The marinade for this Chicken Shawarma has to be the very best marinade I’ve ever made. Ever. It’s so good that I want to use it on everything! If you’ve never had a shawarma wrap before, the flavor is an interesting mix of savory garlic and sweet spices, topped with a tangy yogurt sauce and wrapped in soft flatbread. It’s pure magic and much easier to make at home than you think.
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What Is Chicken Shawarma?
Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish traditionally made from marinated meat that’s slow-roasted on a rotating spit. Lamb is a popular choice, but for my recipe, I use chicken because it’s a more accessible and budget-friendly option. I don’t have a rotating spit at home (and I’m assuming you don’t either!), so my take on this traditional recipe involves marinating the chicken and then cooking it on a grill. Mix warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves with yogurt, and let the chicken marinate in it for AT LEAST 4 hours. I even use the marinade in my roasted potato wedges with shawarma sauce recipe—so good!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this grilled chicken shawarma recipe:
- Chicken Breasts: I used 2 large chicken breasts as that’s what I had to hand, but chicken thighs will also work! The fattiness of the thighs will make these wraps taste a little more like the traditional rotisserie version, too. The marinade will work for about 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Garlic: Adds the best flavor to the marinade and yogurt sauce.
- Plain Yogurt: For marinating the chicken.
- Greek Yogurt: This makes the sauce that goes on top of your chicken and veggies. It’s tangy and creamy and compliments the spices in the marinade perfectly.
- Seasonings: The seasoning for chicken shawarma can vary slightly depending on who you ask, but for this recipe, I use cinnamon, dried oregano, salt, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves. I also use a sprinkling of dried dill in the yogurt sauce to give it a tzatziki-like flavor.
- Lemon Juice: A must for tenderizing the chicken and adding some acidity to the marinade.
- Naan, Pita, or Flatbread: Use whatever you can get your hands on, but I love the soft and chewy texture of naan.
- Salad: Romaine lettuce, cucumber, and Roma tomatoes are my favorites for these wraps.
Serving Suggestions
I made this grilled chicken shawarma with the intention of making sandwich wraps, but then I started topping salads with it and eventually just snacked on the chicken plain. It’s just that good. I even divided the ingredient list in case you want to use the marinade for something else because even if you don’t want the wrap, you NEED to at least try the chicken.
That said, here are some delicious sides to pair with your wrap:
- Grilled vegetables
- White bean hummus
- Quinoa tabbouleh
- Cumin rice
- Air Fryer French fries
- Baba ganoush
Do I Need to Use a Grill?
Don’t worry if you don’t have a grill; this chicken comes out just as delicious when cooked in a skillet. It won’t have the char marks, but it’ll still taste amazing. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and cooked through!
Storage Instructions
Leftover cooked shawarma chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, pop it back in the grill or pan until heated through. The yogurt sauce can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I’d store everything separately and assemble when ready to eat.
Chicken Shawarma Recipe
Servings 4Ingredients
CHICKEN & MARINADE
- 2 large chicken breasts (1.25 lbs) ($2.48)
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt ($0.25)
- 1 Tbsp garlic, minced ($0.36)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.32)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon ($0.03)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.03)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves ($0.03)
YOGURT SAUCE
- 7 oz cup plain greek yogurt ($1.59)
- 1/4 tsp garlic, minced ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp dried dill ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
SANDWICH
- 4 homemade naan, pita or flatbread ($0.64)
- 1/2 head romaine lettuce ($0.80)
- 1 medium cucumber ($0.69)
- 2 medium roma tomatoes ($0.63)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the marinade (yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cinnamon, oregano, salt, nutmeg, and clove). Add chicken to the marinade, coat well, cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours. If desired, slice the chicken into strips before marinating to maximize the flavor.
- Prepare the yogurt sauce for the sandwiches. Open a 7 oz. container of plain greek yogurt and stir in the garlic, dill, and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- After marinating the chicken, grill until cooked through (I use a George Foreman, cooked for about 7 minutes).
