the flavours.

My Go-To Shawarma Spice Blend

When I first started making chicken shawarma at home, I wasn’t about to buy half a dozen new spices just for one recipe. Like many home cooks, I simply worked with what I already had in my pantry.

One spice blend I always had was: garam masala.

And it turns out it’s a fantastic shortcut! Many garam masala blends already contain warm spices commonly found in shawarma seasoning, such as cumin, coriander, cardamom and cinnamon.

So with a few extra additions like paprika, turmeric and a dash more cumin (incidentally a staple in Malay cooking anyway!) to push this into shawarma territory than tandoori, I had a delicious homemade shawarma spice blend without needing to buy anything special.

A More Traditional-Inspired Shawarma Spice Blend

Fast forward a few years, and my spice cupboard looks… very different. One of the side effects of being a recipe developer is ending up with more spices than you know what to do with! These days, I have fun experimenting with different shawarma blends depending on my mood, and I rarely make it exactly the same way twice.

If I were to make it the more ‘authentic way’:

For 1 kg (2.2 lbs) chicken:

1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp cayenne pepper or chilli powder (adjust to taste)
1 tsp dried oregano (optional, but I like it)
2 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

ALTERNATIVELY: You can get ready-made shawarma spice mixes! There’s so many available in the market, if you’re not ready to buy a bunch of spices to store in your pantry. Check the directions on the packet first, and adjust accordingly to fit the recipe (i.e. uses 1kg of chicken). If the premix has salt, be sure to adjust the additional salt levels too.

Key Steps to Making the Best Chicken Shawarma

1. Marinate the Chicken

The magic of chicken shawarma is all in the marinade!

Make the shawarma spice mix first.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the marinade ingredients and most of the shawarma spice mix, saving about 2 teaspoons for the rice. If you’re not planning to make the rice, feel free to use up the whole batch in your marinade!

Add the chicken and coat evenly.

OPTION TO MARINADE: No need to stress about marinating, this chicken will still turn out flavourful! That said, if you have time to spare, give it 30 minutes, or even overnight, for a deeper, richer flavour.

2. Cook the Chicken (3 ways!)

Cook the chicken in the oven, air fryer or on the stovetop until cooked through with golden, slightly charred edges. The key is to avoid overcrowding so the chicken can brown properly instead of steaming.

My go-to is the air fryer for small portions, but if making bigger portions, the oven is the way to go.

For oven-roasted:

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Place a lightly oiled baking tray in the oven while it heats up.

Carefully remove the hot tray from the oven. Arrange the marinated chicken in a single layer — you should hear a light sizzle as the chicken hits the tray.

NOTE: Doing this preheated tray method will get you caramelised chicken as there’s an immediate sear when the chicken hits the surface.

Roast for 30–35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, golden and slightly charred around the edges. Flipping halfway is optional, but not necessary.

For extra colour and those signature charred edges, broil/grill on high for 3–5 minutes at the end.

For directions on air frying and stovetop pan frying, see recipe card below.

3. Rest and Slice the Chicken

Once cooked, let the chicken rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing.

This small step makes a big difference! Resting allows the juices to redistribute, keeping the chicken tender and juicy instead of dry.

Slice the chicken into thin strips, similar to traditional shawarma slices. Serve in any of your preferred way!

Don’t slice the chicken before cooking. While traditional shawarma is shaved from a cooked stack of meat, slicing raw chicken too thin at home can cause it to dry out quickly. Cooking the chicken whole first gives you much juicier results.

How to Build the Perfect Shawarma Rice Bowl

One of my favourite ways to enjoy this chicken shawarma is as a hearty rice bowl. It has everything you could want in one meal: juicy spiced chicken, fluffy rice, fresh vegetables, and plenty of creamy, spicy sauce.

The best part? Turning this into a rice bowl only takes a couple of extra steps while the chicken is cooking. Plus, you can use the same shawarma spice blend for both the chicken and the rice.

Make the Spiced Yellow Rice

You can absolutely serve this chicken with plain steamed rice, but if you want the full street-food inspired experience, make a batch of easy spiced yellow rice.

My go-to method is using the rice cooker:

Turn on the rice cooker and add ghee or butter.
Once melted, add any leftover shawarma spice blend with an extra pinch of turmeric for that signature golden colour. Stir until fragrant.
Add rinsed basmati rice, salt, and chicken bouillon powder (if using). Stir until the rice is evenly coated.
Add water according to your rice cooker instructions. Give everything another stir, then level the rice for even cooking.
Close the lid and cook using the regular white rice setting.

The Sauces

For the full street-style experience, don’t skip the sauces! The sauces are what bring the entire bowl together. They add creaminess, freshness and a contrast to the warm, spiced chicken and rice.

For the full halal-cart inspired experience, serve with plenty of creamy White Sauce and spicy Red Sauce. My homemade versions are quick to make and can be prepared ahead of time — I actually love keeping a batch in the fridge ready to go.

The creamy white sauce balances the warm spices beautifully, while the red sauce packs adjustable heat to your plate.

My Easy White and Red Sauce!

While everything cooks, whip up my Creamy White Sauce and Spicy Red Sauce! They take 5 minutes and taste even better after chilling.
You can find the full recipes here.

Other Sauce Alternatives:

My Go-To Garlic Yoghurt Sauce (5 Minutes, 5 Ingredients!)

