Homemade Lebanese Chicken Shawarma

A platter of chicken shawarma with dip and sides.

5 from 3 votes

Homemade Lebanese Chicken Shawarma

You won’t believe how easy it is to make Chicken Shawarma at home. You only need a handful of ingredients and you’ll have this juicy and flavorful chicken in no time.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Resting Time (optional)30

Total Time55

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: Lebanese

Servings: servings

Author: Mariam Ezzeddine

Ingredients

8 large chicken thighs boneless, skinless
1 tsp. dry cilantro
½ tsp. salt or more to taste
¾ tsp. black pepper
½ cup yogurt full fat
6 whole cloves garlic
2 tbsps. olive oil
2 tbsp. shawarma spice
4 tbsps. lemon juice juice of one lemon

Instructions

Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towel and trim off any fats if needed. Transfer to a bowl.
In another bowl, add in the dry cilantro, yogurt, garlic cloves, lemon juice, black pepper, salt and shawarma spices. Mix well to combine.
Add the marinade to the chicken thighs and coat well with the chicken. Cover and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes if you have time.
Bring a large cast iron skillet or non stick skillet over medium heat and add in 2 tbsps. of olive oil.
Pan sear the chicken thighs on each side for 6-8 minutes or until the thighs are fully cooked. Cook time will depend on the thickness of the thighs. Use a digital cooking thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should be at 165 F.
Remove from heat and cover with foil wrap. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut the chicken thighs into thin slices
Serve with some Middle Eastern pickles, pickled turnips, garlic sauce, onion and parsley salad and some tomatoes. Serve with your favorite side dish or bundle it up into a delicious sandwich using pita bread.

Notes

Use a digital cooking thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should be at 165 F.
When you rest the chicken before cutting, it allows the juices inside of the thighs to redistribute. This way you don’t lose all the juices when you cut into it!
If you want to change things up, try my Beef Shawarma!
It’s important to marinate the chicken before you cook it. The yogurt specifically helps tenderize the meat.
You can use chicken breasts if you prefer but you’ll have to adjust the cooking time. Also, chicken breasts are thicker so you’ll have to keep that in mind as well.
Cut the chicken thighs against the grain to keep your meat tender. Usually this means you shouldn’t slice the thighs on the “long” side.

Nutrition