- After it's grilled, let it sit for a few minutes to let the juices redistribute and then slice it into strips (if not already sliced).
- To make the yogurt sauce for the sandwich, stir some dried dill, minced garlic, and salt into a container of plain greek yogurt.
- (Optional) Refrigerate the sauce to allow the flavor to soak into the yogurt.
- Prepare the vegetables for the sandwich. Chop, rinse, and drain the lettuce in a colander. Wash and slice the cucumber and tomato.
- Build the sandwiches. Spread the yogurt sauce on your flat bread, top with the chicken and vegetables. Roll the sandwich closed. You can wrap the sandwich in foil to help it stay closed as you eat.
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Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos.
Pictured with Marinated White Beans.
How to Make Chicken Shawarma – Step By Step Photos
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the marinade (1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp ground clove).
Add 2 large chicken breasts to the marinade, coat well, cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours. If desired, slice the chicken into strips before marinating to maximize the flavor.
After marinating the chicken, grill until cooked through (I use a George Foreman, cooked for about 7 minutes).
After it’s grilled, let it sit for a few minutes to let the juices redistribute and then slice it into strips (if not already sliced).
To make the yogurt sauce for the sandwich, stir 1/4 tsp dried dill, 1/4 Tbsp minced garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt into a 7 oz container of plain greek yogurt.
(Optional) Refrigerate the sauce to allow the flavor to soak into the yogurt.
Prepare the vegetables for the sandwich. Chop, rinse, and drain 1/2 head Romaine lettuce in a colander. Wash and slice the 1 medium cucumber and 2 medium Roma tomatoes.
Build the chicken shawarma sandwiches. Spread the yogurt sauce on your flat bread, top with the chicken and vegetables. Roll the sandwich closed. You can wrap the sandwich in foil to help it stay closed as you eat.
I used chicken thighs and cooked in my cast iron because no grill and it was perfect. Served with flat bread, whole roasted cauliflower, and yogurt.
My husband and I are obsessed with this and keep it in our regular rotation. The garlic sauce is my husband’s favorite. I was skeptical at first (cinnamon? In CHICKEN?) but it really works and is so flavorful. I make mine with the israeli salad recipe from Tori Avey (usually scaled down for portion sizing). We cook it on our panini press (basically a giant George Foreman). This is definitely a winner.
Question, why do you cook the bread in a panni press? To warm, or crisp it?
I have a panni press & like different ideas for using it.
Also, I have a small, 4″ waffle maker & could use it to make heat/crisp small shawarma bread for appetizers.
Hi Joyce, I can only speak for myself but it’s the chicken that I cook in the George Foreman, not the bread. I don’t want to use my grill all the time, and I find that the press does a great job of cooking the chicken through.
I just found your page and already it’s a hit! I wish I found it a long time ago. Meals for me are tough I’m not the world’s best cook🙄😬lol also with boys I’m on a budget but need to fill them! Everything I’ve made from your site has been raved about, but these were hands down everyone’s favourite 😍
I dont have a “foreman” so instead I did them stovetop 3 min a side and they were perfect!!!! Amazing thank you
Made this tonight and had to come back and leave a comment–it was delicious! I didn’t have naan or pita in the house (and didn’t want to make it), so I sliced some focaccia we had, drizzled w/ a little olive oil, and grilled them after I finished the chicken. It made for a very messy but delicious open-faced sandwich. Thanks, Beth, for the solid recipes time after time.
Has anyone tried making this with bone in thighs? I supposed I could de-bone them, but it seems like too much extra work for a busy mom…
I have made this before with boneless thighs and it was such a hit. Love it! Many thanks!
You’d need to remove the bone before adding it to the wrap anyway, so I think your best bet is to just debone them before cooking.
Can the chicken be broiled in the oven? No grill…
I would probably do it in a hot skillet instead of the broiler. You’ll have more control over the browning.
This recipe is in my regular rotation of BB recipes. I always chop up the chicken so it gets more marinade up the garlic in the sauce. This time I didn’t have cucumber so I subbed spinach for both that and the lettuce. So good!