My High Protein Greek Yoghurt Sauce That I Put on EVERYTHING!

Any of my Sambal, diluted with water to make it drizzle-able!

Extra lazy or need to eat ASAP?

No problem. Use the shortcuts:

White sauce: mayonnaise (or mix with a squeeze of lemon if you want it a little brighter)
Red sauce: sriracha/hot sauce

It won’t be exactly the same as the homemade versions, but it gets the job done when you need a quick and tasty meal.

Add Fresh Vegetables

Turn this into a complete meal with veggies! Go classic and simple with finely sliced cabbage, cucumbers and tomatoes for freshness and crunch.

Alternatively, roast some vegetables to serve on the side.

If you can get your hands on pickles, the tang is refreshingly good!

Assemble Your Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowl

Here’s how I like to build mine:

Start with a generous layer of warm yellow rice (or plain rice, if you prefer).
Add sliced chicken shawarma on top.
Pile on the fresh vegetables.
Drizzle generously with white sauce and red sauce.
Finish with fresh parsley and any extras you like, such as pickles.

The result is a satisfying bowl with everything in one bite: juicy spiced chicken, fragrant rice, crunchy vegetables, creamy sauce and a little heat. YUM.

More Ways to Serve Chicken Shawarma

While I love serving this chicken as a shawarma rice bowl, that’s only the beginning. One of the reasons I always keep a batch in my fridge is because it’s so versatile. Here are some of my favourite ways to enjoy it throughout the week:

Wrap It Up

Stuff the chicken into pita bread, Lebanese flatbread or even tortillas with lettuce, tomatoes and plenty of white sauce and red sauce. It’s an easy lunch or weeknight dinner that comes together in minutes.

Build a Big Salad

For a lighter meal, serve the chicken as a delicious protein over a generous bowl of lettuce with my favourite set of vegetables. Drizzle over the white sauce or my high protein dressing!

Meal Prep Bowls

Portion the chicken into containers with rice and vegetables for easy lunches throughout the week. Keep the sauces separate until you’re ready to eat for the freshest results.

Make a Shawarma Platter

Serving guests? Arrange the chicken on a large platter with yellow rice, pita bread, fresh salad, pickles and plenty of sauces. It’s an easy, fuss-free meal that everyone can customise.

Stuff It Into Sandwiches or Pitas

Leftover chicken also makes a fantastic sandwich filling. Warm the chicken, pile it into crusty bread or pita with crunchy vegetables and plenty of sauce for a quick lunch.

By the way, I have an easy recipe for homemade pitas here!

… As a Standalone SnacK!

And if I may be completely honest… I sometimes eat this chicken shawarma straight from the fridge as a snack. Don’t judge!

The chicken is so flavourful on its own that it doesn’t always need a full meal built around it. A few slices of of cold chicken shawarma (or air fried if I can be bothered) with a little extra sauce is a pretty satisfying high-protein snack when you’re feeling peckish.

Tips & Tricks

Use chicken thighs: The fattier bits help the chicken stay juicy and flavourful after cooking. Even when I use lean chicken breast, I’d include chicken thighs. It really helps with the juiciness.
Batch it: Double (or triple!) the recipe and store portions throughout the week! Great for easy lunches.
Don’t overcrowd the pan or tray: Whether you’re cooking the chicken in the oven, air fryer or stovetop, give the chicken enough space to brown properly. If the pieces are packed too closely together, they will release moisture and steam instead of developing those delicious caramelised edges. If you’re making a larger batch, cook in batches rather than piling everything together.
Slice the chicken after cooking: For the juiciest chicken, cook the pieces whole first, then slice them after resting. This helps the chicken retain its juices and gives you tender slices instead of dry, shredded meat.
Adjust the spice blend to your taste: Like many spice blends, there is no single “correct” version. Different shawarma shops have their own recipes. Feel free to adjust the chilli, cumin or garam masala depending on your preference and pantry. Once you have a favourite blend, make a batch of it and store in jars!

Storing & Freezing

Keep leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

For the best texture, store the chicken, rice and sauces separately. This keeps the chicken from becoming soggy and allows you to reheat everything properly.

Freezing

Chicken shawarma freezes very well – both marinated and cooked versions! It’s perfect for batch cooking.

To freeze uncooked, marinated chicken:

Portion into freezer-safe containers or bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge before cooking. Remove any excess liquid that may have been released in the defrosting process.

To freeze cooked chicken:

Allow the cooked chicken to cool completely, then portion into freezer-safe containers or bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.

To make future meals even easier, you can also freeze the chicken in individual portions so you can quickly defrost exactly what you need.

Reheating Instructions

Chicken Shawarma

Air fryer (my favourite method): Reheat at 180°C (350°F) for 3–5 minutes until warmed through. This helps bring back some of the beautifully charred edges.

Stovetop: Warm the chicken in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water or a little oil to prevent it from drying out.

Microwave: Place chicken in a microwave-safe container and cover. Heat in short intervals until warmed through.

Yellow Rice

Steam: Place rice in heatproof plate or container. Steam for about 5 minutes until heated through.

Microwave: Reheat rice in the microwave with a splash of water and cover it with a damp paper towel or lid. This helps restore moisture and keeps the rice fluffy.

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Recipe by Sha

5.0 from 3 votes

Course: Recipes

Servings

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servings

Prep time

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Cooking time