Easy Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma
This Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma is juicy, boldly spiced, and full of crispy edges you’d swear came off a spit, but nope, it’s all done in the oven. Paired with creamy homemade garlic sauce and wrapped in warm pita, this is a flavor packed meal that’ll have everyone licking their fingers and asking for seconds.
Servings: 8
Calories: 432kcal
Ingredients
Chicken Shawarma
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cumin ground
- 2 teaspoons black pepper ground
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 1 large onion sliced
- 2 tablespoons parsley fresh, for garnish
Garlic Sauce
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 6 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 egg white *
- 1 teaspoon salt
Chicken Shawarma Wraps
- hummus
- tabbouleh salad
- garlic sauce
- pita wraps
Instructions
Chicken Shawarma
- In a large bowl add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, cumin, black pepper, paprika, turmeric, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, garlic, and whisk well. Add the chicken and toss making sure the chicken is well coated in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least an hour. The longer the meat marinates the more flavour you’ll have.
- Preheat oven to 425°F degrees. Add sliced onion to bowl with chicken and toss well so that the onion is fully coated in the marinade. Add everything to a 9×13-baking dish. I didn’t have much marinade leftover since the chicken absorbed most of it, so that’s why I added everything to the baking dish. Spread everything evenly over the baking dish.
- Bake in the oven until the chicken is browned and crisp on the edges, for about 40 to 45 minutes. If you want the chicken crispier on top, turn the broiler on to high and broil for 3 minutes until nice and crispy on the outside.
- Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes, then slice it into bits.
Garlic Sauce
- Add all the ingredients to a blender (or an immersion blender) and blend until smooth, it should take 1 to 2 minutes. This recipe will make about 1½ cups of sauce, refrigerate leftover sauce.
Chicken Shawarma Wraps
- To make the chicken shawarma wraps, warm up the wraps first in the microwave for about 30 seconds, then spread some hummus over each wrap, spoon about 2 or 3 tbsp of tabbouleh salad, add chicken shawarma, and drizzle with garlic sauce and serve.
Video
Notes
- Marinate longer for maximum flavor: Overnight is best, but even 4–5 hours makes a big difference.
- Use thighs for extra juiciness: Breasts work great, but thighs are more forgiving and hard to overcook.
- Skip the egg white if needed: Just add the oil slowly when blending and the sauce will still emulsify.
- Don’t crowd the pan: Give the chicken space to roast, not steam, so you get those crispy edges.
- Only slice what you need: Keep leftovers juicy by storing the chicken whole and slicing later.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 644mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 428IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