This is one of my favorite recipes of yours! I’m about to pop out a baby and trying to do some freezer prep– think this would freeze okay or would the yogurt do something weird? I can’t decide.
Thanks!
Hmm, I’m actually not sure how the yogurt would react to freezing and thawing, but the vegetables will definitely be a problem. The water in the plant cells will freeze and burst the cell walls, so they’ll get limp and watery upon thawing.
Honestly I am floored by how good and authentic this tastes. I’m trying to save money by not eating out so much, and now I won’t have to worry when I crave some chicken shawarma! Couple things to try if you’re looking for variation — instead of the yogurt sauce, try mixing fresh minced garlic with mayo and using that instead, and topping a naan bread with the chicken, sauce, and thinish sliced baby dill pickles. Not as healthy, but a family favorite!
Will try this
My thirteen year old loved it and ensured there were no leftovers of your naan bread or this chicken recipe.
This is a great recipe, it would be great to see Beth update it with new photos and the slight adjustments she sometimes makes to old recipes! ;)
This one is definitely on my list! ;)
This is by far the BEST recipe I have tried from Pinterest. I’ve made this so many times that I can’t count. I was just coming back on for the recipe to marinate the chicken for tonight’s dinner. My family loves this so much! I like to serve it with your yougurt sauce and a side salad of tomato and cucumber tossed with a little vinegar and oil, topped with feta if we have it. Sometimes we do your naan or without when cutting carbs, which is great for keto! Love, love, love this, thank you!!
Tasted delicious! My only problem (which is solely my problem because I drifted from the directions), was that the marinade fell off from the chicken when I cooked it. But this was my experience cooking it on a skillet. Still, the flavor was there, but the next time I attempt this recipe I’ll use my bbq!
We paired it with your pita bread, which was a trial by error, but overall delicious! Such a great meal that felt homemade and yet simple. :)
i have ras el hanout – how much would you recommend using in place of the spices in the recipe? thanks!
This looks really good but my grocery store doesn’t sell small pots of plain yogurt, only giant tubs. Can I substitute Greek yogurt for the marinade with the same result?
Yes you definitely can. You can also freeze yogurt in portions too if you won’t make it through the larger tubs.
Sour cream works to,buttermilk
The marinaded chicken is sooooo good! Like really good! I took one bite, and instantly knew this was going to be a go-to, easy chicken recipe for me. The flavors from the different spices play so well, together; don’t be intimidated. I don’t have a grill or a George Foreman Grill, so I sauteed them in a pan, and they turned out juicy and lovely! I made these into bowls with rice for my meals this week, and I already know I won’t get sick of them by the end of the week. I added extra garlic to my yogurt sauce, which is also A+++. Thanks for a great recipe for regular old chicken breasts! I think this would be even more delicious with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which I will be trying soon, too!
If you are on the fence as to whether this recipe is your jam, don’t make it. All you can taste is the cinnamon. There is nothing subtle about it. Trying to save others the expense/effort in getting rid of the chicken because nobody will eat it.
You put to much cinnamon. This recipe is 👍🏾. I suggest you try it again make two one without and 1 with and compare.
This was so good! I don’t have a grill so I just heated it in a pan and shredded the chicken. Came out great! I had just made Tzatziki so I used that instead of the sauce here… but it’s very similar to what the recipe says (easy swap!). Will definitely be making this again.
This is awesome, we loved it. Beth never disappoints us, I always look thru her recipes first when I’m creating my shopping list.
What would you do if you don’t have a grill? Could you use an oven or a skillet?
Yes, you sure can. :)
Hi Beth! I’m just wondering how to make this dish if you didn’t have access to a grill or a George Foreman — would one use a sauté pan, or could perhaps one bake it instead? What would the proper steps be? Thanks so much, I’m really looking forward to making this!!
I would do it in a skillet. You can just cook the chicken on each side until browned and cooked through (the total time will depend on the size of the chicken pieces and your cookware, so you’ll have to play it by ear a bit). I would just use medium heat, but again every stove top is a bit different, so you may need to play around with it a bit. :)
I rarely comment on blogs or recipes but I am so obsessed with this dish, I have made it multiple times and it comes out delish each time. LOVE LOVE LOVE! the naan recipe is awesome too. Thank you!
