Grilled chicken shawarma is easy to make at home without a spit or rotisserie. Marinated chicken cook right on the hot grill, keeping the centers juicy while the outside develops dark, lightly charred edges. Slice the chicken after grilling and tuck it into warm pita with crisp lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and your favorite garlic sauce.
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Why make this?
This method gives you deeply seasoned chicken with dark grilled edges, without stacking the meat on a spit. Halved chicken breast stay juicy on the grill and are less likely to dry out than thin strips. You can marinate the chicken up to a day ahead, so once the grill is hot, most of the work is already done.
What You Need for Grilled Chicken Shawarma
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast: stay juicy over high heat and are easy to slice after grilling. Chicken thighs are a great variation.
- Garlic: adds a deep, savory flavor to the marinade.
- Ground cumin: gives the chicken its warm, earthy base.
- Ground coriander: adds a mild citrusy note that balances the cumin.
- Ground cardamom: gives the chicken its warm, fragrant shawarma aroma. The raw marinade smells strong, but the flavor softens as the chicken grills.
- Turmeric: adds warm color and a mild earthy flavor.
- Paprika: adds color and a gentle smoky taste.
- Cayenne pepper: controls the heat. Use the smaller amount for a milder result.
- Lemon juice: brightens the marinade and balances the warm spices.
- Olive oil: keeps the marinade loose and helps coat the chicken.
- Greek yogurt: just one tablespoon helps the spices cling to the chicken. This is not a thick yogurt-based marinade.
- Honey: adds a touch of sweetness and helps the outside brown. Let thick drips of marinade fall off so the honey does not burn.
How to Make Grilled Chicken Shawarma
- Step 1: Marinate the chicken. Mix the garlic, spices, lemon juice, olive oil, Greek yogurt, and honey. Coat the chicken and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Step 2: Preheat the grill over medium-high heat and let excess marinade drip off the chicken. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side without moving it around.
- Step 3: Turn and grill for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the thickest part reaches 165°F.
- Step 4: Move the chicken to a clean plate and rest for 5 minutes. Slice it into thin strips, spoon the juices over the meat, and fill warm pita with chicken and vegetables.
Top Tips
- Leave space between the chicken. Leave space between the chicken so the grill stays hot and they brown evenly.
- Grill the chicken halved and slice them after they rest. This keeps the centers juicy and gives the outside more time to char.
- Set up a cooler side of the grill before you start. If the chicken gets dark before the center reaches 165°F, move it to that cooler side and close the lid to finish cooking.
- Discard the marinade that touched the raw chicken and use a clean plate and clean tongs for the cooked meat.
Great with
- Herbed Garlic Butter Naan Bread: soft homemade naan is a warm, flavorful alternative to pita and can be heated briefly on the grill.
- Turkish Kisir Salad with Bulgur: this fresh, herby bulgur salad can be made ahead and works well as a cookout side.
- Lemon-Garlic Hummus: creamy hummus adds a lemony, garlicky spread that fits naturally in the pita or alongside the vegetables.
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Make juicy grilled chicken shawarma without a spit. Chicken get bold spices and charred edges, then go into warm pita with crisp vegetables.
Recipe Help
Two easy tools to make cooking even easier. Cooking mode keeps the screen on. The easy-step recipe displays the recipe step by step, including the ingredients needed. And you can adjust servings easily
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ground, to taste
- 2 teaspoons paprika powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2¼ pounds chicken breasts, skinless, boneless or chicken thighs
- 4 large pita bread, Lebanese flatbreads, or other flatbreads
Serving
- 2 cups romaine hearts, or iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
- 1 tomatoes, sliced or diced
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
- ½ cucumber, thinly sliced
- Hot sauce, to taste, optional
- lemon, wedges
- Fresh Parsley, or mint
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Mix the garlic, spices, lemon juice, olive oil, Greek yogurt, and honey. I like to use a plastic bag.2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 2 teaspoons ground cardamom, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ground, 2 teaspoons paprika powder, 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon honey
- Half the chicken fillets so they are fairly even in thickness. Add the chicken to the marinade and massage the marinade over every piece.2¼ pounds chicken breasts
- Cover the bowl or seal the bag. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Prepare the grill for medium-high direct heat, about 400 to 425°F with the lid closed. Keep one section cooler for finishing the chicken. Set up a hot side for direct grilling and a slightly cooler side in case the chicken browns too quickly. Clean the grates and lightly oil them if needed.
- Lift the chicken from the marinade and let the thick drips fall back into the bowl. A thin coating can stay on the chicken. Discard the marinade that touched the raw meat.
- Place the chicken on the hot side of the grill with space between them. Grill with the lid open for 4 to 5 minutes without moving them. When the chicken is properly browned, it should release more easily from the grates.
- Turn the chicken and grill for another 3 to 5 minutes. Check the temperature in the thickest part without touching the grate. The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F.
- If the outside gets dark before the chicken is cooked, move them to the cooler side of the grill. Close the lid and continue cooking until the center reaches 165°F.
- Transfer the chicken to a clean plate with clean tongs. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes.
- Warm the pita briefly on the cooler side of the grill until soft and flexible. Watch closely, because thin flatbread can scorch in seconds.4 large pita bread
- Slice the chicken into thin strips and spoon the juices from the plate over the meat.
- Fill the pita with lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, and chicken. Add garlic sauce or hummus, if using. Finish with hot sauce, fresh parsley or mint and a squeeze of lemon.2 cups romaine hearts, 1 tomatoes, ½ red onion, ½ cucumber, Hot sauce, lemon, Fresh Parsley
Notes
1. What temperature should grilled chicken reach? Cook the chicken to 165°F in the thickest part, measured with an instant-read thermometer.
2. Can I make the chicken ahead? Yes. Marinate it up to 24 hours ahead, then grill it shortly before serving.
3. What can I use instead of pita bread? Use Lebanese flatbread, naan, tortillas, or serve the chicken over rice.
4. Can I cook this in a grill pan? Yes. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Let the thick drips of marinade fall off the chicken, then cook the chickenin batches for about 4 to 5 minutes on the first side and 3 to 5 minutes on the second. Lower the heat if the marinade darkens too quickly. Cook until the thickest part reaches 165°F.
5. Storage
- Refrigerator: Store the cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep the vegetables and pita separate.
- Freezer: Freeze only the grilled chicken, for a maximum of 2 months.
- Reheat: the sliced chicken in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a small splash of water or olive oil. Stir occasionally and heat until the chicken is hot throughout.
Nutrition
Calories: 435kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 57gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 1488mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 4197IUVitamin C: 18mgIron: 3mg
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