Jump to Recipe
Do you have 20 minutes to cook dinner tonight? Want a flavorful chicken recipe that's loved by the whole family? Great. You need to make this Easy Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma. This delicious, flavorful, juicy chicken is so simple to make. It will take you right back to the streets of Syria.
Chicken shawarma, the ever-popular Middle Eastern dish, creates so many feelings of nostalgia for its scents and flavors. Stacks of marinated meat roll on a vertical spit over open flame in shops throughout the region. The juices running down the meat give off such an intense aroma that’s impossible to resist for any passerby. When ordered, the meat is shaved into a flatbread, ladened with pickles, maybe fries, and your choice between a garlic white sauce called toum or a tahini sauce, all wrapped for easy meals on the go.
To be honest, it’s hard to replicate it exactly when making chicken shawarma at home. There’s something about the smell of fatty meat mixed with car exhaust that makes it especially unique. But, we can make a homemade chicken shawarma that's deliciously inspired by the real thing. The best part is that it's perfect for a busy night and really easy to multiply into a big batch for meal prep.
You’ll start by combining boneless skinless chicken thighs, quartered chopped onions, spices, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. You can leave them to marinade overnight in the fridge or not, depending on how much time you have. It’s delicious either way. Then, roast the chicken all in the oven for about 20 minutes. That’s seriously it! Shred and enjoy with yogurt garlic sauce, sliced pickles, and sliced cucumbers. You can add it in pita pockets, salad, or rice (here I used homemade naan).
Ingredients
Chicken Thighs
For the very best results, use boneless skinless chicken thighs for its higher fat content. If you only have chicken breasts, it will do, but it will just be more flavorful with thighs. Boneless/skinless saves a lot of time in the oven, but if you prefer bone-in, adjust for cooking times.
Onions
I’m going to say it: onion are the most underrated allium. Quartering them, marinating, and roasting them with the chicken gives them such an incredible flavor. You can sub red onion for the brown onion.
Olive Oil
Fruity olive oil adds a really nice flavor and also helps draw out some of the fat-soluble flavors of the onions and garlic.
Lemon Juice
You simply cannot have a Syrian-inspired marinade without lemon juice. The brightness is a truly signature flavor of the region. I always recommend juicing a bunch of lemons for the week using an electric juicer, which you can store in a jar in the fridge.
Garlic
Chicken and garlic are like a match made in heaven. Seriously, every chicken dish should have some form of garlic. If you don't have fresh garlic, add garlic powder to the marinade.
The Spices
Warm spices like paprika, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper add so much delicious flavor. The cayenne is 100% optional, but it does add another depth of flavor without too much heat. You can also add red pepper flakes or hot sauce if you choose.
Bread
You can use any favorite flatbread for these sandwiches. I really love homemade naan (recipe from Half Baked Harvest), but of course store-bought Arabic or pita bread works wonderfully (and is more traditional).
Yogurt
Plain yogurt is the base to your creamy white sauce for your sandwiches. With a little bit of smashed raw garlic, lemon juice, and salt, you’ll want to use it for all sandwiches to come.
Pickles
Pickled turnips, Arabic-style, or dill pickles offer such a wonderful acidity to break up the richness from the meat, spices, and yogurt. They also have the most refreshing crunch.
Equipment
No special equipment required!
Sheet Pan/Baking Sheet
You will need 1 half sheet pan to bake the chicken. My favorite is Nordic Ware because of its durability (find my kitchen equipment must haves here).
Large Bowl/Zip Top Bag
You need either a large bowl (covered with plastic wrap) or a zip top bag for your chicken and marinade.
Slotted Spoon
A slotted spoon helps you to scoop up chicken pieces onto sandwiches or bowls without excess juices.
Method
This method is seriously so simple and easy to follow. First preheat the oven and combine all your marinade ingredients in a large bowl, along with the chicken. You can choose to refrigerate it up to 1-2 days if you’re meal prepping, leave out on the counter up to an hour, or cook right away. Then, roast the chicken in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
While the chicken cooks, combine the white sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and assemble your sandwich accompaniments, getting your bread, fresh veggies and pickles ready.
Once it's cooked through with an internal temperature of 165° F, leave it to rest in its own juices before shredding or slicing into bite-size pieces. You can reheat it for a few minutes if it’s cooled. And enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4-5 days.
I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, don’t forget to put it in the comments so everyone knows how it worked out. I also love to see your creations! You can tag me on social media at #omayahcooks, @omayah.atassi on Instagram, @omayahcooks on Pinterest, and @omayahatassiphoto on Facebook.
Recipes like this often make it onto my monthly meal prep guides. I map out the month with a calendar, recipes, and weekly grocery lists to make cooking super streamlined for you. Be sure to sign up to get the next one to your inbox.
More chicken recipes:
The Juiciest Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken with Mushrooms
Syrian Lemon Chicken Soup (Shorbat Tarbiya)
Fattet Jaj (Chicken with Crispy Pita, Warmed Yogurt and Rice)
More keto/paleo/gluten free recipes:
Cauliflower Rice Kibbeh
Aleppo Pepper and Citrus Marinated Salmon
Za’atar and Aleppo Pepper Roast Chicken
Eggplant and Tomato Casserole (Mnazelet Betinjan)
Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 onions, quartered
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1/2 c olive oil
- 1/4 c lemon juice, from about 1-2 lemons
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp coriander
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cayenne/crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1 c plain, full-fat yogurt
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- Naan, pita, or Arabic bread
- Pickles
- Raw veggies (cucumbers, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, etc.)
Instructions
- Combine the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and seasoning in a large bowl. Add the chicken and onions and toss to combine. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight, or for 1 hour at room temperature (can also be done in a zip top bag).
- Preheat oven to 425° F/220° C. Empty chicken, onion, and marinade onto a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Roast for about 15-20 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 165° F/73° C.
- Meanwhile, combine the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Prepare sandwich components
- Once chicken is ready, take it out of the oven and wait until cool enough to handle. Shred and return back to the baking sheet with any drippings. Reheat for about 10 minutes. OR If you simply can't do that step, slice with a carving knife and fork while still hot, and serve.
- Slather your bread with white sauce, top with chicken, pickles, and veggies to your heart's content. Enjoy!