Do you heat up the pita/naan?
You certainly could if you wanted to.
I normally wouldn’t comment on a recipe so old, but I just had to here! The marinade for the chicken is so good that I’ve started to make it weekly to include in my lunches. This week, I used thighs instead of breasts, though, and I have to say that, as someone who lived in the Middle East, that really made it VERY close to shawarma instead of just an insanely good marinade. Since shawarma is usually made with dark meat, I was surprised I hadn’t thought of it before. So, I definitely recommend boneless skinless thighs for a more “authentic” (I try not to use that word, especially in regard to Middle Eastern cuisine, but I don’t have a better one) dish. :)
Keep up the good work, Beth! I love the blog!
My husband requests this weekly! So easy and delicious!
Just made this. While I was eating, I was trying to figure out what was missing…and then it hit me FETA! Next time :)
This is my favorite recipe!! Thank you so much for it! :)
I live in Dearborn, MI (aka shawarma capital of the West), and I can’t get over how good this recipe is. I used Greek yogurt for both steps, added a bit more salt and fresh dill to the sauce, and added some sliced pickles to the wraps like the local restaurants do. My husband is eating seconds and has already asked me to make this again. This is so much less expensive than carry out, and just as tasty.
Making this for the millionth time! We love this! We use De-boned chicken thighs for ours and I griddle them and then finish them off in the oven 😊
Great weeknight meal
Hi Beth! This website is such a godsend, thank you so much for making such consistently delicious recipes so cheap!
I have a quick question. I’ve made this recipe in the past and it was amazing, but this time I want to bake it rather than grill it. If I cut the chicken breast into strips to marinate, do you have any guidance as to how long and at what temperature I should bake them? I’m having a hard time googling an answer to this question, and I trust your instinct.
Thank you!
It definitely depends on the size of the strips, but I’d say 375 for maybe 15-20 minutes? At least start checking it at around 15 to see how firm they are. You’ll probably need to use a meat thermometer or cut one open just to be sure.
Just an update:
I ended up cutting the chicken into cubes and cooking it as you suggested at 375 for 15 minutes, followed by about 5-ish minutes under the broiler. They were perfect! Thank you so much!
Great!! I’m glad it turned out well. :)
Yum! Just marinaded my chicken and it smells lush already. Going to serve it with pilau rice and homemade flatbread. No dill so our sauce will be a minty cucumber concoction 😊
Hi Beth!
Love your website and all the recipes I’ve tried to far. I really want to try this, and I know it’s an old recipe but I have a stupid question.
So, I buy normal yogurt and then greek yogurt? two different types of yogurt? just wanted to make sure, i’m a bit slow in the kitchen.
If you don’t want to buy two different types of yogurt, you could probably get away with using Greek for both the marinade and the sauce. :)
thanks Beth! I am happy to buy 2, just wanted to be sure :) can’t wait to make this! thanks for responding :)
Look like a great recipe missing Cardamom, turmeric, and paprika though. Chicken thighs do work in not a slow cooker just throw them in a pot with water with a good amount of lemon juice and turns out amazing.
OMGZ! I had Chawarma for the first time at a Lebanese place up the street and had to figure it out because I was instantly hooked. This was excellent. I made mine with chicken thighs because that’s what I had and yeah, deliciousness!
Hi Beth,
Your website was a revelation for my girlfriend and I as we do not have a lot of time or money on our hands so thank you! I always wonder, what kind of garlic do you use for most of your recipes? Do you mince your own fresh or do you just go for the jar of the pre-minced stuff?
I’ve gone back and forth over the past six years. I started using fresh garlic and mincing it myeself, then for a while I used minced garlic from a jar because it was just easier and slightly more mild, now I’m back to using fresh. I like them both for different reasons. :)
Made this for the third time yesterday, and it turned out great. I followed the recipe to a T. In the past I had let the chicken marinade for a few hours, but this time I let it sit over night. There was a noticeable difference in the flavor. Thanks for another wonderful recipe, Beth!
