Chicken Shawarma

This delicious Chicken Shawarma has juicy spiced chicken and a cool lemon dill yogurt sauce stuffed into a soft pita. It’s the perfect simple meal after a long day!

 

What is Chicken Shawarma?

Chicken Shawarma comes from the region that is now Turkey, and it is often found as delicious street food with tons of flavor. Traditionally the meat (may be lamb, chicken, turkey, etc.) is marinated and cooked on a vertical spit (like a vertical rotisserie oven), then the vender slices of pieces to be served in as a sandwich, wrap, or meal with fries, veggies, or rice. The method is similar to Greek gyros, but it’s much more heavily spiced.

For this recipe, we simplified the process and made it easily achievable in the average kitchen. Instead of long marinading and rotisserie times, we sped it up with a heavy-handed spice rub and about 13 minutes in a skillet. You get a great flavor quickly, and using chicken thighs keeps this juicy and tender.

Ingredients

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this recipe. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card.

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – These cook quickly and stay perfectly juicy. You can use chicken breasts or tenders if you prefer. 
• Spice blend made with Smoked paprika, Garlic powder, Ground Cumin, Turmeric powder, Salt, Onion powder, and Cinnamon with Oil – Extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or canola oil will all work fine.
• Pita bread rounds – We used a gluten free pita bread. You can use white or whole wheat. If you’d like to spare the carbs and gluten, wrap up in a big lettuce cup instead.
• Yogurt sauce made with Plain Greek yogurt, Dill (fresh, minced), Lemon juice, Garlic powder, Onion powder, and Salt – These combine for a creamy sauce with a fresh taste that contrasts the spicy chicken very well. If you prefer mint over dill, you could substitute that for a different flavor.
• Toppings: Shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and sliced red onion – These are optional, but they add great flavor and texture to your pita! Ingredients like this also make the meal more filling and are perfect for stretching the meal further.

How to Make Easy Chicken Shawarma

Learn how to make this simple meal with big flavors! Here’s a step-by-step guide to this amazing dish.

Season & cook chicken

Pat the chicken dry, then toss it in a large bowl with all of the seasonings to coat. Set aside. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium heat, then add your preferred cooking oil. Place the chicken thighs in the pan, making sure they have room between them for a good sear. Cook for 6-7 minutes on each side or until cooked though. Once the chicken has reached 165 degrees F, remove from pan and set aside on a plate.

Mix yogurt sauce

While chicken is cooking, mix all yogurt sauce ingredients in a bowl. If you’d like, you can make this up to 1 week ahead of time. If it needs to be thinned out, add a little more lemon juice.

Assemble pita sandwiches

Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes, then cut into thin slices. Arrange in pita with vegetables and yogurt sauce. You may choose to serve the sauce as a dip on the side or spread over the pita before placing the other toppings–This is up to you!

Serve

We love these tasty wraps with cauliflower rice (with parsley and lemon juice instead of cilantro and lime) as well as some chickpea salad or Greek cucumber salad. Consider serving additional warm pitas with hummus or whipped feta! Many people enjoy their shawarma on a plate with the pita on the side. This Air Fryer Zucchini with Feta would be a great side dish for that.

Storage and Reheating

Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3-6 months in the freezer. The yogurt sauce will also stay fresh for about a week, just make sure to keep them stored separately for the best flavors and textures. You could stuff the pita a day or so ahead of time if necessary, but I think it’s best when assembled right before eating.

To reheat, simply microwave the chicken at 50% power for 45-60 second increments. For large portions, place the chicken on a baking sheet, sprinkle with 1-2 teaspoons of water, cover with foil, and reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for 5-15 minutes (depending on how much you’re reheating and whether they are sliced already or not.

Can you freeze yogurt sauce?

If you make too much yogurt sauce and want to freeze it, you can. It will look like it has separated once it has thawed, but all you have to do is stir to bring it back together. I do feel like the flavor is best when fresh, but freezing won’t ruin it.

If you love Chicken Shawarma, you’ll love these recipes:

• Greek Chicken Wrap – This is another easy wrap, great for meal prepping lunches! The hummus and olives really take this to the next level.
• Salmon Kabobs with Greek Marinade – This would be delicious on its own or stuffed inside a pita pocket, too! Great on salad for a super healthy meal.
• Avgolemono Soup – This Greek lemon rice soup is unbelievably creamy even without any dairy! Perfect comfort food with a great nutritious boost.
• Greek Chicken Power Bowls – This is another great option if you don’t love pita! Just serve over greens for a healthy, easy meal that takes barely any time at all.
• Mediterranian Hummus Tostadas – This vegetarian recipe combines crispy, fried tortillas with creamy hummus, mild veggies, healthy chickpeas, and crumbly feta for a healthy, flavorful snack.