Sooooo good and nicely healthy too! We threw the chicken on the grill and this made for a good summer meal.
Our almost 3 year old approved too! He ate a deconstructed version and loved dipping in the sauce (glad I doubled that!)
Up until recently, I had never heard of chicken shawarma and thought that it sounded good. I did an internet search and found your recipe, so I recently gave it a try. My family and I loved this recipe so much! I didn’t have chicken breasts, so I substituted chicken thighs and it was awesome. This recipe is a keeper, and I don’t even like cucumbers, but they were good in this recipe.
I LOVE chicken thighs, so I will have to try that next time. :-)
Hi there! Sorry to comment on a really old post! Wondering if you have any suggestions for how to cook this chicken in a crockpot?
I don’t think this one would work well in a crock pot because slow cookers are too moist. It definitely needs the dry, high heat of a grill or even a hot skillet. If cooked in a slow cooker it would probably turn a bit soupy.
Thanks, Beth! Took your advice and used a George Foreman instead of my slow cooker. This marinade is off the chain! I used about half as much greek yogurt total (10 oz total for the marinade and the sauce) b/c it’s what I had, and only used 1 lb of chicken (again b/c it’s what I had). I really liked the way this came together and can’t wait to make it again!
Oh, my gosh. This Chicken Shawarma is out of the world delicious!! I used two chicken breasts, split them in half, and then cut them into strips. I marinated the chicken overnight. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a grill pan, so I used a regular skillet. I added chopped tomatoes, red onions, and feta cheese for the sandwiches. My sister and I LOVE them!! I will definitely make the chicken shawarma again next time. Thanks for this awesome recipe, Beth!! :-)
I’m making the Chicken Shawarma for dinner this week, and my sister and I can’t wait to dig in. Is it possible that I can cut the chicken breast into strips, and also, how long can I marinate them? Thanks, Beth!! :-)
This was seriously good. I tend to stick to your vegetarian meals because they are cheaper but I usually add this one in every other week because it is sooooo good. I don’t have a grill so I just empty the marinated chicken bag into a skillet and it cooks just fine.
I also use precooked naan from Costco, and the past few times I have used fresh dill because it is available to me. When using fresh I have to add a lot more than suggested to get the real flavor of it.
I made this tonight and it turned out amazing! I marinated the chicken for 24 hours and it came out so flavorful and tender. This is a new family favorite!
This recipe is fantastic! The marinade seemed odd, but it comes out delicious, and the naan far exceeded my expectations. The second time I made it I subbed spinach for the lettuce and added slices of avocado, both additions that I thought worked decently well.
Bottom line, I made it for a friend and she said it tasted better than the ones she’s eaten while overseas in Romania!
I love your blog and all of your recipes! Your blog is a life saver for this single mom/teacher!!!
I don’t have a grill. Would i be able to cook the chicken in the broiler?
Yes, that would probably work. Just make sure to keep a close eye on it because food can burn quickly under the broiler.
I love this recipe. I did as you suggested, and cut the chicken in strips before adding to marinade. The mixture of the spices with the other ingredients is so very good. This also makes great leftovers.
How did you cook the strips?
This was quite possibly the best chicken I have ever made. I made the Naan the day before (I questioned my naan abilities but it came out rather well, barring the flour mess), and let it marinade overnight, didn’t have tomatoes, and substituted pickles for cucumber..
Used chicken strips because, again, that is what I had on hand – and it saved any ‘slicing before’ issues, too. I can’t recommend the marinade enough. I intend to make other people try it.
This was so good and EASY! Made it two nights ago and just made another batch of chicken in the marinade to either eat tonight or to freeze the chicken (cooked) for lunches. Even my 5 and 3 yo liked this. My husband and I ate ours’ with feta, cucumber, red onion, lettuce and tomato. We bought a big pack of naan last weekend at Costco for 5.50, and there’s enough in there for all of us to eat this for at least 2 meals, so that saves me the time of having to make that and it’s still relatively cheap.
I’m going to grill a bunch of chicken with this marinade and freeze it to use for sandwiches and salads and what not. I think the freezing is a great idea!
I grilled a bunch of strips and froze them. Soooo gooood! I don’t even mix them in a sandwich, just throw them in with some mixed bowls / leftovers for lunch. I want to savour the full flavour!
This was relatively simple and tasty. Trying to do the naan at the same time was a bit much. I’ll do the naan earlier in the day and warm it next time. My husband thought the sauce was “too yogurty” so I may mix up a small batch of the sauce with sour cream for him in the future. Great fresh meal.
I’m planning to make this for my family this weekend and wondering if there is a cheap fish that would work in place of the chicken for my daughter who doesn’t eat chicken?
I’m not sure how well fish will hold up to the highly acidic marinade. Just be sure to not leave it in there too long or else the fish could get mushy.
We ended up doubling the vegetables and my daughter inhaled it. No meat necessary.
This was delicious! The perfect summer lunch :) I was out of dill, so I just made a smaller batch of the marinade in place of the yogurt sauce and added chopped cucumber and cracked black pepper. It was so tasty!
I really liked this recipe!! I loved the marinade, turned out great! You couldn’t taste that there were unusual spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, just great flavor. I ended up adding in some red onion to my toppings, and I lightly pickled them for a nice bright flavor. :)
Thanks for the awesome recipe. it was so delicious and flavourful. the kids loved it and I am planning to do this recipe again for tomorrow.
wondering if i can freeze the marinated chicken? will it affect the flavour?
it tastes so awesome, i thought if i can freeze the marinated chicken, cooking on weekday nights would be easy and kids will also eat without fuss. any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!!
I’ve had many people ask that, but I have yet to try it. The only possible down side that I can think of is that the prolonged exposure to the acid might make the chicken mushy, but I haven’t tested that theory.
Ooooh, this is sooo good. I just made it tonight, it’s absolutely lovely and fresh and full of flavour. I baked my chicken instead of grilling just because I wanted to workout while it was cooking away.
Yep another person mentioned that this is closer to a gyro then a schwarma ….. they are both very similar and oh so good!!!! We lived in Dubai for a few years and they too put pickles instead of cucumber and a garlicky mayo of sorts as the topping ….. either way it is a regional sandwich and each Middle Eastern country has their own take …… great job!!! My hats off to you!!!
So yummy. I sliced the chicken and marinated for 24 hours or so. I cooked on a grill pan. The yogurt will get a bit charred, but it’s really tasty. I made the pita to go along with this, but I served as a salad on a bed of romaine, cucumber, grape tomatoes, crumbled feta and drizzled with the yogurt sauce.
Mmm… I made this with chicken thighs instead of breast – they are juicier and I was a little afraid that the breast could become too dry. I also cooked it on the BBQ for more flavor. When I first made the yogurt sauce, even with a little extra garlic, it wasn’t very good, but after sitting in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, it was phenomenal. We didn’t assemble it as a sandwich, but had a salad on the side and cut some flatbread into wedges. We served it with the yogurt sauce and TJ’s Mediterranean Hummus. This is definitely a make-again! Thanks for posting!
This looks good but I don’t eat meat and milk products together- is there anything I can sub for the yogurt here?
Hmmm, that’s a really tough question. The yogurt definitely has a very distinct flavor that is key to the overall dish. If you have health food stores in your area, you can check to see if you can find a soy yogurt. Mayonnaise might be good, even though it’s a completely different flavor. :)
Can I use whole wheat flour to make this?
In which part of the recipe? There is no regular flour in the recipe. Do you mean in the naan?
Where did you find a pound of chicken for $2.48? Is that the normal price?
I pretty much ONLY buy my chicken when it’s on sale. My local grocery store has it on sale for about $2/lb. every so often, so I stock up and keep it in my freezer for later. You just have to watch the sales and get to know them. Check out multiple stores to make sure you’re not missing out (a lot of stores have their sales fliers online now, so you can make a quick job of it once a week).
Try Costco, Price Chopper or Sam’s Club! They sell Il around 2 $ pound (whole). P.S ; In Canada chicken is a lot more expensive…. try 5.30$ for whole and breast is 8.00-9.00 $ per pounds!. We drive to USA to get discounted price for meat and chicken
I’m out of plain yogurt right now but am craving this. Do you think I can use sour cream?
Hmmm, not sure about that one. The yogurt gives it such a unique flavor… but technically they’re very similar, so I think it’s worth a shot!
Love your take on chawarma, I just buy the chawarma spices and mix a few teaspoons with labneh (plain Greek yogurt), garlic and lemon juice. My husband is Lebanese (we live in Benin-tons of Lebanese here) and they all put pickles and French fries in their chawarma, most like their sandwiches spicy too. But I’ve never seen feta, that turns it into more of a Greek recipe. Anyway, I LOVE your website, I’ve already made two pasta dishes and the pineapple chicken quesadillas. I have a big list of recipes f
Just fixed this tonight: terrific! Made a few tweaks of my own, like adding a dash of pepper sauce to the yogurt sauce, and stirring the cucumbers into it as well. Also, with no grill, I cooked the chicken in my cast iron skillet, and the flavor was fantastic anyway.
The Avengers brought me here!
Me, too! Haha
Made this today for lunch after marinating it for quite a while. It was delicious! I will definitely be making it again. The chicken was fantastic, I’ll be making some more to put on salads. Thanks for a great recipe. We loved it, tastes just like Greek restaurant chicken pitas.
holy moly! this was fantastic!!! and i’m one picky eater ;) i usually get totally grossed out by chicken (well, meat in general) from restaurants, so being able to make this at home is just amazing. love love love! xo
BETH! You have done it again! Served these tonight, using your Naan recipe (made on the weekend, and frozen until last night), Yellow Jasmine Rice and Marinated White Beans – AMAZING. Thanks, AGAIN, for some great recipes. Posted a pic of them together on FB, and got instant responses – your food is always a hit.
These were soooooo good. And super fast too. I ate them with naan and they were amazing. I blogged about them here: http://thefoodcharlatan.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/chicken-shawarma/
Loved this recipe! I was too lazy to grill so I broiled the chicken in a toaster oven. So good! Thanks for posting it!
Hello! I’ve found your english muffins recipe by the Pinterest site and I was curious to try it at home. Because I’m a little bit an “overdoing things” girl so.. Yesterday I found myself doing your Naan, pita and muffin english bread. The three at the same time. The hardest wasn’t to follow the flow (extremely fast!) cause I started all three at a time, but to wait them to cool down before to taste!!
I’m trying this chicken recipe tonight, I’ve done chicken and porc slices separatly to taste it (and cause I haven’t enought chicken hahaha )
Now.. After I smell the flavors of the marinade, all I can say is… Do you want to be my friend?? Hahaha :) Seriously.. I respect your job a lot, I can see the love and the devotion that you put in your posts..
So.. Can we be food friends?? Hihihi :)
Found it on Pinterest too! I just made this- and we loved it. Very authentic flavor!! I used chicken tenders because they are cheaper and easier to cook. I marinated the chicken for the full 24 hours, which I highly recommend! Chicken was very tender, even after cooking. I baked mine because we don’t have a grill and I hate cleaning our grill pan! I baked the tenders on a foil-covered pan for 15 (turning half way), at 360 deg, and then finished under the broiler for 4 minutes each side to crisp them up. So good! I also subbed red/gr pepper for tomatoes (don’t like em), and tossed the veggies/lettuce in olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano.
Janel – you could actually use regular yogurt or greek yogurt for both. Just make sure to get the plain, not sweetened flavor. The only difference between greek yogurt and regular yogurt is the moisture content. Greek yogurt is strained to remove some of the water so it is thicker. I like to use greek for the dressing because it makes a thick sauce, but you can use it for the marinade too if you don’t want to buy two types of yogurt.
You mention “plain yogurt” for the marinade but greek yogurt for the dressing. Is the “plain” yogurt for the marinade the greek yogurt or standard yogurt?
Made this for dinner tonight. It was in the 60’s here in MD, so I grilled the chicken outside. What a fabulous recipe and meal this was! I also love how wonderful my house has smelled since last night when I started marinating the chicken. Thank you for such a yummy dish!
What are the nutritional facts on this???? It looks delicious
has anyone tried a baked version of this chicken marinade?
i made this tonight and it was so good! you were right…it is a magical blend of spices haha i was a bit skeptical but after i grilled my chicken and tasted it, i loved it!!
This was amazing, found it on Pinterest ! I did not have the feta and onion but will try that for sure next time. Taste exactly like a chicken Gyro that I always order and they always put waaaaaaaaaaaay too much yogurt sauce on it and always forget to put it on the side when I ask. I could put them out of business with this version, it’s so easy! I cut up my my raw chicken breast into strips before I but it in the marinade and they cooked so fast on my little foreman grill. The best part was that my 9 year old loved it. He is physically disabled and on a special low-fat diet so I put his on whole wheat Arnold Brand sandwich thins and he loved it! Mommy and Daddy had there’s on good old Naan Bread and it was YUM!
This was SO delicious! I had never heard of shawarma before, but I made it anyway. I left out the cloves (since I didn’t have any) and it was still very good! I will make this again, definitely! Perfect for a light dinner on a hot summer’s day.
I can’t even attempt to thank you enough for this phenomenal addition to my Wednesday night. I had a small gathering and we all moaned when the chicken ran out. It was delicious! The onion and feta were definitely good additions. Again, thanks for sharing!
I made this a couple of weeks ago, turned out great! I threw in the feta and red onions, too.. ;-D
This recipe has been featured on The Bees Elbows!
View the post here: http://beeselbows.blogspot.com/2011/07/tasty-tuesday-potluck-guide.html
I made this last night for dinner, and it turned out AMAZING! I followed your recipe exactly and added the feta and onion too. Instead of grilling on a Foreman grill, I cut the chicken into cubes and grilled it on wood skewers over a charcoal grill. This was so delicious.
This turned out AWESOME! I am not a fan of yogurt, so i substituted w/sour cream. :) Can’t wait to make again!
What’s the side dish? Butter beans with what? Everything looks delicious.
This is definitely something I’ll try…probably this weekend. Gosh it looks delicious!
Oh, this sounds FANTASTIC. I love shawarma, but I’ve never tried making it myself. Now I think I have to!
What an interesting combination of spices! Is this like a Greek gyro? I’m familiar with the yogurt sauce—your “method” of making it is the same as mine! Just guess and taste until you get it right. :)
Looks really nice! I will try this for sure. I guess I will have to settle for ham instead of chicken for now. My youngest kid visited the doctor and I told him he get’s to have what he wants if he behaves. And ham is simply his favorite. He even loves my pancake recipe with ham in it! lol!
omg i want to try this!
im going to marinade the chicken but im going to make a chicken wrap instead!:)
Thanks for a great recipe idea that I know my toddlers will like too.
Mm, that looks good. I’ve been not eating meat for a month and looking for something exciting to get me back to being an omnivore. This is definitely a contender…. the flavors sound so interesting! Thanks for sharing =)
If only they looked like these from the street carts; this looks so fresh and tasty!
This might need to be dinner tomorrow! I showed the picture to my 13 year old daughter and she said it looked “really yummy!”
This will be a great meal after her cheerleading workout tomorrow! Thanks!
The way you’ve described this recipe, I think I have to rush out and get all the ingredients. Love your tiny GF Grill. I have a model that’s about 10 years old, but it’s huge. I can make 12 hamburgers at a time on it. The newer ones aren’t as large as mine, but they have removable grill plates, and I believe they’re dishwasher safe too.
Yep! and they will probably cook faster.
This looks really really good!
I’m just wondering, can you grill the strips of chicken just like you would a whole chicken breast?